Dexter looked at the item and then asked, "Where's the cherry?"
"We're out of cherries," the kid behind the counter said.
"Are there any in the back?" Dexter asked.
"Yes. We got a couple big jars of them," the kid answered.
"So get some cherries out of the back, and put one on my sundae," Dexter said.
"We're too busy," the kid answered.
There were thirty people in line with twenty of them being kids. Only two people were working the counter. He didn't have time to go rummage around in the storage room in the back.
Dexter said, "I want a cherry on my Ice Cream Sundae. It isn't a sundae without the cherry."
The man standing behind Dexter said, "Forget the stupid cherry. The kid is busy and you're holding up the line."
Dexter turned around to face the man standing behind him. He wasn't upset with the man. In fact, he probably would have said the same thing if their positions had been reversed. However, he wasn't going to back down. He said, "How about if he runs out of ice cream? Will you be happy with an ice cream sundae without ice cream in it?"
"He's not out of ice cream," the man argued.
Dexter held up a hand with four fingers extended. He said, "A basic ice cream sundae has four parts. The ice cream, the chocolate topping, the whipped cream, and the cherry. If you leave off one of those ingredients, then you don't have an ice cream sundae. I ordered an ice cream sundae and I expect to get one."
"It's just a cherry!"
The kid said, "I'll get some cherries when things slow down."
"That's not going to get a cherry on my ice cream sundae," Dexter said.
A guy at the rear of the line shouted, "Hey! What's the hold up?"
"We've got a jerk here making a big deal out of not getting a cherry!"
"Well, give him a cherry."
The kid behind the counter shouted, "We're out of cherries."
Dexter shouted, "They aren't out. They have them in back, and he won't go get them. Nobody is going to get a cherry."
A kid shouted, "I want a cherry on my ice cream."
"See,? I'm not the only one who wants a cherry," Dexter said.
The man behind him had been waiting in line for a long time. He was beginning to lose patience.
Irritated, he said, "Just pay for your ice cream, and get out of here."
"I'm not paying for an incomplete ice cream sundae," Dexter said.
"It is just a stupid cherry," the man argued back.
"No it isn't. It is a principle," Dexter said. "It's supposed to have a cherry on it."
A kid shouted, "I want a cherry!"
"Mister, are you going to pay for this or not?" the kid behind the counter asked while holding out the ice cream sundae for Dexter to take.
"Not until you put a cherry on top of it," Dexter said.
"Come on! Let's get a move on," one of the customers shouted.
Another customer said, "At this rate, we'll never get any ice cream."
One of the kids started crying and shouting, "I want my ice cream."
The kid's mother said, "Stop crying. You'll get an ice cream."
"Mister, I don't have time to get a cherry," the kid said.
"It'll take you thirty seconds," Dexter said.
"Jesus! What an asshole!"
"Mommy! That man is swearing," one of the kids said.
The other kid behind the counter shouted, "No swearing. There are kids present."
"I wouldn't swear if that jerk would just pay for his stupid ice cream and get out of here," the man shouted.
One of the mothers was at the end of her patience. Looking down at her young kids, she said, "Let's go kids. We'll get ice cream some other time."
Her youngest kid started jumping up and down while shouting, "I want my ice cream. You promised me an ice cream with sprinkles on it. I want my ice cream."
Half of the people started rubbing their foreheads in an attempt to keep from getting a headache. The other kids started making noises about wanting their ice creams. The volume of noise in the ice cream parlor tripled.
Dexter shouted, "I'm not paying for something that I didn't order."
"You ordered an ice cream sundae!" the kid behind the counter shouted.
"That's right. I'm not paying for anything less than an ice cream sundae," Dexter shouted. He turned to the kid behind the counter and said, "Can't you get that though your thick head?"
A deep voice interrupted, "We got a call of a disturbance here."
Dexter turned to look at the door. A very large policeman filled the entrance to the ice cream parlor. The man was standing with his right hand on the grip of his pistol.
Dexter had visions of getting handcuffed and led off to jail. He could just imagine the headlines, "Man Arrested in Cherry Riot at Ice Cream Parlor."
"I called you," one of the men shouted. "That jerk won't pay for his ice cream."
All of the kids who had been screaming, stopped upon seeing the very large policeman. With very wide eyes, they watched him walk to the front of the store. The sudden silence in the place was appreciated by the adult patrons.
The police officer walked up to stand behind Dexter.
He asked, "What's the problem?"
The kid behind the counter said, "He won't pay for his ice cream sundae."
"Pay the kid," the police officer said.
Dexter asked, "Do you notice anything missing on that ice cream sundae?"
The police officer looked at it and shrugged.
He said, "There's not a cherry."
"Right!. I'm not paying for it until he puts a cherry on top," Dexter said.
"It's just a cherry," the policeman said.
