I took a seat along the western facing window. Normally at this time of day, this specific seat would be less than ideal, as glare from the setting sun would wash out the field of vision and force me to assume a squint. Though given the grey weather outside, the sun was not a problem.
As I settled into my seat, the crowd surprised me. At a place that sells itself as a breakfast establishment, it was surprisingly packed. The room was filled with a dull buzz of conversation, the level of talking where you can distinguish individual voices, but if you made an effort to make out the content of the conversation, your eavesdropping would be noticed quickly.
As I sat waiting for my meal, one sound rose above the white noise, the crinkling of waxed paper that every item on the menu came wrapped in. The sound in itself wasn’t bothersome, but simply noticeable. In an attempt to avoid thinking about looming school assignments and without a friend to talk to, I turned to the crinkling for entertainment and distraction.
Through carefully placed glances back at the other patrons, I discovered that the crinkling noise had two peaks. First, when the food arrived, the noise came through in a short loud burst. People were excited to get their food. The second peak came as the meal was finished. Slower, shorter sounds as the paper that once held the food was condensed before it was thrown in the compost bin. My investigation yielded disturbing results, as the time period between the two sonic peaks was very brief. This short period between the beginning and end of the meal did not bode well for the portion size. Given the size of my appetite, I began to regret my choice and started running through the other options in town that could have better filled me up.
Lost in thought and disappointment, I barely noticed the tap on my shoulder. My food had been ready for a few minutes. After a few failed attempts to catch my attention across the room the young man behind the cashier walked across the room and handed me my order. I looked down at my own collection of waxed paper and immediately starting walking home, already thinking of options in my cabinet to supplement lunch.
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