Denied Him That Right
The events that were unfolding were beyond Clive's comprehension. The only thing they did was add insult to injury. His only desire was to eat his favorite burger. Despite all the hardships he had endured, they denied him that right.
The suffering he had already endured was enough for him. Is there a reason why they are doing this? In spite of his demand for answers, he appeared to be misinterpreted as threatening. It only escalated from there.
Why Would They Do This
Despite the fast food worker telling him that security had been called, Clive still wasn't understanding what was going on. A man carrying a baton walked into the establishment.
There was no way Clive could believe it. The only option he had was to surrender. Although he felt his old training taking hold, he had to fight it. Still, he wanted to know why.
He Had To Know Why
He was only interested in knowing why he was being asked to leave. What was the reason behind not serving him a meal he so desperately needed? Despite his pleas, the fast food worker failed to explain why.
"Rebecca," he read on their nametag. Through tears, the old man asked, "Why are you doing this to me?"
"It's your necklace," she said simply. “Such a thing isn't allowed here."
The Pendant Around His Neck
The pendant around Clive's neck caught his attention. It appeared to be a problem after nearly twenty years of wearing it. Anger surged through him; she wasn't even aware of the necklace's significance.
The only option he had was to let security escort him out. Nonetheless, he wasn't ready to let go of her or the restaurant just yet. His true identity would be revealed to them.
Walking Back Into The Store
Clive had already decided what he would do the next day. They needed to know who they were dealing with. It had been a while since he had worn his old uniform.
Keeping the necklace on, he walked back into the store. Her face turned pale when she saw his uniform. The only thing that made her beg for forgiveness was Clive's two words.
Dealt A Bad Hand
As he reflected on his life, Clive Thompson was mostly proud. As a result of what he experienced, he loved, lost, and suffered more than most people. In spite of the fact that he had been dealt a bad hand, he always tried to look on the bright side of things.
In order to make ends meet, the 60-year-old man worked odd jobs. As a young man, he had been promised a pension by the government, but he never received a penny.
Joining The Military
Twenty-one years old, Thompson acted in accordance with his beliefs. He enlisted in the military with the assurance he would be compensated after returning home.
He saw the Vietnam War for what it was as it came to its end. The torture finally ended, and he was able to return home. However, he wouldn't find things as he remembered them.
Looking For A Job
Clive was deceived by promises made to him. It was difficult for him to find a job after returning home because of anti-war culture.
There was a lack of interest in hiring veterans. As Clive struggled to find decent jobs for 35 years, he would be lying to say that it wasn't difficult. The situation was about to get even worse.
Normal Day’s Work
On this day, Clive was doing one of his odd jobs as usual. A nice sum of money had been agreed upon for the help of moving someone's couch. With the help of his pickup truck, he moved it across town.
Clive received the cash from the client after that was completed. It made him happy to be able to pay his rent and maybe even buy a snack for himself.
Forgot About Lunch
When Clive was deciding what to do next, he played with his necklace absent-mindedly. Only he knew what the amulet on his neck meant. He would never give it up voluntarily.
A growl came from his stomach at that moment. It was late, and he hadn't even eaten lunch. The next step was obvious to him.
Finding A Place To Eat
His growling belly was the deciding factor. He needed some food, but he hadn’t even done any shopping yet, which meant there was nothing in his small apartment. He decided to go for the simplest route.
He would go to a fast food place and get something simple. But he had no idea what would be waiting for him once he went inside the store.
A Delicious Burger
Clive walked along the pavement, staring at all of the restaurants he passed. He didn’t want anything fancy. That’s when he smelled something heavenly. He followed the smell to a small burger place.
It was a fast food place, and judging by the smell, they must have delicious burgers. His mouth watered at the idea of that for lunch.
Walking Inside
Clive felt the cash in his pocket. He deserved a little treat for the job he had just done. He rationalized it any way he could before walking into the fast food place.
It wasn’t very busy when he stepped inside. He greeted the security guard and walked up to the counter. But before he could even order, he couldn’t believe what he heard.
Behind The Counter
The woman behind the counter wasn’t paying any attention to her hungry customer. She was playing some kind of game on her phone and chewing bubble gum. “Excuse me, miss?” Clive said kindly, but he had no idea what was about to happen.
The ignorant woman stared up from his phone and started saying, “How can I help…” Before her gaze met his. Suddenly, her uninterested face turned sour.
Something Wrong
The woman clearly had a problem with Clive. Was the look on her face because he was old? He knew he wasn’t wearing the sharpest clothing, but they were for working. What was her problem?
But it’s what the girl said next that had Clive feeling downtrodden. He was used to abuse, but he had his guard lowered in this kind of environment.
