(Author’s note: Not much to say. “Quarantine” continues. Enjoy today’s missive!)
©Dale Rogerson
I Miss You
by Miles H. Rost
8:45.
Kristina scanned the half-filled restaurant, bringing her eye to the empty table with the bright pink carnation.
“Hey, Jamie.”
The blonde at the end of the diner counter peeked her head up from under, a clattering of dishes announcing her.
“Have you seen Bart? He’s usually here at 7.”
“You mean table 9. Meatloaf, taters, and corn. Coffee with cream. Key Lime pie,”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
Jamie turner her head, staring out the front door.
“He died this morning. Rolled over to go to sleep, and … there.”
Kristina hung her head. Tears started to fall, as the hole in her heart gaped.
Music and Fiction 
Not a bad death though
He most certainly lived well enough to be the bright spot of someone’s day. May we all be like Bart.
It is not a bad way to die … though for those who are left behind, the heartache remains just as sharp. We used to have a cafe near me, where everyone knew everyone, and all the ‘regulars’ kept tabs on the other regulars. When someone died, it was a communal mourning. I could see that in her eyes. …
So many cultures have this. Even over in Korea, the owner of the cafe I used to go to remembered me even after many years when I had gone.
Yes. I believe many cultures do indeed! And .. isn’t it nice how some people remember us even years later?! 🙂
Ah, a sad ending–but he died after enjoying his favorite meal. Still, the grief remains.
Grief is something that everyone deals with in their own way. For Kristina, it means a lot of soul searching.
Sounds like they will both miss him in their way.
Nail on head, there.
That’s sad. Maybe he’ll still visit there in spirit 😊
Your story reminds me of a movie I saw a long time ago, “As Good As it Gets.” You never know how important you might be in someone’s life. Maybe his last thought was of her…
More than likely he was thinking exactly that. One of my previous stories, “Old and Wise” deals with something similar.
“You mean table 9. Meatloaf, taters, and corn. Coffee with cream. Key Lime pie,”
And, yes, he was known and missed. Maybe not by name but …. A wonderful story. Thank you.
Some people are bad with names. They are remembered for other things.
He died but he’d enjoyed himself and left people to mourn him. Sensitively written.
Thank you. There’s a lot of emotion in places, and sometimes a good story like this just helps to organize them.
I am with michael, this was rather well written
Thank you, as well! 😀
Poignant tale with a un-happy ending. Well written, you set the scene perfectly!
I guess those classes in screenwriting in Australia helped out. 😀