A Fight Broke Out at the Pizzeria

I was a waiter who wore the hat of a host at times

Taking customers to their tables and seating them

It was one of those typical Italian Pizzerias

The one where you could grab a slice to go or have a generic Italian dish

Like a Chicken Parm dinner or sub

Fettuccine Alfredo

Or a Large Pepperoni Pizza at your table

Nothing fancy but like every local town pizzeria

I had worked in one as a teenager being a Bus Boy doing dishes

Later on as an early twenty year old waitering

Always wanting to be in the kitchen cooking

I love to cook

Especially for people

I was back

This time closer to thirty

I really don't know how it happened but it escalated quickly

Some kid

Dressed like a punk, looking like a punk, acted like a punk and wanted to fight me

He was with his girl and had to be a macho man

I couldn't tell you what was said or what lead to it

But he came after me

I didn't wanna fight him

I never really wanna fight

Not even when I was bullied in high school

Not even when I was an enraged twenty year old pissed off at the world and wanting to see it burn

Not even when I thought I wanted to fight or kill

I took a couple of steps back

Tried to defuse the situation but couldn't

One thing lead to the next and I had to defend myself

We started exchanging punches and mine were connecting

Then I rocked him on the jaw

I hit him so hard he toppled over and hit his head on the edge of the table

He was out cold, blood pooled, and his body was cold

Someone came out from behind the counter

He was dead and everyone stared at me

I stood frozen

It was manslaughter

I woke up

My head on my pillow

My alarm going off

I got ready for the gym

Then to go to work at Starbucks

They say your dreams are a reflection of your subconscious

Jung said dreams were your subconscious mind trying to communicate with you

I never really could live with hurting someone

Even if it was an accident

But I had to chalk it up to Life

It's a part of Life

It's something I just have to live with

It happens

And you have to accept it and move on

That's just the way it is