I Can’t Serve You
The woman seemed offended by something and shook her head at the old man before saying, “I can’t serve you, sir. Please leave.” But her words hurt like daggers.
He stood there, awestruck. What kind of reason did she have for denying him service? But once he learned the truth, he would find a way to pay her back for her ignorance.
Denying Him Service
Clive couldn’t believe what was happening. They were only adding insult to injury. All he wanted was his favorite burger. But they denied him that right despite everything he had been through.
He had already suffered enough. Why were they doing this? He demanded answers, but it seemed they mistook his demeanor for a threatening one. The situation only escalated.
He Needed To Know Why
Clive still didn’t understand what was going on, even when the fast food worker told him that they had called security. A man walked into the establishment with a baton in his hand.
Clive couldn’t believe it. He had no choice but to surrender. He felt his old training kicking in, but he had to fight it. But he still needed to know why.
Begging
All Clive wanted to know was why he was being told to leave. Why did they not want to serve him a meal that he desperately needed? He begged the fast food worker to at least tell him why.
He looked at their nametag, “Rebecca. Please tell me why you’re doing this,” The old man said through tears. She looked up at him and simply said, “It’s your necklace. You can’t bring something like that in here.”
Anger Surging Through Him
Clive looked down at the pendant around his neck. He had worn it for nearly forty years, and now it was apparently a problem. He felt anger surge through him. She didn’t even understand the importance of the necklace.
He had no choice but to let security escort him out. But he wasn’t done with her or the restaurant. He was going to tell them who he really was.
Making Up His Mind
The next day, Clive had made his mind up about what he was going to do. He needed them to understand who they were dealing with. He found his old uniform and dusted it off.
He was going to make her pay for her ignorance. She would know who she was dealing with once he came back into the establishment. It was about more than just the burger now.
Going Back
He kept the necklace on and waltzed back into the store. The security guard stood back in shock. Now that he knew who he was dealing with, he didn’t bar Clive from going inside.
Once he walked through the doors, he turned to the counter. The woman was just as distracted as she normally was. But Clive had two words that would make her beg for forgiveness.
Finding Out The Truth
The woman was a shell of herself now that she saw the uniform. It must have all clicked in her head. The reason behind the necklace all made sense now, and she was sorry. But Clive wasn’t going to go easy on her.
She offered to order him the burger from the day before, but he shook his head. He didn’t want it anymore. He just wanted to make one thing clear.
Two Words
He leaned across the countertop, looked the girl directly in the eye, and said, “Rebecca, you need to understand. I’m a disabled veteran. I fought for this country, and I don’t appreciate you kicking me out for something as silly as a necklace.”
The girl froze up, and all she had to say was, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were a veteran. I made a mistake.” But Clive was only just getting started.
Spreading Awareness
Clive tried spreading a little bit of awareness in the restaurant. If he could just teach Rebecca to never turn her nose up at someone again, then he would be satisfied. But why had she refused him service?
He could make an educated guess. But he wanted to know for sure why the necklace had set her off. He decided to ask for the truth.
Why?
“So tell me, Rebecca. Why did you kick me out because of my necklace? Why did my uniform convince you when my necklace seemed to offend you,” The veteran asked in a low tone.
“Well, I saw the necklace and just assumed that it was a fashion statement. I never took it seriously and, in a lapse of judgment, kicked you out,” The girl said, fighting back tears.
Sorry
The girl seemed sorry, and now Clive understood her decision-making. She thought that his dog tags were stolen valor and wanted him to leave because he was impersonating a real veteran.
But now that she knew he was a disabled veteran for real, she was more than happy to make amends. Now that she had learned her lesson, Clive had one last request for her.
Long Overdue
Clive looked at the girl, and for the first time, his scowl turned into a smirk. He then said, “Well, now that everything has been cleared up, how about I get the one thing that’s been long overdue.”
The girl stared at him for a moment before she realized what he was talking about. She quickly rang up the order and told him to wait at a table.
Worth The Wait
Clive patiently sat at a table before the girl brought the burger to him herself. The diner was just as empty as the previous day, but he couldn’t understand why. He bit into the burger and was transported to heaven.
The succulent burger was definitely worth the wait. But there was one more surprise in store for Clive that he didn’t expect.
Paid For
After finishing the burger, Clive sat up and walked back to the counter. He told Rebecca to give his compliments to the chef before pulling out his torn and weathered wallet. But the girl stopped him.
“It’s already been paid for.” She said with a genuine smile. Clive stared around before locking eyes with the security guard. He gave Clive a thumbs up. He’d quickly become a regular and gained two new friends.