Free Dessert.

Mary at Cathay Express-“How much rice do you want?”
“Ah well, you can pile it on, I’m gonna save half for work. I‘ll take the one item special, I‘ll have this tofu broccoli here.”
“Ahh, going to work huh? What do you do?”
“I work at a hotel, I’m a doorman.”
“Really good tips huh? Lots of money.”
“Well, sometimes yeah. It depends on the shift and your seniority, and I only have 4 days right now.”
“Four days is allright.”
“True, but money’s getting a little tight.”
“Yeah, well you want to work at least. Tell me something-” Leaning in, eyes intent- “there are jobs out there right? If someone really wanted a job right now they could find one don’t you think? If not, they’re being picky don’t you think?”
A little taken aback, but liking the unexpected candor- “Well, yeah, definitely, there‘s jobs out there. Maybe they’re being picky, maybe picky is the word, but maybe….”
“I see all these blacks out there, not willing to work, they’re just being picky right, or you think there is a lot of discrimination?”
“Well yeah, there is discrimination, and it’s not only black folks that are being picky. I think there’er a lot of reasons for this pickiness, choosiness, sometimes laziness.”
“Yeah, they are strong enough and smart enough to work, why don’t they?”
“I know people from other countries look at us and really wonder what our problem is, if they only had the chance to work here. I think the problem is, I think a lot of people in this country are spoiled.”
“You know, I will do any job, I don’t care, as long as I’m working.”
“Yeah, that’s important, to have that idea, to be able to do any job, to be willing to work. I think also the problem we have here is that we have wants and needs that are so exaggerated, we all need the cell phone, the car, the big house…….”
“I survive with no cell phone, I survive with no car, I survive with no house! And my english is not perfect, but I survive, I am working.”
“Yeah, you must wonder what‘s wrong with some of these people. And nobody NEEDS those things, the cell phone, the car, NOBODY does, but we think we do.”
“Do you have a cell phone?”
“huh… yeah.“ -self-consciously laughing and not minding the friendly pinch.
With a warm smile- ”Have a nice day.”
“Yeah...you too.”