SCENE AT ELLIS’ RESTAURANT

 

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

04/XI/2024

 

Every morning the scene in the Ellis’ restaurant is so refreshing. The notes birds sing sounds like ‘reveille’ being sounded by the buglers. The ‘scenario’ keeps varying with arrival of different birds at different timings.

 

It is like being a restaurant owner, working solo with minimum help. Yours truly is the waiter, housekeeper, cook, receptionist, barman, purchase manager, accountant, and storekeeper of this shack. Imagine!

 

Foremost thing in the morning is housekeeping of the garden area, followed by watering the pots. This gives the plants a nice bath, like kids being readied for school.

 

The first set of ‘clients’ called the ‘Tailor Birds’ appear. They love to hunt for insects which get disturbed by the watering ritual. They sing and dance, hop and skip and carry on chasing moths and worms, without bothering about my presence.

 

By then the Bulbuls and the Sparrows start lining up around the trees, urging me to ‘open up’ the eatery. Some get so desperate that they start eating leftovers. Their hunger pangs are palpable in their demeanour and deportment.

 

Soon, Doves arrive and start strolling on the road, marching, cooing and pecking at each other, giving me hints to refill the grain pot quickly. A peep into the bowl reveals that just husk is left. Grains had been polished off the previous day. ‘Waiter Noel Ellis’ then cleans the grain bowl, washes it if need be. What a sh**ty job this waiter has to do as many birds poop in the feeder. However, to run the restaurant efficiently, scrubbing comes with such privileges.

 

My wife ensures that we have left over rotis for the Bulbuls, Doves, and Sparrows. They relish roti like ‘pudding’. While I make ‘Choorma’ of the rotis, they bear with me, waiting eagerly but patiently for the feast to be served.

 

Today, a Bulbul just could not hold her horses. It came and sat at the edge of the garden table. While her meal was being prepared in the ‘open kitchen’ of the restaurant, it keenly watched the ‘fare’ being ‘prepped’. We all love to see food being cooked right infront of us, isn’t it?

 

I extended one hand to see if she would come and sit on it but she didn’t. By then, she had gathered her whole family, who by now were drumming their paws on the tin contraption where we feed them, like we as kids used to bang our forks and spoons on the table to pester mom, screaming “Calendar, Khana do….”

 

In all this milieu, one Bulbul lost her patience. The ‘Sugar Syrup’ which had been served for the hummingbirds caught her attention. She flew to the feeder and poked her beak into the small hole but couldn’t. I told her that her ‘order’ was almost ready to be served. Ms Bulbul understood and abandoned the feeder. I quickly served Bulbul's order.

 

The hummingbirds felt offended and five of them rushed to file an official complaint with me about Bulbul who had “jhoota karoed” their juice. I could only but apologise to the Hummingbirds.

 

While all this was unfolding, the fish tanks became super active. Their table is always booked and they have to be served on time or else they surface on seeing me and circle around their tank vigorously, begging for food.

 

A glance in the fish food container showed that the contents were at rock bottom. This meant re-ordering fish food with a combo of ‘pellets and flakes’ which they love to eat. The accountant and purchase manager had to be shaken up to release money for the fishy diet and procure it pronto. A sprinkle of fish food calmed things down in the tank. I breathed a sigh of relief.

 

If their stomachs are full, everything falls into place. That reminded me that my stomach was rumbling too. A quick bite and it was time to move to the rooftop, where the rest of the fish wait for me desperately. They are a little ‘adjusting’, as sometimes one gets delayed due to reasons not under my control. At times I even skip feeding them. They don’t mind as they have enough to eat in their tubs, but they eagerly wait for my company and a little ‘chit-chat’ we have while being served.

 

Ellis’ restaurant was up and running smoothly. The owner cum waiter was exhausted with the flurry of activities. Between breakfast and lunch there would be a lull. In the evening, they all will get desperate again for dinner before the birds retreat to their perches and fish dive to the bottom of their tanks. Enough food has been ordered for my special clients.

 

Can you imagine the plight of this restaurant owner? I wonder!!!!!!

 

 JAI HIND 
©® NOEL ELLIS