Diner of Wishes

Aladdin. The one movie I've watched more than I care to admit. It's just that I find something about that movie so appealing. Three wishes? Like, three wishes! Aladdin has three wishes, and every time I watch that movie it blows my mind that he uses the wishes the way he uses them. He uses them, if I might say, selfishly. If I had a Genie lamp I'd wish for world peace or something, and I know this sounds strange, but it makes me real sad that I even have to wish for that.

The world is moving around me, and the "new world" seems to offer a good amount of opportunities, but sometimes I wish that the world could move a little faster. That it would grow accustomed quickly to who I was, and to who my friends and family were.

Anyways, I'm not usually this insightful, and my story doesn't start there. It starts with the fact that I was driving through Texas, and I'm directionally challenged, which is how I ended up stumbling upon the Dream Diner.

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I slammed my foot on the break of my Jeep, just missing the curb. New car, new accident. That seemed to be my motto. Still clutching the wheel, I took a breath, before releasing the hold on my car. Everything was going to be okay. Well except for the fact that it wasn't.

If I was being honest, I had no idea how to get to Albuquerque and what if I didn't get there by the end of the week? I rubbed my temples, and did sort of a mental chant. Don't think about it, Jai, don't think about it.

Another deep, deep breath. I pulled myself out of my car, and hoped the diner in front of me would help me in any sort of way. What other 18 year old found themself in a situation like this? I didn't think too many.

Pushing the glass door open, a bell chimed above me, and I entered the dimly lit Dream Diner. Everyone sat neatly at booths, and glanced in my direction, as I tried to hide behind my hair. My waiter led me to the table, and I tried to sit on the narrow seat as best as I could.

Jerry, my waiter, brought me my steak and mashed potatoes, which was steaming as he set it on the table. I said grace before forking some steak into my mouth, right when the bell chimed, and a boy about my age walked in. Followed by a girl. Jerry greeted them, obviously, and there was a whole lot of hand movements. Jerry pinched the bridge of his nose, and the boy got a real stern look on his face, as if he had to carry out a mission that was of some importance.

In the end Jerry sighed, and began to walk towards me. My eyes snapped back to my potatoes. My cheeks flushed red, and I recalled this saying about eavesdroppers, didn't they-

"Hi, ma'am-"

"You can call me Jai," I pointed out. I didn't like anything formal, whether it was a name, an article of clothing, or I might even add, food. Jerry still, very much ignored me.

"I was wondering, if it's possible, would you be able to move over there?" He asked pointing to the corner with one hand, and wiping the other on his black apron, "The boy requested a window seat for their date, and-"

"Yeah, it's okay I'll move," I muttered, standing up, "ma'am is fine."

Jerry grabbed my plate, and helped me over to the corner, where it was dark. And dusty. My eyes trailed over to the girl and the boy. who were having such a good time, and it only took my unhappiness for them to get there. Besides that though, all I could see was the lady who had been seated in the booth behind me. Her food hadn't even been delivered yet, and she had a huge window seat. Yet Jerry had asked me to move. Not her. It was enraging. Stupid Diner. This place hadn't helped me find directions, and it had just broken my mental state.

I shoved my fork into the steak, gripping the handle so tightly that I could've sworn the metal had broken.

People continued to enter the diner, and I stayed where I was. The couple who had taken my seat eventually left. I was determined to prove a point by staying where I was, but I knew that it wouldn't accomplish anything. Eventually Jerry came with the bill, and I didn't have any energy to do anything but pay for the food, and leave. The food hadn't even been that good. The potatoes were too salty and the steak didn't have enough seasoning.

I stumbled out of the diner, and fell to the curb, burying my face in my hands. A cool breeze tickled my ears, and all I could think about was how my eyes were shaped like almond instead of circles. The lady she had been just like me, and she hadn't even eaten her food yet, but she had pale white skin, and blue eyes. Therefore Jerry had turned to me. To give up my seat.

Because of my name. My perfectly asian name. My perfectly asian looks.

I shot up, anger running through me like an electric current. How dare Jerry do this? I was a customer, all customers were supposed to be treated correctly, with respect. Wasn't I correct? I stood there feeling idiotic, and people passed me. Parties of people, and they all looked the same. I felt so out of place it hurt, physically.

I pulled my car door open, before slamming it. My head fell limp on the steering wheel, and everything inside of me felt numb. Everything hurt so badly that it had caused my pain circuits to short-wire.

Slamming my head against the steering wheel, I blankly registered someone yelping in front of me. As if I shouldn't honk my horn at them while I was parked in front of the diner. My eyes were clenched shut, so I leapt out of my skin when someone knocked on the window. As soon as my eyes adjusted I wanted to jump off a bridge, "What do you want, Jerry?"

Maybe he had come to apologize. He looked a little guilty.

"We've gotten some complaints about your car, would-"

I ground my teeth together, "Have a good life, Jerry. I'll be going."

I meant to leave the parking lot in reverse, but instead ended up accelerating into the curb. There was a screech like sound of metal hitting concrete. Jerry and I winced simultaneously. I somehow finally got out of the lot, and pulled over on the side of the road.

I felt the shock roll off of me, leaving me vulnerable. Had that really just happened? Had I been dismissed because of my race? It was hard to believe something as small as that sent me spiraling, but then again. Was it that small? I'd heard of microaggressions, but I'd never experienced it. Why even call them microaggressions, when an aggression was an aggression no matter what it be.

I caught a glimpse of a hill in the distance, and faintly wished a genie lamp would be hidden in there.

Just like Aladdin. The one movie I've watched more than I care to admit. Three wishes? Like, three wishes! Aladdin has three wishes, and every time I watch that movie it blows my mind that he uses the wishes the way he uses them. He uses them, if I might say, selfishly. If I had a Genie lamp I'd wish for world peace or the end of racism, and I know this sounds strange, but it makes me real sad that I even have to wish for that.

The world is moving around me, and the "new world" seems to offer a good amount of opportunities, but sometimes I wish that the world could move a little faster. That it would grow accustomed quickly to who I was. It may sound selfish, but is it really?

If the world wasn't going to accept me because of my features then was the world really worth living in?

The stars shone above me, and I realized how deep I was being. That made me really think; if you try to have a light-heart in serious situations, you're going to get real mixed up about the world. You have to face the world with a head on mentality.

Just like Aladdin.