5.02.2010

Free Pie

There is this place in Monroe we pass by all the time called Not Just Pie. We hear they have the most delicious pies in town, and though we talk about going there someday, that day never seems to be any day. So as we were sitting in the computer lab last week Nick mentioned to us that he had won a free slice of pie from Not Just Pie and he wanted to go there sometime soon. We decided we could go on Saturday. Finally, we would have this famous (though quite pricey as these things go) piece of pie.
So yesterday evening Laura, Nick, Ryan and I all piled into the car together and drove down to Not Just Pie. Our hopes were high. We had in mind what we would be having. We were already picturing the flaky crusts and whipped topping when we pulled up to Not Just Pie. But they were Just Not There. Though online the hours had been posted from 11-7pm, all we found were chairs on tables and the cold empty display cabinets staring blankly back at us as we peered through the windows.
In remorse we turned around. But we were stilled determined to have pie of some variety. We remembered another diner that had a sign outside of it advertising they had pies and more, so we drove down that way. While still in the car I turned around and told Nick I was sorry he wasn't going to get his free pie. He just shrugged his shoulders and laughed about it.
The diner was empty for the most part. An old couple sat in the back corner and a small family was off to our side. We were disappointed to hear they only had four different pies left but we ordered all the same. We wanted pie then and there. As our slices were placed down in front of us we all craned our heads over the pie, staring at our prey. Ryan had his hands clasped together in anticipation and we all murmured how good it looked. We then pick up our forks and dug in to chocolate and banana cream and pecan goodness. As we were scraping the last flecks of crust off our plates, and getting ready to pay, our waitress walked up to us and told us our pie had been paid for. The elderly gentleman in the corner had seen us praying before we ate. "You just don't see kids doing that these days," so he paid for our meal and left. As the waitress told us this Nicholas stared at me, eyes bulging, while he drank his water. Laura sat there with her mouth open and Ryan was looking blankly up at the waitress. So what do you say? You can't rightly tell the waitress that that was not a prayer the man was seeing but a preparation, setting the angle of attack. That bowing our heads and then looking at each other with a shine in our eye was not an amen. So in our shock, embarrassment, and guilt we were able to get out gratitude as the strongest feeling. We asked to the waitress to thank the man several times next time he came in(which he does quite regularly we found out). We sat there a while longer, drinking our water and just talking. Ryan decided we were going to have to go out of our way to do something nice for a stranger in order to pay back our free food. Our waitress walked up again to ask us what church we went attended. Laura ummmed and I shot Nick a look for him to speak. He told her the name of the Lutheran church which in all honesty he does attend every week, and she hmmmed and walked off with our plates. We left shortly thereafter.
And while I am not one for praying, especially before meals, I think that we got to express gratitude for what we had been given all the same. And it makes me want to do the same for someone I don't know. I think it might make my day to do that. So I guess we got not just pie after all.