Choices

Setting: Jamaican restaurant, Brooklyn.

Who: Two mid 40 year old black ladies and a Hispanic employee behind the counter.

One of my go to spots to eat is a small Jamaican "restaurant" in Brooklyn. Its more of a taqueria- you order at the counter and you either sit down in the small space to eat or take it to go. No waiter service.

I had been eating for a few minutes when two friends came in to eat. They had been there before and ordered right as they got to the counter.

Friend A: "Let me get two chicken patties"

Friend B: "I'll get a piece of fried chicken and one beef patty"

As the server went over to the area with the fried chicken, the one woman who ordered it followed him. He took the tongs and selected a piece but before he could put it in the bag the lady protested.

Friend B: "No, no. I don't want that piece. Let me see what else there is" At this point her finger is touching the sneeze guard as she directs him to dig through the pile of chicken. It was a real life puppet session but instead of dolls and strings in front an audience we had a black woman dictating to a Hispanic man about which piece of fried chicken would fatten her up the most. Once she settled on a piece to her liking the server went back to the area where the patties were.

After he placed the beef one in the bag for Friend B, Friend A interjected once her chicken patties were on the verge of being placed in her bag.

Friend A: "Its all burnt. Damn, I don't want that one. Let me get one that you ain't burnt."

Come on now. It was not burnt. The crust had some areas that were a golden brown instead of the yellow that normally encompasses the ground chicken. Actually, a little "burntness" is tasty. Like with mac and cheese or with good bread and a hot sandwich. After the server got her two patties that were up to her liking, the ladies paid and sat down.

Friend A: "Trying to give me some burnt shit."

Friend B: "I know. And like I wanted that tiny ass piece of chicken. I want a real piece!"

I could be wrong but the second piece of chicken Friend B was given would perhaps result in one more bite of meat while Friend A's chicken patties were to the untrained eye, no different from the first.

But, these are professionals. Professional get-the-most-out-of-my-five-dollar-meal-I-want-good-size-fried chicken-and-not-burnt-patties professionals.

Nobody was out to cheat these women but they took their servings personal. There is a right way to ask for something and a wrong. Although it seems that you can get away with it by asking the wrong way as evidenced by these two friends...

In karma, we trust.