Special things were happening here. Proposals! It took a lot of getting used to for a simple diner like me. I was becoming quite the place for lovers. Two proposals! Yet deep down, I longed to return to what I had been all along: dependable, hospitable, nothing pretentious. But a very special place, nonetheless.
And then came Dark Night.
Chatty Lady came to me and made my owner step outside. And right outside me, some very sad things happened. I thought that night was a nightmare I would never have to relive. I tried to listen to see what was going on, but there were about four dozen troubadours screeching away outside. I thought that surely nothing worse than sad owner and screaming Chatty Lady could happen to me.
Oh, some said the troubadours were singing. But I, I trust my owner. And he says they were screeching.
A very uneasy night passed. I worried so about my owner. He seemed so sad and confused.
Pain! Oh the pain! Someone smashed in my face! The pain, it was unbearable. I thought it was the end of my life. I had never felt so much pain before. Surely, I was destroyed. Surely, I would never live to serve again.
When the dust settled, and bandages were applied, I found out that my face had been smashed in by Kirk. They said it was an accident. But I saw him set up his own place across the square, and it made me very sad and mad.
But my owner, he was so wonderful. He went right back to work and put me back together, and over the past year, the scars have faded and I am beginning to feel like the old diner I used to be.
Over time, I noticed that my owner had changed. He didn't laugh anymore, just when Chatty Girl was around. And Chatty Lady--she was gone. It doesn't take a diner with a brain to figure out that Chatty Lady was the reason for my owner's sadness.
But like him, I couldn't dwell on it. He had customers to serve and needed me. So, I needed to return to the place I used to be: that same old diner, solid, squat, dependable. A good place to gather.
It wasn't easy. I had to face several tests. The first was when Kirk came back. The same Kirk who had destroyed my face and caused me and my owner so much pain. "Laugh clown laugh" was something I heard Chatty Lady say one time. "Serve diner serve" was something I had to tell myself repeatedly. It's difficult to let someone back in after they've literally ripped off a part of you. It's difficult to let someone back in to the very heart of you when they've destroyed you.
With time, I found that I could let Kirk back in and even be hospitable to him. I know that he is a big part of the reason why my owner has the ability to keep me running smoothly. He eats most of his meals here. So, Kirk and I were able to reach an agreement. I guess in a way, I will always like having Kirk around, no matter how bitter the memory of our past is.
I did notice that no one was coming to me to propose anymore. Eastside Tillie came in once and I tried to listen very carefully. I tried to find out if people were just not getting married any longer. What I heard shook me to the core--so much so that I at first thought that Kirk had tried to rip off my face again. Apparently, proposals were still happening...in a place called Pa-ree. Sounds fancy.
Now, a year later, I'm glad that there have been no other proposals. I can't help but think that they result in sad things. First no more Chatty Lady, and then no more Miss Lane. Oh, Mr. Zach is nice enough, but I sure do miss Miss Lane.
But over the past year, I missed Chatty Lady most of all. Nothing was the same. Even my owner wore a different hat. That was really, really hard for me--you get used to a guy, you know? It just proved what we all knew: that without Chatty Lady, my owner is just not himself. No matter how hard he tries. No matter how many times Chatty Girl comes to visit.
Then a couple of weeks ago, a miracle happened. Oh, a diner always can hope for a facelift, a new paint job, or a rearrangement of its insides. Oh yeah, that feels especially good. But something better, much better happened to me.
Chatty Lady came back.
Don't get me wrong--things didn't change overnight. It took a while for my owner to change back to his old hat--the one that Chatty Lady gave him. Shhh...I've got some news for you. I was the one who 'misplaced' the hat. I hoped and hoped that he had kept the one that Chatty Lady gave him--it was quite a gamble on my part, but hey, I'm Luke's Diner! I think I know him the best.
And hoo boy, did that gamble pay off! Because Chatty Lady noticed it right away! She couldn't stop staring and trying to make sure that it was indeed 'her' hat. I felt so good that day that I accidentally revealed the location of the lost hat. But I know my owner--and that hat--let's just say he won't be finding it again. It sleeps with the cleaning supplies.
So now, I have hope. Hope that Kirk won't ever rip my face off again. Hope that Chatty Lady and my owner will be together again. I know it's not quite the same--Ms. Patty likes to say there is too much water under the bridge--but I keep hoping.
I mean, look at me! I used to be Williams Hardware, and it took years before I was comfortable in my skin as Luke's Diner. And even after Kirk ripped off my face, I was able to make it back. So hopefully, my owner and Chatty Lady will soon be back together. The customers like the food here much more when Chatty Lady is pressing her mouth on my owner's. If that happens again, then Luke's Diner, the one you all love and know so well--will go on happily ever after. Dependable, of course. Hospitable, it goes without saying. And as always, nothing pretentious. But a very special place, nonetheless.