Imagine being divorced and running into your ex at a restaurant. Would you eat there anyway, or would you leave?

In today’s story, one man is in this situation and decides to eat at the restaurant anyway. He almost makes it out without any drama. Almost.

Let’s read the whole story to see what happens.

Inadvertent petty revenge

So this happened about 20 some odd years ago. It’s kind of inadvertent minor revenge. I don’t think petty really covers it.

My second ex, She Who Must Not Be Named was a flaming backstabbing witch. Tried to turn friends and my own kids against me. Lied, cheated, did whatever she could to cause chaos in my family and for me.

I could go on, at great length, but even now, typing this, I’m getting worked up.

Anyway, she got the boot, I became single dad of a very young son, ceasing her parental rights, visitation, the whole nine yards. Several years go by.

This is a twist of fate!

So, my older son came into town. My daughter was at home with my youngest. Older son and I decided to go out for lunch.

Driving on the loop and discussing where, he finally got off and we went to a Mexican restaurant I liked.

He parked and as I’m getting out, I notice peripherally there are people in the car next to me.

It’s my ex and her whole grifter family. Seven or eight of ’em.

Man, my family luck back to bite me in the butt again.

I don’t know that his ex even realized he was there.

I, by God came here to eat and I was going to eat.

Her mother smoked, so did I, so I asked for a non smoking table.

They still seated us too close.

Son and I ate, finished.

Their table was chaos: drinking, yelling, arguments, spilling everything everywhere.

Told my son, we’re done.

Oh wait, they saw him.

So my son went out to bring the car around. I get up to leave.

Ex had spawned 2 more kids who were there. One of them was at the end of the table, maybe a year or two old. They claimed he would scream bloody red handed murder if any human being got near him.

Yeah, cute.

No, really! They all really started laying it on thick. Go over near him and see! Egging me on to test it by standing near the kid.

He knew what they were up to.

No thanks.

They pushed and pushed.

I realized even at the time they probably wanted me to get embarrassed at the restaurant.

I’m thinking my son probably was waiting with the car.

He decided to humor them.

Don’t know what happened in my brain but I walked over to the kid and looked at him for half a minute.

He didn’t seem to much notice me.

I moved his chair over a couple inches, pulled up a chair from another table and sat next to him.

I looked at him. He looked at me.

The boy stayed quiet.

Someone said, “He must be in a really good mood”.

There was a stack of drink coasters on the table. I picked it up, divided it to equal portions, and stuck half in his hand. I raised his hand and spread them like we were playing cards. I fanned my coasters.

He was looking at his coasters. I looked and decided, and picked one of his coasters and put it with mine. Examined them a moment then held mine up to him.

I took his other hand and used it to pick one of my coasters to put with his. We went on like this for a minute or two.

He proved them wrong.

It’s dead quiet at the table the entire time.

Finally, finally I gave him all my coasters, put the chair back and said I gotta go.

Not a sound from that table all the way to the front door.

Screams when any human being gets near him, huh? Maybe he’s just never been near a human being before.

And I hope the restaurant counted the silverware. No, I’m not kidding.

I feel sorry for that boy. He needs a good family, not a crazy, loud one that thinks it’s a fun game to stand next to a little kid so he’ll scream.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

He just wants attention.

Here’s a similar comment.

It could be his family is the problem.

Maybe it’s time to call CPS.

The little boy just wants attention.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.