He tore open the envelope and looked inside.
He hadn't been feeling great for the past week or so. He wanted to know if he was being selfish but after reading the letter he fully understood what was going on.
Business Philosophy
A lot of people would assume that the restaurant business is a mean one that requires both finances and a strong will be successful.
Apollo had different ideals though. He believed that all he needed to do well was compassion and hard work. But these two ways of thinking extended beyond the kitchen.
Positive Vibes
Apollo felt that all employees and customers alike deserved to be treated with respect and friendliness.
He just wanted a warm environment where he worked. But on one weekend things would weekend service would test him to his limits and change a little on how he perceived the world around him.
Delicious Menu
The restaurant where Apollo worked was right by Kilimandjaro and always attracted lots of interesting people.
People from everywhere would appear in the restaurant to have a few drinks but also take a dive into their extensive menu. But Apollo knew all too well that today would be a busier day than usual.
Busy Day
It was a soccer weekend - that meant that rowdy fans would be coming from everywhere to watch the game on the flatscreen they had behind the bar.
With the restaurant getting packed, three men waltzed through the doors and took a table. A waitress ran to help the men with a cheery smile on her face. Apollo was happy, she was one of his best staff members.
Time To Pay
As the huge crowd in the bar was getting loud, drinks were endlessly filling and plates of their best meals were streaming out of the kitchen to hungry patrons. The three men were famished and chowed down into their meals immediately.
They quickly finished their meals and the waitress handed them their bill. But one man gave something back that had her frozen in her tracks.
Cash Only
The waitress looked at the card and frowned, "sorry, but we only accept cash."
The locals knew about this custom but often tourists or newcomers would be surprised when it came time to pay the bill.
Frantic Server
Apollo saw it happen but trusted the waitress and had to focus his attention on the other patrons.
But after a small amount of time passed the waitress approached Apollo. She had a worried look on her face. Only one of the three men was still at the table, and he looked very upset.
Suddenly Left
He had dealt with unruly customers before, but never a dine-and-dash.
Part of him wondered if they were out trying to get cash from an ATM. But any one who did that would usually leave at least one person behind. He held onto his philosophy of kindness as the hours passed and they finally had to turn the sign to “closed.”
Origin Story
Apollo was born in Burkina Faso, which actually means “The Land of Honest People.”
It was hard for him to process how someone could be so angry over a payment method that they would refuse to pay and just walk out. It was only a few days later, and he was getting ready to involve the police, when a thick letter reached his restaurant.
Answers, Finally
He only had to read the first two lines to know it was from the men who had vanished without paying.
He scanned the rest of the letter, shaking his head at their words. He tipped over the envelope and three more pieces of paper fell out. Apollo felt a tear form in the corner of his eye.
More Than One Problem
The answer to the disappearance was exactly what he had been praying for.
The writer explained how they only had a credit card. When they found out it was cash-only, they freaked and ran out to find any place to get cash. But that wasn’t their only problem.
Running Home
They were in the middle of their search when they noticed the time. It would be a race to get the last train home and they didn’t have anywhere near enough money to get a motel.
They had no choice but to leave and abandon their quest to pay the bill. Instead, they spent the next couple days scrounging up the cash, plus a generous tip, to send back to Apollo. But it gets better.
Payment And Kind Words
Even though they paid, they still felt horrible. So, they promised to write a glowing Trip Advisor review as well as a Yelp review – which they did.
If Apollo was honest with himself, the event had strained his view on people. “Things like this happen” just wasn’t good enough. He had been brought up in an environment where honesty and virtue were paramount.
Renewed Faith
The few days that had passed made him wonder if he was wrong – if the world really was a hopeless place.
But that simple letter had fixed all of it. It renewed his philosophies and proved all it took was a little kindness to keep the world turning.