In my mid-forties, my blood still boils at injustice; I still rush to defend victims of any kind – age has not withered and custom has but steeled this quality in me.
And an old, ill-dressed man – a misfit in the sleek ambience of an American-style coffeeshop – being ignored by the staff, is just the sort of thing that infuriates me.
Power by social context. One look at the shabby man – and suddenly the twenty-something staff are ‘social superiors' who have found somebody they can look down on.
I watch as the poor man avoids looking up and chooses the farthest table. As he stares emptily at the crowds in the mall, he occasionally glances in the direction of the counter. I wonder if he is even aware that he is expected to order and pay first.
I now turn to the ‘higher end' of this social drama. Shocking! The three youngsters are huddled together, gesturing at the poor old man.
Sitting close to the counter, I can hear them.
Guys, I'm not dealing with him again.
Again! So there is some history here. Have they been mean to the poor chap in the past?
Suhaila, why don't you go?
Why me?
Well you saw him first and you were the first to announce ‘'Oh no, our favourite uncle is here!''
I can imagine Suhaila spitting out ‘uncle' like she was saying ‘turd'.
And THAT means I have to deal with him? Look, can't we wait till Gloria is here?
Gloria's shift is three hours away! And you are just as good as Gloria at telling people off! Come on, Suhaila. Table 12 needs to be cleaned anyway, and he's right there, at 14.
Suhaila sighs, grabs a wipe and approaches our lone hero on the periphery.
Right. I need to witness this. One word of disrespect to the man and this girl is going to get a piece of my mind! I walk ‘absentmindedly' in the same direction and stop within earshot, pretending to get a text on my phone.
Even without looking up I can see the way Suhaila towers over the frail old man, like a stern headmistress over errant wards. I mean, doesn't customer service training cover body language these days?
Sir?
I watch as the old man looks up, smiles faintly and looks away.
Sir, I am talking to you...Her sentence ends on a sharp note. Then, believe it or not, she plonks down next to him. Like he wasn't a customer at all! I almost throw my muffin at her.
Uncle! That word again. Is that like a new generation insult, like calling a middle-aged man ‘grandpa'?
Uncle, you are here again...second time this week.
Yeah. So? It's called ‘regular customer', silly girl!
Gloria is worried about you – you are her only family. You're diabetic and you keep having all this sweet stuff! Even if you come when Gloria's not here, we all recognise you!
Ok. Now I wish there was an actual text on my phone I could focus on.
Go home, uncle. And don't go to the Starbucks near the exit! And don't worry – I won't tell Gloria anything!
As Suhaila helps the old man with his bags and sends him shuffling on his way, I swallow the rest of my muffin along with my role as saviour.