Dream house
12:05PM, in the 900 sunny exhausting day, my energy is decreasing continuously as a cell phone running out of power. . "Will I be able to get there?" I ask myself. I can barely read the light silver gray letters on the brown bricks of the dining hall. As soon as many students, in casual outfit, step into the cafeteria, they take off their flat caps. I'm also heading to the cafeteria. As I approach the automatic gray door made of glass, I can read the opening hours of the cafeteria written in dark red paint. As soon as I enter the cafeteria, new sounds fill my ears. Raucous laughter, talking people, cracking dishes, frying onions, all sound like a bunch of bees in their hives. The strong smell of hot baked bread lingers lazily in the narrow hallway, between two walls covered with the reddish maroon paint and gray tiger's footprints, where people stand in lines before entering the dining hall and where you can board with the staff of the cafeteria and the menu of the available meal. There are two long lines of students on each side of the hallway.
Many of these waiting students on both lines are taking their red and white Morehouse ID out of their transparent plastic lanyard hanging over their chest. Some students are yawning three to four times a minute and they stretch quite often. They are trying to find out what other students in the dining hall have got on their plates. They can't wait to be served, and the pain look of hunger is easily remarkable on their face they are even asking themselves loudly what they will get on their plate. Others are not smiling, they are as calm as millpond, they are checking minute after minute their watch or their cell phone, even some of them kick smoothly the floor; it seems they don't have enough time to wait, and they are getting more and more antsy. They probably have an appointment or a coming class soon. The line still is also moving like a tired tortoise.
During this time, I hear a cashier on the left window, saying to one student in a strong firm voice: "gentleman, you have to get your feet covered, otherwise you'll not get in". This makes focus on the small blue pictures on the window of that cashier restating the attire policy written with small colorful letters and makes me think about the importance of wearing socks in sandals, in fact it is a way to protect oneself against serious damage in case of serious accident, but also a way to make people think about the legacy of the school, as it's also shown by other five pesters on the white wall, explaining the concept of renaissance men as it is defined by the president of the school, Dr Robert Franklin Jr.in.prx.proxywebsite.co.uk this five famous words " well-spoken, well-read well-dressed, well-balanced and well-traveled man". This shows the impact of the cafeteria in the propagation of the legacy of this institution.
Beside of that, the line continues to progress and I'm about to hand my Morehouse ID over the cashier, a small smiling lady with long black hair wearing a reddish maroon polo shirt and long black pants. After I gave her my ID, she swipes it gently in the small black scanner attached on the processing unit of her computer, suddenly the small black monitor with light green letters pops out the amount of my remaining balance in terms of credits, after she nods and gives me back my student ID, as a permission to enter the dining hall.
Once I get the green light, I enter the dining hall as happy as a lark. The thick burnt scent of fried onions tickles the tip of my nose just as I approach the section where fried foods are served by a small fast serving Chinese wearing a white chef coat; very close to his section, there's a light black small lady, wearing also a white chef coat and a blight blue cap on her head like the one of nurses; who serves light yellow rubbery omelets with a garlic scent. As there are long lines waiting to be served I decide to get salad and Pizzas in the self-service section where one can get green fresh salad made mainly by young-looking fresh lettuce carrots and smashed eggs and spicy dressings. One also can get non-alcoholic drink such as cokes fresh cool juices of different fruits, iced tea to name but a few. In addition, I get also a thick piece of mushroom pizza with a melting cheese scent.
And I try to find a place where I can sit and enjoy my lunch, everywhere I pass a piece of joke falls in my ears. People are making jokes around about football players, and baseball players as long as a review is made on television showing astonishing spectacular facts accomplished in the game. The air is full of raucous laughter, people even yell as they are supporting their team on television. Many people seem to be relaxing and socializing, this reminds me the impact of cafeteria in our social life.
To conclude, not only I realized that people go in cafeteria to take food, but it's another way to hang out with friends, and meet new people