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Description
Gale walked into the shop for the second time, hoping to find Berlinda there again. Unlike yesterday, when the restaraunt had been overflowing with customers and there hadn't been enough staff to take care of them all, no customers sat at the tables. Berlinda was at the counter, wiping it clean with a wet towl. She hadn't noticed him yet. Neither had Naishu, who was sweeping in a corner.

Gale sat at one of the barstools at the counter. Berlinda looked up from her cleaning.

"Hey." she said. "Back already?"

"You make good pancakes." Gale smiled. THat was only a fraction of the reason he'd come again.

"I'll fix some up for you." Berlinda said and got to work.

The door opened and a wind blew in ominously, like the bad guy entering in a movie. Gale turned around and saw a man in a suit walk in. Under his arm was a clipboard.

"Oh no..." Naishu said angrily.

Berlinda turned around as she had poured three large spots of batter on the stove. She looked like she would have liked to cringe, but didn't want the man to see.

The man approached the counter, standing next to Gale. "It is time for your inspection, Berlinda."

"Go ahead." Berlinda said. "This is the cleanest restraunt in the town."

"We'll see." the man said. Berlinda opened the door on the side of the counter to let him past and he went back into the kitchen where Gale couldn't see.

By then Naishu had reached the area where Gale was sitting. "Health inspector." she said. "He's an uptight, pompous slug if you ask me. Every time he comes in here he grades poor Berlinda so harshly. She only just barely passes even though we DO in fact have the cleanest restraunt in town."

"Why is he so rough with her?" Gale asked.

"I'm not sure about that one." Naishu said. "I personally think it's cause her mother turned him down once."

"I can see why." Gale said, supressing a laugh.

Berlinda hadn't heard any of the conversation. She flipped Gale's pancakes and cooked the other side, her mind elsewhere. When they were done she flipped them onto a plate and handed them to Gale.

"Thanks." he said. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. This is the best place I've ever eaten."

Berlinda smiled briefly, not thinking Gale was serious, then resumed cleaning her counter.

A few minutes later, the health inspector came out of the kitchen. "Well, Miss Berlinda, you just barely pass as usual." He failed to say exactly what was wrong. "I'll be on my way just as soon as--" He stopped, looking at the floor past Gale. "What have we here?"

Gale turned around and saw a single roach crawling on the floor past him and supressed a shudder. He hated those things. Ironically enough, he thought, even the cleanest restraunt in town can't escape them.

"Roach infestation." the health inspector said. "That will bring you down below passing and will result in having to close this filthy place down."

Gale wasn't sure just what brought on his next action. All he knew was he had to help Berlinda. He reached to the floor and scooped up the roach in his hand. "Ralph! There you are!" He cried out, forcing his nerves to remain calm as the thing squirmed in his hands.

"THis is yours?" the health inspector asked.

"Yes. I brought him in." Gale had to keep turned away from the health inspector, unable to hide his cringing. "He's my pet."

"There you go." Naishu said. "No infestation. We'll take our passing grade and you have a good day."

The health inspector glowered at her. "Very well. You pass. Good day to you." And he left the restraunt.

Immediately after he left, Gale cried out and threw the roach into the air. Berlinda and Naishu cried out and jumped back in surprise. THe roach's wings flapped and it began flying. Berlinda put her hands on her head to keep her hair flat so the roach wouldn't get stuck in it and Naishu batted the insect with her broom, causing it to splatter on the wall.

"I'll clean it up." she said and grabbed Berlinda's wet towel.

"Thanks." Berlinda said to Gale.

"No problem." Gale said, his nerves calming.

Gale copyright
Berlinda copyright

Description
Gale walked into the shop for the second time, hoping to find Berlinda there again. Unlike yesterday, when the restaraunt had been overflowing with customers and there hadn't been enough staff to take care of them all, no customers sat at the tables. Berlinda was at the counter, wiping it clean with a wet towl. She hadn't noticed him yet. Neither had Naishu, who was sweeping in a corner.

Gale sat at one of the barstools at the counter. Berlinda looked up from her cleaning.

"Hey." she said. "Back already?"

"You make good pancakes." Gale smiled. THat was only a fraction of the reason he'd come again.

"I'll fix some up for you." Berlinda said and got to work.

The door opened and a wind blew in ominously, like the bad guy entering in a movie. Gale turned around and saw a man in a suit walk in. Under his arm was a clipboard.

"Oh no..." Naishu said angrily.

Berlinda turned around as she had poured three large spots of batter on the stove. She looked like she would have liked to cringe, but didn't want the man to see.

The man approached the counter, standing next to Gale. "It is time for your inspection, Berlinda."

"Go ahead." Berlinda said. "This is the cleanest restraunt in the town."

"We'll see." the man said. Berlinda opened the door on the side of the counter to let him past and he went back into the kitchen where Gale couldn't see.

By then Naishu had reached the area where Gale was sitting. "Health inspector." she said. "He's an uptight, pompous slug if you ask me. Every time he comes in here he grades poor Berlinda so harshly. She only just barely passes even though we DO in fact have the cleanest restraunt in town."

"Why is he so rough with her?" Gale asked.

"I'm not sure about that one." Naishu said. "I personally think it's cause her mother turned him down once."

"I can see why." Gale said, supressing a laugh.

Berlinda hadn't heard any of the conversation. She flipped Gale's pancakes and cooked the other side, her mind elsewhere. When they were done she flipped them onto a plate and handed them to Gale.

"Thanks." he said. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. This is the best place I've ever eaten."

Berlinda smiled briefly, not thinking Gale was serious, then resumed cleaning her counter.

A few minutes later, the health inspector came out of the kitchen. "Well, Miss Berlinda, you just barely pass as usual." He failed to say exactly what was wrong. "I'll be on my way just as soon as--" He stopped, looking at the floor past Gale. "What have we here?"

Gale turned around and saw a single roach crawling on the floor past him and supressed a shudder. He hated those things. Ironically enough, he thought, even the cleanest restraunt in town can't escape them.

"Roach infestation." the health inspector said. "That will bring you down below passing and will result in having to close this filthy place down."

Gale wasn't sure just what brought on his next action. All he knew was he had to help Berlinda. He reached to the floor and scooped up the roach in his hand. "Ralph! There you are!" He cried out, forcing his nerves to remain calm as the thing squirmed in his hands.

"THis is yours?" the health inspector asked.

"Yes. I brought him in." Gale had to keep turned away from the health inspector, unable to hide his cringing. "He's my pet."

"There you go." Naishu said. "No infestation. We'll take our passing grade and you have a good day."

The health inspector glowered at her. "Very well. You pass. Good day to you." And he left the restraunt.

Immediately after he left, Gale cried out and threw the roach into the air. Berlinda and Naishu cried out and jumped back in surprise. THe roach's wings flapped and it began flying. Berlinda put her hands on her head to keep her hair flat so the roach wouldn't get stuck in it and Naishu batted the insect with her broom, causing it to splatter on the wall.

"I'll clean it up." she said and grabbed Berlinda's wet towel.

"Thanks." Berlinda said to Gale.

"No problem." Gale said, his nerves calming.

Gale copyright
Berlinda copyright