I watched the old, fat couple eat at the Chinese buffet. They were silent. Both of them sat there chewing on fried wonton, egg rolls, mushy rice, and teriyaki chicken sticks. They’d finish a plateful and go back to the steaming hot table for more like trained dogs. Oriental music played in the background.

After sitting for ten minutes, I approached the royal buffet as well. I could hear the old couple blowing their noses and coughing. They went back to chewing in quiet.

I brought my stash back to the booth. Again, they sneezed, coughed, and farted. I stared at my plate, looked up, and walked away from it.

The cashier offered a fortune cookie. I broke it in half. The message said, better times are ahead for you.

This made me laugh.