Don't Leave Home Without It??

Today I went to my favorite Greek restuarant on my way home from the office. The place is so familiar with me that when I walk in they allow me to seat myself at MY table. When the waitress goes to the kitchen and yells, "Greek coffee, no sugar" the cook knows exactly who is here. Afterall, no American in her right mind orders a Greek coffee without sugar...except me. Usually when the cook hears the Greek coffee w/o sugar order, she begins to prepare the hummis appetizer and awaits my usual entree order--which is either a grilled vegetable sandwich or a cold platter of a variety of appetizers. I forget what the Greek name for that is; I think it is cold piccalila or something that sounds like that.

I ordered the grilled vegetable sandwich. As I was enjoying my supper, I noticed a foreign speaking man of Asian decent wheeling a wheelchair up to the front of the restaurant. In the wheelchair sat an elderly woman with Katherine Hepburn looks. A few paces back was an elderly man slowly making his way up to the front of the restuarant. He was being supported by a handcarved cane. If I had to choose a celebrity look-a-like for him I would say he resembled Henry Fonda after the On Golden Pond days. So, to give you an image, Jackie Chan was wheeling Katherine Hepburn in a wheelchair while Henry Fonda followed behind with the aid of a cane.

I do not normally eavesdrop, but this time it was difficult not to do so. The foregin-speaking Asian man used his best charades to communicate the amount of the bill to the elderly woman and with a Parkinson shake she extended her hand and slipped the credit card into the Asian man's hand. He then passed it along to the cashier.

"Oh, sorry, "said a voice behind the counter. "We don't accept American Express." This caused an enigmatic look to surface on the Asian man's face.

"No express in America...wha" remarked the Asian man. Reaching down to the elderly woman he passed her card back to her and repeated, "No express. They not take express here in Greek place in America."

"What?" said the elderly woman as the Asian man reached down for her wallet only to find that she did not have enough cash to cover the bill. Either the elderly woman was shocked to find out that they did not accept American Express, or she could not understand the Asian man through his best attempts at English, or she did not actually hear the exchange because I did notice that she was sporting an ear piece which I do not think was a Bluetooth wireless device. During this time the Henry Fonda look-a-like stood staring out across empty tabletops oblivious to the "exchange." He also had an earpiece.

I could not help to think of how it was those damn advertisers' fault-- all those annoying commercials of celebrities paying for a bill and not being recognized until someone takes their American Express card and swipes it through the credit machine. The end of the commercial always is the same, "American Express; don't leave home without it." Just then the cook stuck her head out from behind the kitchen wall and greeted me. I motioned for her to come to my table and then I told her that I wanted to pay the elderly couple's bill anonymously.

When the cashier told the Asian man that everything was taken care of because someone paid for them, he sounded as though he had just become a contestant on the Price is Right.

"Wha? Who pay?" Jackie Chan turned to Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda and kept saying, "Someone here pay bill. We no have to pay."

With that Jackie Chan wheeled Katherine Hepburn around the restaurant as he said, "Thank you. Thank you. We don't know who pay, but thank you. Thank you." Katherine Hepburn had a shocked look on her face as she repeated, "Who paid? I don't understand." All the while Henry Fonda stood by the counter still staring out at the empty tabletops while supported by his handcarved cane.

As the three made their way out of the restaurant still bewildered by someone picking up their tab, I thought...American Express, a random act of kindness here in America expresses more than any words can communicate. Yes, Random Acts of Kindess--don't leave home without them!