it was an interesting morning
ash had asked me for his shift BACK
like, 'yo, i need this covered', 'oops, i kinda need to work'
oddly enough i really wanted to work, but i gave him the shift, knowing i could shark one if i needed to
and i did, so i rolled outta bed, in the mood to make money - or more likely in the dire NEED OF -
and as i walk in ash asks if i want it back, cuz 'somebody' tied one on.
so of course i take it, AND the 2 tables being sat as we chat....gotta love the universe...
his mom sat across from him, and grandma trapped him from the outside of the booth.
they were cute - fun, and engaging, enjoyed my energy and i theirs and we had fun...his pizza came out first, but it was a bit too hot. their food came soon behind and he was just beginning to eat his pizza as i dropped their plates, timing could not have been more perfect, or pertinent.
i asked if all was well and i went on my way...my entire section was as happy as could be and the hostess was making jokes about a co-worker.
maybe a minute passed, coulda been 4, hell 20 if i didnt know any better, but as i walked toward the corner of the wall, separating my section from the main dining, i heard a shriek and a cry, and i stepped around to find a bright faced little boy, around 8 or 9, perhaps 60lbs if that, and a hysterical grandmother, yelling that she couldnt get it out, with a mother standing an arms length away, frozen in lucid fear, watching her son choke and unable to even move....reaction kicks in and you do or they die....can you imagine what its like to snatch a purple faced child out of his terrified grandmothers arms and will her to let go as you tell her he will be ok if she lets go.....'i got him, i have him, let him go, please, let me have him....'
and every second all i thought was 'dont miss his diaphragm, he doesnt have much time'
two pops and he spit it up, in one context it was soooooo anti-climactic, because it took so little effort, it was like i was EMT trained, which i was not, nor am i today. but i knew. i knew he'd be fine if she let go.
i held the little boy suspended in my arms as he gasped for breath, heaving, not even crying, still shocked and stunned from the experience, and i cannot imagine what must have been going thru his mind, or those of his family and onlookers. it was surreal. i shrugged it off, and refused her tip(she tried to hand me 200 bucks) and made sure they were ok. i always wonder what happened to that little kid. what his name was, and where he ended up. did it make him attuned to anything bigger? did he grow up and recognize the moments each as they passed, knowing what it was like to be so close to the changing of his momentary perspective. i wonder what happened to that little boy, and just how much the world can change simply because of a piece of pizza.
