You can’t just set here and not get nothing, Candi-Beth said.
What gave ye the notion that was my intention? Suttree looked down at his dirty hands.
You’re just settin’ there. You can’t just set there.
Well.
You look weird. Brad is getting mad. He’s the manager. You can’t just set there.
I understand, but I don’t much care that I caint. I intend to eat. Folks has et here before hasnt they?
Yeah, but you have to order to Quantell at the register or whoever is on register when you’re getting ready to know what you want.
How can I know what ye got when I hadnt seen any menu?
Are you dumb? It’s up on the wall above the register and Quantell. This is McDonald’s anyway. It’s all the same. Except for right now we have the Shamrock Triple Thick Shake but that’s ‘cuz it’s Saint Patrick’s Day a week ago.
I don’t know if I’m dumb or not but I do know that I never knew any Quantell.
Of course you don’t.
Yeah.
I’m not ‘upposed to take your order.
I’m not opposed to it neither.
I can’t ‘cuz we can’t take tips.
Suttree looked up at her, then back down at the sticky slick plastic table before him. Candi-Beth sighed, resigning herself to serve. She broke the suspended dialogue’s silence.
Okay. But what do you want?
I’m given to a steak and a coffee, presently. A potato.
We’ve got fries. We don’t got steaks but we do got burgers, the big and tasty is the most regular one.
Regulars good.
You want iced coffee or traditional?
What?
Carmel, vanilla or sugar free vanilla?
What?
What do you want it to taste like?
Coffee ideally.
Why you act all old timey?
I dont mean to say youre an idiot but are ye?
What do you mean an idiot? You talkin’ about retarded?
Call it what you want but are ye?
My momma drank with me ‘fore I was born so she used to say I was a little off. I ain’t complainin’, tho. Help me never to touch the stuff, don’t even drink it with the sacrament bread on Sunday.
The church lets an idiot take communion?
A course. They’s forward lookin’.
Yeah.
But I just take the body ‘cuz like I said I don’t drink. Which church do you go to?
I dont.
How you gonna get up to heaven then?
I caint know. I never died on no cross.
Faiths about faith you know.
I can deduce.
I don’t know what that word means.
I don’t know what faith means.
It means you give yourself to something greater than you.
I done gave all of myself away a long time ago to things a lot lesser than me.
You can’t know that. You didn’t never die on no cross.
Not yet I didnt.
Deja vu!!