Who Ever Heard of Fortune Cookies at a Thai Restaurant?

I sat at the restaurant awaiting my date.  A friend of ours had shown me her picture.  Alison, like me, had just gotten out a difficult breakup.  Our friend, in our brief conversation on the phone, said that Allison didn’t particularly like Chinese.  So it was a Thai restaurant on the other side of the valley that we chose.  I didn’t know what to expect.  I did not even know if I would recognize her from the obscure photograph that our friend had shown to me.

I had been waiting at the table for almost 20 minutes.  I was beginning to worry that although our friend had said that Alison was both very polite and punctual that she would not show up.  The waiter once again asked me if I would like something while I was waiting.  From a brief conversation 5 minutes ago I told him that I was expecting somebody and that I would be content to wait.  However, my hunger over took me and I asked the waiter what sort of samplers might be available.

He graciously said, “If you would like I could bring you some mint tea and a few fortune cookies.”

I responded by saying that would be alright while I was waiting.  I had been looking forward to a meal of fried rice and spicy chicken with curry peppers, but I knew that it would be best not to order before my date got here.

The waiter returned very hospitably a few moments later and brought me my appetizers.

I did not know if I would recognize my date and I did not know if she would recognize me.  From the photograph that I saw she looked to be a very attractive blonde.  Our friend told me that Alison was in her late twenties and a paralegal working for a reputable law firm in the valley.

I began sampling my entrees.  The mystery of the fortune cookie had long invoked hopes and aspirations of good luck in my mind and I eagerly cracked the first cookie open to share with my mint tea.  The mint tea was somewhat spicy and it served as wonderful complement to the sweet fortune cookie.  I read my fortune hoping for blessings of riches and glory.

“You will find what you do not seek,” is all that was written on the fortune cookie.

“Interesting enough” I thought to myself.  I disposed of the small piece of paper and eagerly awaiting my second fortune.  

“The winds and the rains and the storms of the past can be overcome with persistence and diligence.”  I could not figure out what to make from the fortune, but I still zealously awaited the third and final fortune.

“With hope the trials of the past will be replaced by the glory of the future.”

A breathtaking blonde walked into the restaurant.  I was sitting near the door so I was quick to notice her.  Her beauty was that of youthful exuberance blended with maturity and grace.

From the first glance Alison recognized me from the picture that our friend had shown to her.  “I‘m sorry that I am late,” was the first thing she said to me with a shy but conquering smile.

The conversation turned quickly from introductions to light-hearted familiarity.  We had much in common.  More importantly we felt at ease with each other from the first moments of our meeting.    We discussed our recent break-ups but without much remorse.

Neither of us expected much from such on innocuous meeting.  We had agreed to meet with one another mostly out of respect and politeness to our mutual friend, but there was a feeling in the air that our brief meeting might evolve into something significant.

We discussed how we both were good at line dancing and devoted Karaoke singers as well a brief summation of our life stories. 

After the meal we agreed to meet again next Friday night at the Old Town Rodeo.

“What were those fortune cookies about?” was the last thing I asked myself as we walked out of the restaurant.