Today is younger slackbrother j.'s birthday. He turned 30.
This is weird for me, as I'm five years older and still not totally convinced he can drive. Or vote. Or legally purchase alcohol.
This was meant to be a post on the odd nature of seeing your siblings grow up, the oh-so-tangible nature of time as evidenced in another human being who you have known from the very moment they came to be. But instead, it's going to be the story of what happened at his birthday dinner.
Younger slackbrother j. do something low-key and cheapish, so we agreed to meet at our favorite Chinese Restaurant, which is a few blocks away from the Detective Agency. The place was packed, but there was a small table in the corner next to a window. We grabbed menus and the waitress came by to take our order. Will loves Egg Drop Soup, so he ordered a large bowl for the table. The waitress shut her notepad and ran off.
We figured she was busy and would return to take our drink order.
She returned a few minutes later with a big bowl...or Hot and Sour Soup.
I'm sorry, Will told her, we didn't order that. We ordered Egg Drop Soup.
You didn't order this? she asked.
No, we ordered Egg Drop Soup.
Oh, you'll like this. She began to ladle the soup into smaller bowls and handed them out to us.
I'm sure it's good, he continued, but we want Egg Drop Soup. That's what we ordered.
Okay, she replied, but you eat this first. I'll bring you a half order of Egg Drop Soup.
Will looked at me, confused. But I don't want this.
I interjected as politely and clearly as I could. Ma'am, we ordered Egg Drop Soup.
The Hot and Sour is good, she told me. I won't charge you. You'll have the Hot and Sour.
Her Jedi Mind Tricks weren't going to work on me. I vowed to stay strong.
We want Egg Drop Soup. A full order of Egg Drop Soup, so there'll be some to take home.
Fine. Egg Drop Soup. She sighed and left.
Will turned to me. Since when did ordering become a negotiation?
Thankfully the rest of our meal went off without a hitch. Except I discovered later that the Egg Drop Soup didn't make it into the bag of leftovers we took home.
(Neither did the Hot and Sour.)
Happy Birthday younger slackbrother j!
