A Hungry Man is an Angry Man

“A hungry man is an angry man”

                                ~ Proverb

Many of us are familiar with the above proverb which the late Bob Marley even incorporated in one of his songs Them Belly Full (But We Hungry). Listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fhxiAHeYs8

A visit to a fast food establishment helped me to understand the meaning of this proverb.

After paying for my meal and waiting patiently for my number #084 to be called, I heard some grumbling from other customers who had ordered before me.

“Lawd dem slow, eeeh?” hissed a young woman in a Barney colored outfit.

“ A wha’ dem a do so long fi bring out mi food?” enquired another woman.

“Cho, mi no like come inna dis ya place, ‘cause dem take long fi serve you!” grumbled a man standing next to me.

Since I had just come in, I wasn’t really affected, at that point, by the wait. I simply enjoyed the sights and smells as I considered what is next on my agenda.

“Two cheese patty and one orange juice”

“We have bottle orange juice and box, which one you want?”

“It no matter, just give me one….alright give me di box one, which one cheaper, though?”

Jamaican Patties

“Look here, make sure is callaloo you order for me ‘cause I don’t eat meat!!!”

“Callaloo loaf? You can come a road and buy callaloo loaf? You can buy a bungle and cook it and eat it wid bread”

“Listen, just order it and shut up you chat too much fi a man!”

“Customer number 83” – the server calls out and I secretly rejoice that I am next YAAAY!!

“Customer 85? … 86?...87?” another calls out

“Yeah, yeah, yeah! See mi yah!” shouts a man with a “dusty” appearance (possibly “cement dust”) and paint stains on his cut up jeans and t-shirt and heavy duty boots. He eagerly pushes forward and stretches to give his ticket to the server.

“Sir, did you order three meals?”

“Tree meal? No a one mi order” he replies

“What is your number Sir? You answered for three numbers”

“See di ticket ‘ere, look pon it”

“Sir, I called three numbers which one is for you?”

“Look yah ooman, si di ticket ‘ere! Wha’ happen? You can’t **%%$$ read?” as his voice grew louder by the second.

Being distracted by the discussion it suddenly occurred to me that hey, they skipped #84!

“Excuse me” I politely try to get one of the others to check for my order but they are too engrossed in the developing quarrel.

Here comes the supervisor from around the back, let me get her attention…oops she is heading over to diffuse the situation before it explodes…

“Dat’s why people soon stop buy inna dis place!  All mi a tell yuh fi just look pon di ticket but you still a act like you a flippin' eediat an ignore mi! A so black people stay” (for your information the server and the customer are…black people)

“What seems to be the problem?” the supervisor asks.

“I called 85, 86, 87 and he answered for the three numbers and all I asked was which number he had” the server explained.

“DI TIME SHE TAKE A ASK MI FI DI NUMBER SHE CAN SEE IT FI HERSELF, BUT MI MIND TELL ME SAY SHE CAN’T READ ‘CAUSE SHE LOOK DUNCE LIKE BAT!” he shouts.

“Sir, let me have a look at your ticket” the supervisor says.

“Sir your number is 95 – here it is at the bottom of the ticket” she points out to him. “All these other persons are ahead of you in line so you will have to wait until your number comes up.”

“95??!!” he asks incredulously. “BUT MI HUNGRY!! # 95 mi have to wait so long just to get two patty and two coco-bread? By di time me get it to rahtid mi must drop down and dead from hungry!! A di WORSE &**%%### PLACE fi buy lunch! Me sorry dat I never did ask Spoogy fi bring one bax lunch from Miss D food cart at least she cook good and she serve you plenty food and mi no have dis long everlasting wait fi two likkle patty!! Cho, if a never one thing mi take back mi money you know, but di sun too hot and mi can’t walk so far fi buy no food pon a hungry belly”

By now, the eatery is quite crowded and this belligerent man has an audience, some of whom might be sympathetic to his “plight”. I think the supervisor is reading my mind. She takes his ticket and serves the loud-mouth his order just to get rid of him…he goes through the exit cursing nonetheless.

“You should not have served him! Let him wait like the rest of us! People are too indiscipline these days” commented an elderly man as other customers nodded in agreement.

“A him one hungry? But see yah?! Me a dead fi ‘ungry right now, mi eat from 7:00 dis mawning”

“Miss Junie, you really should have made him wait! EVERY TIME that man comes in here him make trouble and don’t want to wait!” said one of the workers.

As she passes me she asks, “Are you getting through Miss?” Finally, I am able to explain my “plight” to her and she takes my ticket, serves me and apologizes for the delay…I am just happy to be on my way before any of the other “hungry” ones left inside becomes angry!