Unfiltered Story #215111

I’m a Baha’i, and it’s the Month of the Fast. I tell my non-Baha’i friends this, but I don’t expect them to keep track of the days I have to fast, and later that week, I’m not surprised they’ve forgotten.

I’m invited out to dinner to celebrate a friend’s birthday about thirty minutes after sundown. At sunset, I drink some water and scarf down a pimento-cheese sandwich to curb my cravings, then drive to the restaurant, still pretty hungry. At the restaurant, we find out there’s a 40-minute wait to get a free table. I’m wishing I’d eaten more before driving out there, but I don’t complain. We make conversation and catch up on things, but by the time we get our table, my stomach is rumbling again, and I’m pretty thirsty, to boot. At this point, all I can think about is food. When we get to our table, I down most of my glass of water immediately. When the waitress comes to our table, this happens.

Me: Hi, I’d like [entree].

Waitress: *surprised, since everyone else is ordering just drinks and appetizers right now* Okay, sure. There’ll be a wait until everyone orders their entrees; is that okay?

Me: Sure. Right. Of course.

Friend: *taken aback* [My name], we’re all supposed to eat together.

Me: I’m really hungry.

I should have explained about the Fast again, but I was embarrassed that I hadn’t planned this outing properly, so I said nothing more about it and quietly waited for my food. The birthday boy was sitting at the opposite end of the table, so I don’t know if he noticed me being so rude. But in case he did and he’s reading this now, I’m so sorry! I learned my lesson, and the next time I went out to dinner during the Fast, I went to a buffet.