A Short Story: On the side...

When you have a meal, there's always either a salad or fries or mashed potatoes or bowl of soup on the side.

The thing is, you've ordered the main meal. The side dish inevitably comes with it whether you or your dinner companion like it or not.

Some people go all out, avoiding the side dish as if it was unbearable to eat it or for their dinner companion eats it as well.

Some people just push the side dish aside. Pretending not to eat it (probably because it's a side of Fries and they're on a low carb diet) but they look at it furtively, steal glances and gobble up a few when they think the Gods of Dieting aren't watching.
 
If no one sees it, then it's alright. Right?


But then one day, your dinner companion says, it's okay. "I know you want the main meal but it's ok to have the side dish, it really is. I don't mind." You look at them expectantly and wonder if they're just testing you.

"Ok, lets have the side-dish together, shall we?", you say.

Then the two of you start comparing side dishes. Which ones are tastier? which ones have more fat? more lean meat?more protein? looks more promising and so on an so forth. Sometimes not coming to an understanding but always reaching a compromise.

So you go about your brunches and dinners having side dishes along with the main meal.

"Why don't we have two or more side dishes together?, says your dinner companion happy to oblige you.

You two plan and set your meals such that, you'll both be having side dishes to eat and plenty of it too. 

And slowly yet  surely you start eating side dishes exclusively.

Because they're more to your taste maybe? They've got more umph? They're more attractive with their salad greens and baby tomatoes? Because they're less greasy than the main meal of roasted pork knuckles, hence less fat and more appetizing to you?

The main meal gets poked and prodded and moved around the plate. You chew on it half heartedly and finally you stop eating it altogether. So it sits there, getting cold, not getting eaten but you've already ordered it.

One day whilst on the way out to lunch at work, you see a new restaurant. You find this restaurant serves side dishes in a Main Course Size. *ka-ching!*

Your eyes dazzle, heart beats faster, you feel woozy and your throat feel dry and needs a long drink of water. You can't believe your eyes.

You're hungry! You're ravenous... You haven't had a bite to eat all day!

So you have your fill of it, trying side dishes from goodness knows where, traveling to any and every restaurant that advertises this wonder or wonders!

Come eat my Side Dish!

Main Course Salad! only $9.95

Get it while it's hot, boy!

I've got the best corn on the cob in town! Sweet, dripping from the melting buttery juices!

You know you want it, you forget work, you plough your way through lunch through to afternoon tea. All the way through to supper if you could... eating and having. Going from one restaurant to another. Side dishes galore.

Meanwhile, your dinner partner having already ordered is wondering why you're late. Cause you had appointment for, well, Dinner. You arrive completely satiated, full to the brim, trousers a-bursting at the seams. You sit at the table and say your hi's and hello's with a tummy full of side dishes.

"I'm hungry! I'm ravenous... I haven't had a bite to eat all day. I hope you're hungry cause you're in for a treat!", says your eating compadre excitedly upon seeing you.

You flinch, just a little and say,

"I'm sorry.....I've had a lot of side dishes...I skipped work in the afternoon and went off to a new restaurant to have their Main Course Side Dish set....then to a Hotel nearby where they had a salad side dish buffet..and then... two more pub lunches..and a cafe....and... I'm full"

Your Foodie partner assures you that it's okay,

"It's fine.. I'll see you later then alright? What? No it really is alright! Nah I wasn't so crazy about this restaurant anyways. You better get on back home and have a rest ok? Lets have dinner soon?"

As you leave, you glance through the windows of the restaurant. He sees you and smiles and waves goodbye animatedly to you. Then you only realise, standing in the street looking in, his table is full of small bite sized portions of Main Meal. But he's not eating his main meal. So it sits there, getting cold, not getting eaten but he's already ordered it.


And he feels pushed aside.