Poseidon and I were in line at one of our favorite deli/bagel joints in Chapel Hill, and the folks in front of us seemed a little slow on the ordering, but we were patient and as I browsed the deli menu above the squeaky clean counter I noticed Reuben on the menu! A Reuben is one of my favorite sandwiches and I was so excited that I shouted out loud, "Ooh, look, Reuben! I want a Reuben!" Just as I finished my sentence, the guy in line ahead of us said, "I'll have a Reuben." Wow, I'm a trendsetter now!
The gentleman behind the bagel counter asked the guy if he wanted a regular Reuben or a turkey Reuben. He was quiet for a bit, then he said in his inside voice so as not to be heard (or so he thought), "I don't know, what does a Reuben usually have on it?" Hmmm. OK, this is the south, and a Reuben is more of a northern sandwich, so I wasn't going to write him off as a weirdo yet. The employee explained to him what a Reuben is and the guy said he would have the "regular" kind instead of turkey. The only person I will excuse for ordering a turkey Reuben when a regular Reuben is on the menu is Poseidon, and not because he is my husband but because he is a vegetarian.
Anyway, the couple then moved to the side as Poseidon and I ordered (I changed my mind...I had the tuna melt instead of the Reuben), as the couple quietly discussed the bagel case and all the many wondrous flavors and smells. The woman (the other half of this couple) became excited and nearly screamed, "Look, they have that walnut spread..." only it came out like this..."Luk, thay haave thaat wollnut spray-ed." Now folks, I'm not making fun of her accent, because I have a strange little accent myself. I began to get a better picture of this couple. I doubt (and again, I am NOT making fun of these people, I'm truly not) either one had gone further than the 6th grade in school.
The woman went back to the counter and told the poor kid taking orders that she would also like walnut spread. He gave her a look and then asked what kind of bagel she wanted. She was so confused she nearly had a meltdown and whispered to her husband/boyfriend/brother, I'm not sure what the relationship was between them (he called her Shirley). He then spoke up and said, "I think she wants that cinnamon thing." The guy asked if she wanted it toasted, and again, meltdown number two. She didn't know how to answer.
She began asking questions which led me to believe they had never seen a bagel before. After a lengthy explanation that you put the spread (a.k.a. cream cheese) on the bagel, they finally ordered a bagel with cream cheese to go with their Reuben (and apparently she had ordered an omelet before Poseidon and I arrived). She then asked the guy behind the counter if she could write a post-dated check, which he promptly refused, so they dug up some money between them, extremely embarrassed.
Poseidon and I sat down with our tuna melts, in silence, and I contemplated the entire scene that had taken place here at the bagel shop. These two were a real 'slice of life.' I thought, how is it possible in this day and age that people are still so sheltered from the modern day rat race we call life? That isn't a judgement on them, not at all. It's almost envy.
Life must be extremely innocent and uncomplicated for them...I was happy (and I'll be honest, quite amused) to have witnessed this episode, and I'll never be able to order another Reuben (or bagel) as long as I live without feeling a little smile for these two stretching across my face.
--Fortuitous Observer
