What did you say, Huh

“What did You Say, Huh?”
Chuck Martin

My wife, Laurene, and I went to Pepe Delgatos one evening for dinner. We planned to eat and go to a movie. The waitress came to our table, handed us a menu and said a few inaudible words to Lauren.

“The waitress sounds English,” I said.

”The waitress is from London.”

“Oh,” I said, taking my cowboy hat off and setting it in the next chair. “I didn’t hear her tell you that.”

“She was standing next to you.”

“On what landing?”

“Standing….Standing next to you,” she said.

“Oh.”

The waitress came back to take our order. She gave the specials for the day and then spoke so low I asked Laurene what she’d said. “The specials are, chicken enchilada’s, or beef taco’s.”

“I’ll take the taco’s.”

The waitress looking at me mumbled something that I couldn’t hear, so I figure she hadn't heard me and wanted to know if I had chosen an item. She looked a little perplexed when I replied, “Yes,”

My wife nudged me with her elbow, “She wants to know if you want FLOUR or CORN tortilla’s.”

“White.”

“He means flour,” Laurene said.

Our meal came and as always it was delicious. The margaritas were made just the way we like them. While eating, I noticed a family sitting across from us looking around the room with a puzzled expression. The waitress came into the dining room, cocked her head to the side as if she were trying to locate a sound. My wife placed her hand on my shoulder and informed me my hearing aid was buzzing. Sometimes, while I’m eating, it works a little way out of my ear, and makes a loud buzzing noise. The pitch is too high for me to hear. I twisted it back in, and everyone in the room relaxed. I guess they thought it was a fire alarm.

My wife informed everyone in a loud voice, “It was his HEARING AID!”

“Thanks for letting everyone know it was me,” I mumbled.

Driving home after the movie I asked Laurene to explain what the girl in the movie said to the man to make him forsake his job, and get on the ship that sank on its way to Istanbul?

“What movie were you watching, for heaven sake? There wasn’t anything about a man forsaking anything to go anywhere. It was about the sinking of the Titanic.”

It was my turn to look confused. “Well, that's interesting.” I said.