The time for action was nigh. The customers had been waiting a long time and they were getting antsy. Jack knew that unless he acted now they would all leave. Trying to remember his brief time as a waiter in his youth, he picked the biggest table and walked up to them.
Jack put on a smile and said, "Hello there, can I help you?...What can I get for you today?"
"Could you tell me the difference between the Mixl Aura Soup and the Ciriah Mott Steak?" asked a man to Jack's left, pointing to a small piece of paper with the names of the dishes on it.
Jack's heart sank. He had no idea, had never even seen the menu. Nobody at the table had a menu, just scraps of paper. Jack leaned towards the man to examine the paper. The words were small and seemed to swim before his eyes.
"Uh...I think, eh..." Jack stammered. "I think the soup is more of a soup, whereas the, uh, steak is just a piece of meat. I'm, uh, not quite sure about the actual spices, and stuff."
The man nodded knowingly. "Alright, well, I'll have the paloosa." Jack scribbled down the order on the small herbs box he was carrying.
"Okay, who's next?" Jack asked. "How about you?" he asked the next young woman at the table.
"That other guy has already helped us..." she said.
"Oh! He already took your order?..." Jack said, surprised.
"Well, no..." she replied.
"We've been waiting for a long time!!" said another woman abruptly. "How long do you suppose?" she asked her dining companions. "Something like 15 minutes!!"
"Yes, I know, I'm very sorry. We've been having a hard time today," pleaded Jack.
"I've liked this restaurant the other times, but I think you are going to lose ratings. I have half a mind to downgrade you when I get home," said the belligerent woman.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" asked Jack.
"I said, I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE RATINGS!!!" she yelled.
