Guilt of the Orange Juice

Orange juice is the richest source of vitamin C, potassium,

folic acid, thiamine and calcium

- but tonight, it became a source of something

not so desirable - GUILT.

"Three pieces chicken, a plate full of vegetable fried rice, spicy vinigar, creamy garlic sauce and oh, this goes well with fresh orange juice", I told the kabayan cashier at a nearby restaurant famous for its broast chicken. In ten minutes, everything I ordered was delievered to my table except the orange jiuce which I supposed was still being extracted. Water came automatically with each order. Before the crew left this hungry soul, I reminded him, "orange juice huh". He just grinned like saying "yes sir!, coming, coming!". Thirty minutes later, where there was chicken pieces and a mountain of orgasmic fried rice, the evidences of digestive revelution emerged. Bones already on the empty plate, there was no sight or taste of the elusive orange juice.

Payback time. Sorry just pay time. "How much my friend?", I asked the person in the counter, he's the manager, counting the money in the register. The store was near closing, it's quarter before midnight. "Why too much?", I reacted to the amount he billed. It's the orange juice. I was billed for something I didn’t get. "Sorry my friend, but I didn’t get the orange juice", said while I handed over the money just for the chicken. Being the manager that he was and knowing how to handle costumer properly, he asked the crew about what happened to the orange juice. Upon checking, they found the orange juice at the delivery section, all prepared, pretty stunning in slender pyramid-like glass and as if sweating, for standing unnoticed far too long.

"Your orange juice is there, you want to take it away?", he asked and I instantly uttered with unappealable conviction, "No!, see I am finished. I had water.". He seemed upset and his thoughts got lost in the absence of my propriety. He then called the kabayan cashier and asked her why the juice wasn’t delivered, she reasoned out she's busy taking orders. His voice started to get high. He yelled the same question to the kitchen crew, they said they just prepare orders and don’t deliver. Having no one to blame in particular, he begun a lengthy preach among its employees on how to serve customers right. I was standing right in front of the register while everyone else didn’t want to listen. I undestand his situation, he's the man in charge indeed.

He put the money inside the register, still lost of how much would be my change. "Give me two," I cut. He apologized for the orange juice not delivered on time, said it's okay but honestly I was frustrated. This is the second time that these guys didn’t deliver my orange juice and I kind of felt relieved they took a beating from the manager for their inattention and mindlessness. Before I left, I saw the table cleaner / delivery staff and I told the manager he was whom I made my follow up. The ending – he's charging the lowly pathetic guy for the cost of the orange juice.

As I walked my may back to the house, scenes of what happened still played in my mind. I felt guilty, alright. I could have just paid for the orange juice with no issues at all. But I thought it's beyond the price. It's the denial of my right as a costumer that I have tried to defend. Surely the guys have remembered my face. I stood there for ten minutes while their manager yelled at each one of them. I have no plans of ordering orange juice next time I come there. I am afraid they might put something else to the juice to retaliate their guilt.