Not backing down, Dexter said, "A basic ice cream sundae has four parts: the ice cream, the chocolate topping, the whipped cream, and the cherry. If you leave off one of those ingredients, then you don't have an ice cream sundae. I ordered an ice cream sundae, and I expect to get one."
The man behind Dexter groaned, "Not with the ingredients list, again."
"I don't need any comments," the police officer said to the man.
"If I had ordered an ice cream sundae without a cherry, then I would pay for it and be happy. However, I didn't do that," Dexter said.
"Have you got cherries?" the policeman asked.
"In the back," the kid behind the counter said.
"Well, get them," the police officer said.
"I don't have time to get them. I've got a line of people waiting to be served," the kid said.
"Then he doesn't have to pay for it," the policeman said.
The kid held up the ice cream sundae and asked, "What am I supposed to do with this?"
"You either put a cherry on it, or you throw it away," the police office answered. "If you put a cherry on it, then he has to pay. If you don't, I'll ask him to leave."
The kid tossed the ice cream sundae in the trash and said, "There."
"Okay," Dexter said. "I'm going."
"Thank you," the police officer said.
Several people cheered his leaving. The cheering was not in support of his position on getting what he ordered. They were glad to have him gone, and for the line to start moving again.
Dexter stepped out the ice cream parlor and shook his head. He had really wanted an ice cream sundae. He didn't really care about the cherry other than the principle involved. That wasn't quite true. Eating the cherry off the ice cream sundae was just an intrinsic part of enjoying the sundae. Still, he was tired of paying for things, and getting less than what he ordered. He didn't think that businesses should get away with that kind of stuff.
Almost as irritating as not getting what he ordered, was not being able to order what he wanted. He thought it was stupid that he had to accept a particular brand of soda because there were exclusivity clauses for the small retailer that prevented it from selling the kind he wanted. He liked the burgers and fries at once place but couldn't get the kind of soft drink he liked. He could get the soft drink he liked at a place that served good burgers, but had french fries that he couldn't stand.
In a way he felt sorry for the kids behind the counter. They were basically trying to deal with too much to do, and not enough time to do it in. It wasn't their fault that there weren't enough people scheduled to work that night.
The police officer stepped out of the ice cream parlor and said, "I totally understand where you're coming from."
"Really?" Dexter asked not having expected the policeman to take his position. He had really expected to be told to pay for it or else.
"Last week I took the kids to an ice cream parlor close to our house. They were out of sprinkles. My kids really wanted sprinkles, and threw a fit. They had some in the back and wouldn't get them until I showed my badge," the police officer said.
"It must be nice to have a badge," Dexter said with a grin.
"Yes, it is."
The police officer looked in the ice cream parlor and said, "They should have two more people working there. It is Friday night and it was hot today. I bet my wife took the kids out for ice cream."
Dexter said, "It's a simple case of mismanagement. The manager only puts two people on duty because he doesn't want to pay for three. So what if things get out of control. The kids are just supposed to keep dishing out ice cream until the line goes away. He doesn't care that he might be losing customers."
"You're probably right," the police officer said.
They could hear a kid screaming, "I want a cherry!"
"He should have gotten the cherries for you," the police officer said shaking his head.
Dexter said, "I bet there are two kids within a stones throw of here who would love to be working here. They won't get the job because the owner won't hire enough people to adequately staff the store."
"I know what you mean. I get to pick up the kids who get into trouble because they haven't got anything better to do," the police officer said.
"I guess I'll go over to the grocery store and buy the makings for an ice cream sundae," Dexter said.
"Good idea," the police officer said. He added, "One more thing..."
"What?" Dexter asked.
"Next time, just pay for the ice cream sundae," the police office said.
Dexter said, "Don't worry. I'm never coming back here."
"It's kind of stupid to lose a customer over a cherry," the police officer said.
"I agree," Dexter said.
Dexter walked towards the grocery store. Once Dexter was gone, the police officer got into his car and drove off. He figured that he'd have a story to tell back at the station about the cherry riot at the ice cream parlor.
At the grocery store, Dexter purchased the makings for an ice cream sundae. He got the premium brand of ice cream. While he was there, he also picked up a set of Ice Cream Sundae glasses. It cost him a lot more than what he would have spent, but he had enough ingredients for fifteen ice cream sundaes and they would be in real glasse containers, instead of waxedstyrofoam cups.
After returning to where his car was parked, Dexter watched a car drive by the ice cream parlor. He could see the person inside checking out the length of the line. It was just as long as when he had been in the place. The car drove on without stopping. A few minutes later, a second car did the same thing. Dexter wondered how much business the ice cream parlor lost, because of the length of the line inside.
Upon reaching home, he made an ice cream sundae. It was complete, with a cherry. He carried it over to his recliner and sat down to enjoy it.
The first thing he did was to eat the cherry on the top. The cherry had been atop the sundae for less than fifteen seconds.
He smiled and said, "It just isn't an ice cream sundae without the cherry."
Edited By TeNderLoin