For seven years, a waitress had to put up with one 89-year-old World War II veteran’s grumpy demands and bad attitude. Then without warning he simply stopped coming to the restaurant. But he made sure the waitress would never forget him...
Life as a Waitress
Working as a waitress isn’t easy. You have to be on your feet for hours, and you also have to smile even when a customer is straight-up rude to you. If you’re lucky, you can leave your shift with a few decent tips in your pocket.
Expectations Are Tough
Every once in a while, a waitress has to handle a customer who has very high expectations but doesn’t know how to request things politely. And if there's one waitress in the world who knows that, it’s Melina Salazar...
She Served for Years
Salazar was a waitress at one restaurant for several years. In all that time, she served more customers than she could count. But none of them had been as interesting as Walter Swords...
He Changed Her Life
Salazar was used to interacting with her customers on a regular basis, but there was just something about Walter Swords. Still, she could never have predicted that after years of serving him, he would change her entire life forever...
He Was Very Demanding
Swords wasn’t exactly the kind of customer that waitresses enjoyed serving. According to Salazar, he was pretty mean to the other servers and expected things to be done his way. He made no exceptions...
Nobody Liked Him
The hair on the necks of all the restaurant's waitstaff stood on end whenever the 89-year-old World War II veteran walked through the door. No one wanted to wait on the grumpy old man.
His Way or the Highway
Swords was very picky about how he wanted his food. It had to be extremely hot, and he didn’t seem to care if he ended up burning himself in the process. But even though he was so hard to please, Swords came back to that one restaurant time and time again...
Only She Could Handle Him
Swords was a regular customer of Salazar's for more than seven years, and there’s a good reason for that: She was the only waitress with enough patience to handle his picky ordering habits.
Nerves of Steel
Swords complained all the time, and his tirades at the restaurant were legendary. Salazar admitted that he often pushed even her patient buttons. But she never let her true feelings show on her face. She was in the service industry, so she knew she had to keep emotion at bay...
Mean as a Snake
Salazar recalls how mean Swords could be and how he cussed the servers out if something didn't go the way he wanted it. But somehow, Salazar had the patience to tend to all of his needs at the restaurant for many years. Then something changed...
Where Was He?
Most servers at the restaurant were probably relieved when, one summer, Swords stopped coming into the restaurant for his meals. But it raised the question: Why did someone who was a regular customer suddenly vanish into thin air? Salazar, more than anyone, was puzzled by the old man's absence...
Cheating on His Favorite Restaurant?
Although no one at the restaurant was particularly worried about Swords, the waiters and waitresses did start growing more curious. Had he moved to another country, or did he just decide to stop eating at that restaurant?
He Wasn’t Missing
Eventually, Salazar learned the sad truth about Walter Swords. As it turned out, her grumpy regular customer had died. She might never have learned the truth, but she herself noticed his obituary...
His Reign of Terror Had Ended
Swords' reign of terror on the waitstaff at the restaurant was finally over. A lot of the servers must have sighed with relief. But even though he was no longer around, he still managed to take Salazar's breath away one last time...
A Christmas Miracle
A couple of days before Christmas, a lawyer reached out to Salazar to talk to her about Swords' will. Apparently, she was in it. Was it possible the mean old man left her something after his death?
He Appreciated Her
That day, Salazar learned she had meant a lot more to her best worst customer than his behavior let on while he was alive. There was a soft spot in the old man's heart when it came to his favorite waitress, who had the patience of a saint, and he proved it with his last tip...
His Final Tip
Swords gave Salazar a surprise tip unlike any she had ever received from any customer, living or otherwise. When Swords' lawyer told her what the old man had left for her, she probably needed a minute to recover from the shock...
A Surprise in Store
Swords gave Salazar one last tip, and it was a total shocker. The grouchy customer left the waitress $50,000 and his car, a 2000 Buick. But how did she take Swords' final act of generosity?
She Was Speechless
Salazar couldn’t believe Swords had done something so generous for her. Then again, it shouldn’t have really surprised her. After all, she showed him compassion for years when no one else would. It seemed Swords simply wanted to return the favor.
The Only One
Her kindness likely extends outside of her job waiting tables. But during Swords' final days, Salazar was pretty much the only person he had left to talk to. It's a good reminder that all customers, even the meanest ones, are human beings who need love.
Patience Is a Virtue
Difficult customers aren’t unique to the restaurant where Salazar worked. There are tons of people who don’t always show their waiters and waitresses the respect and kindness all workers deserve. But Salazar's story should encourage other servers to have patience for their customers, even if those customers act mean and grumpy.
Kindness Is Given and Received
Waiting tables isn’t just a job, but a way of life, and there are rules to follow. So if a customer cusses you out, turn the other cheek. Smile and be nice. Not only because it's the kind thing to do for a fellow human being, but because you never know when that kindness might finally pay off...