Ever had a long wait for takeaway?

There is a local Chinese takeaway where we have been going for a few years off and on, actually until the other week, it was more off than on, for no particular reason, though things might be a bit easier if they took cards. Anyway, I placed an order for three dishes and sat down to wait. A few people came to the shop and placed their orders. And I waited. One guy placed his order and went over to the table where they kept toothpicks.

You know how it is when you start watching someone doing something a little offbeat...you know you shouldn't be looking, but curiosity compels you. This guy, who was a little unkempt, long greasy hair, unshaved, picked up the toothpick container, unscrewed the top and shook out a quantity straight into his hand. Maybe he felt someone watching him, or had a quick pang of guilt, he then put a few back, straight from his dirty hand and pocketed the rest. Hmm, no more public toothpicks for me.

Perhaps he had been spotted by the kitchen and anxious to preserve what was left of their soiled toothpicks, had hurried his order through, before mine. Well, that illusion was shattered shortly after, when another two people who had arrived after me received their orders. I must have had quite a look on my face, as the waitress mumbled something about my crispy skin chicken slowing things down. Even then, after they had served three other people, it still took another quarter hour before my order was filled, they knew it was a lot longer wait for me than it should have been, apologised, and gave me a free bottle of soft drink.

I'm not one to hold a grudge, especially if the food is good and it really was. Last Wednesday, we had been to M's school concert and the girls went off to her dancing class after that and we were too fagged to cook. The Chinese shop deserved another chance and there were some menu items I wanted to try, so back unto the breach I went. There were a couple of people already there, I placed my order and sat down to wait.

At one of the tables, there was a young couple, at least I think they were a couple, it was hard to tell from the conversation, because there wasn't any. It became obvious that the young girl couldn't speak and all her talk was in gestures, not the proper signing ones that you see from time to time, but gestures that tried to convey her words to someone who didn't know sign language. The young guy had a spiral notebook and was writing things down, then he would spin the book towards her and she would either nod or shake her head. There was definitely something up with her bag and she kept lifting it up and giving it a sniff then proffered the handbag to him and he seemed to nod in agreement.

I didn't get to find out much more as my order came out...before anyone else already in the shop. Perhaps I passed some sort of a test last time and now have the right to some sort of precedence, I certainly had the right to a large, free bag of prawn crackers.

Back at home, I laid the feast upon the table and we tucked in. M has gone off rice, so I bought a noodle dish with chicken and broccoli for her. One of the dishes I bought for myself and D was sweet and sour prawns. Now prawns are one thing that M turns her nose up at with a loud "eeewwww". That's quite okay by me, plenty of time for her to learn to enjoy their delights. Or so I thought. M saw me take a couple of prawns from the takeaway container and asked for it, inside were about ten or so prawns, cloaked inside a batter case, so she couldn't see the prawness that was staring her right in the face; she pulled one out and put it in her mouth, gave a chew, then expressed her approval by taking most of the prawns and putting them on her plate.

I think I've been cheated, my other daughter, P, was thirteen or so before she took a liking to that sort of thing. There will be a fight back though, a stockpile of chile should do the trick, as in chilli prawns, it will be years before she comes at that. I'm not a bad dad really, just hungry.