The Breakfast Scenario

To be doing good deeds is man's most glorious task. I beg to differ, Sophocles.

This morning, I decided to break-a-way from my ever so-comfortable routine of getting up 15 minutes before the time I'm supposedly to clock in, rushing my ass to the office; managing only to reach my office exactly at 8. Instead I decided to go for breakfast at McD, to have a good meal before slowly strutting to work.

The place was located adjacent to a petrol station, beside the freeway; it's one of those one-stop petrol stations that you see in the TV (where there's virtually everything there); I managed to reach the place at 7.25 a.m., it was a 15-minute drive from my place and proceeded to order my desired breakfast set, which consisted of a Sausage McMuffin with Egg, a Hash Brown, and a hot cuppa tea. I was enjoying my breakfast, the good food, the fresh morning breeze, 'beautiful' scenery (I chose to sit outside); quality time well-spent before the horrors of programming for the next 9 hours.

I was lamenting about what to do if I had a million pounds (whilst waiting for the steaming hot tea to cool) when I was approached by an elderly frail Chinese lady. She was hesitant at first, pacing around briefly before finally mustering her courage to ask me, "Boy, can you help me?" Naturally, I was shocked (and a slightly irittated coz my day-dreaming was interrupted) and responded with enquiring what help she needed.

It turned out that she needed somebody to help her with refilling her Kancil's tires with air, apparently she didn't know how to operate the air compressor and there was no petrol attendants to help her out. Well, being the ocassional good Samaritan that I was, I agreed to help her out, leaving my half-munched burger, the untouched hash brown and a good three-quarters of tea behind and accompanied her to the car. She requested that I only have to fill up the front tires, but my 'light-side' got the better of me; I decided to fill the rear tires as well. After getting my hands dirtied (man, the tires were soiled with tire rust) but the job done, she thanked me profusely and handed me a tissue to clean my hands.

I beamed at her, saying it was nothing; the feeling of helping somebody out made me feel good, and I was whistling as I made my way back to my abandoned breakfast. I was about to reach my table when I realized that the tray containing my breakfast was... gone. I enquired the staff and it seemed that one of the McD cleaners thought I already left and cleared out my table. I was dumbfounded as I was disappointed; I managed to mumble a 'never-mind' even though the guy apologized.

A good breakfast gone to waste

In the end, I reached my office late because of the whole damn scenario that could've turned out to be an enjoyable morning. Glorious task? I don't think so.