Dish

"Order up!"

"Next!"

"Hi. Can I get two eggs sunny side up with bacon and toast, please." 

"White or brown?" 

"What!?" 

"Toast! White or brown?" 

"Oh. White." 

"Two or four slices of bacon? Four slices cost you a buck fifty extra."

"Can I get six?"

"That's three dollars."

"Yeah I can count." 

(Eye roll) "Drink?"

"Orange juice please."

I follow my tray down the line. Eyeing my usual spot, hoping no one gets there before me. This is my favourite diner on campus. The vintage and modern don’t compete, they embrace. Depending on the time, from breakfast to lunch to dinner, it feels completely different.

Quiet at breakfast, news feeds on the screens. Packed at lunch, tuned to a popular radio station. The jukebox is the source of music in the evening. All tables are equipped with a tune selector. Toss in your coins, pick your song and wait.

“Mmmmm. Mustard and hot sauce on eggs. Chewy bacon. Perfectly toasted bread dipped in warm yolk. Wonderful! I check the time, finish up, and take off for my Introduction to Philosophy class. (It’s going to be a long day.)