During my college days, I would occasionally dine at a little raunchy, greasy spoon down the street from my dormitory. The coffee cups were so old they looked like someone had sandblasted them. And one of the guys in our dorm said he saw a customer's dog relieve himself on the countertop. But, although the food wasn't good, the location was convenient.

A typical morning conversation with the wait staff would sometimes go like this:

"I'll have two rotten eggs, burnt toast with rancid butter, and stale coffee."

"Sir, we don't serve that kind of food here."

"You did yesterday."

Story and Cover Illustration Copyright © 2024 by Michael DeFrancesco