I am in an airport, on my way to Spain for a month—a long delayed graduation celebration for my sister. It was meant to be Morocco and Spain, but alas, Morocco was cut at almost the last minute. I am delighted to see that everyone is wearing a mask.
But that’s not what I am going to write about today. Instead, I’m going to recount a scene I witnessed, that unaccountably touched me.
I was at a cafe working on the next in the Relearning Magic trilogy. There are not a lot of us here when it opens at 6, but there is me and an older man, also wearing a mask and work clothes. He’s perhaps in his 60s (though I don’t really know, I’m terrible at these things.)
Mary—everyone’s favourite employee because she’s just so genuinely kind (and at also somewhere in her 60s maybe? Older? Who knows) had been out sick for some time—she has blood cancer and reacted very poorly to her booster shot. Mary wasn’t there, but this man asked another employee if she would be in. He had heard from another regular that she had come back to work the day before. The employee said she didn’t know (which is appropriate even if you do know. Don’t tell random men when your coworkers shifts are).
Anyway, he sat there with his cup of water and his coffee that he looked like he had already finished. Just sitting, not even reading, not on his phone. Then, at 7am, Mary comes in with her smile and all that hair piled on top of her head.
“Mary how are you doing?”
“I’m good—“ she said, in that automatic way that everyone does, but then she switched into a genuine tone and said, “Oh, yeah, I’m feeling better! Getting better every day.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Mary disappeared into the back. Only then did he throw away his coffee cup and leave. He had been waiting for her. Just to say that little thing. Just to see if she was okay.
This broke my heart a little and I don’t know why. So small a thing. That he delayed his departure just a bit to see for himself that she was okay.
Normally I’d hate this kind of behaviour of male customers to female employees, waiting around until she turns up for her shift and the procede to talk her ear off, and then she has to stay an listen because she’s at work and cannot leave. (Anyone who has ever worked at a cafe or bar knows these guys, has been through this.) But he didn’t press. Didn’t say anything inappropriate or too familiar. Just the sort of thing that anyone could say to anyone with whom they had a nodding aquaintence. —How are you? —Doing better. —Glad to hear it.
Inoccuous, and, to Mary, probably normal. Nothing out of the ordinary. A regular asking how they are doing before he leaves.
But since I’d been there since 6, had heard him enquire after her health, obviously worried, and then when the object of his concern appears, he demands nothing of her. Just seeing her, having that short conversation was enough, and he left. Didn’t impose himself on her or her time.
Maybe he does fancy her, or maybe he just cares about her as a fellow human being who in some way, has touched his life.
It was so small, this little scene that I witnessed. I don’t know why I’m making such a big deal about it.
I suppose seeing something so wholesome and untainted by ulterior motive pleasantly surprised me.
