Out To Dinner

In Virginia City recently a new restaurant was opened. Because it was an apart eating place soon it became a busy visited spot in town. It didn’t last long before the Cartwrights heard about it. The Cartwright family lived on the Ponderosa, the biggest ranch of Nevada. The owner of it was Ben Cartwright. He worked there with his 3 sons (Adam, Hoss and Joe).

Because their loyal Chinese cook Hop Sing was on holiday and they felt like having a served meal Ben decided to reserve a table. The rancher had to be in Virginia City anyway and decided to reserve a table for the Wednesday evening.

At the reception desk he asked, “I want to reserve a table for Wednesday evening at 5 o’clock. Is that possible?”

“Of course sir. How many persons may I write down?”, asked a waitress.

The answer of Ben, “Four grownups and 1 child. I must add to it that the youngest sits in a wheel chair. The name is Cartwright.”

“Four grownups and 1 child for Wednesday evening at 5o’clock. Is noted. Till then Mr Cartwright”, she said.

“Thanks”, the rancher said smiling where after he left the eating place.

At the ranch was the eldest Cartwright boy Adam busy with teaching his 6-year old son Mitch. The boy sat temporary in a wheel chair and had trouble to catch up at a normal school. For that reason Adam taught Mitch at home. They were at home all afternoon together. Then the front door went open and the younger brother of Adam, Hoss, came in.

“Daddy, it’s over and done with the rest”, said Mitch.

“That is true, son. I believe that today it’s the turn of uncle Hoss to cook”, was the answer of his father.

Mitch greeted his big uncle with, “Sweet uncle Hoss, would you like to prepare a delicious meal for us?”

Adam made it even worse by saying, “I feel like having stewed carrots with cheese sauce over it.”

The reaction of Hoss was, “I always cook on Wednesday and today it’s Tuesday. That’s your cook day, Adam Cartwright!”

“I will start in a minute if you want to help your nephew with his school work”, answered his brother.

“Of course I do that”, said Hoss.

That evening Ben said, “Hoss, you are in luck because you don’t have to cook on Wednesday.”

The face of Hoss cleared up. Everybody looked questionable at Ben.

“We go out to dinner in that new restaurant”, the rancher explained.

His sons were enthusiastic right away but Mitch wasn’t.

“I have to stay at home for sure because I sit in a wheel chair?”, the boy asked a bit worried.

Ben turned the wheel chair towards him, grabbed both hands of his only grandson and said, “Mitch, the reservation is also for you. If you gets refused everybody gets to know that soon enough. I have passed on that you sit in a wheel chair.”

“What is that for a restaurant?”, asked Joe.

“A restaurant whereby you can’t choose what you want to eat because you just eat what gets cooked”, answered the rancher.

“Just like here at home”, Mitch remarked dry.

Everybody laughed.

Ben told further, “One guest per table is partner of dinner. He or she must fetch the food from the kitchen and divide among the company.”

“Uncle Hoss has to cook tomorrow actually so then he is the partner of dinner”, reacted his grandson.

An indignant look from his uncle was what Mitch got.

Hoss said then, “Mitchy, remember that that a partner of dinner is the most important person at the table. Without him or her there comes no food on the table!”

“And without that food there is especially for you a problem”, said Joe.

Again everybody laughed.

Before they left Adam helped Mitch with getting dressed.

“I want that you behave yourself nicely”, said Adam.

“I always do that, don’t I?”, asked the boy.

“I know that but I’m saying that just in case”, answered his father.

He helped the boy downstairs where the wheel chair was standing by and Hoss too. He lifted up his nephew and put him carefully into the wheel chair. Ben and Joe had prepared the cars for departure already.

A bit later on the Cartwrights entered the new restaurant. The interior was cozy dark. The tables were of wood and instead of chairs there were wooden banks.

“I had made a reservation for 5 persons yesterday. The name is Cartwright”, Ben said who had Mitch with him.

“Uncle Hoss wants to be partner at dinner eagerly. That is him”, Mitch said pointing at his biggest uncle.

“That’s right Mr Cartwright. Just come along with your company”, said waitress Betty Baker.

The Cartwrights got brought to a big table where Mitch got placed at the head of the table.

“Do you ant to have a drink?”, asked Betty.

The grownups had a beer and Mitch cola.

While all grownups were busy with their first course the children got taken along for their meal. Betty took Mitch along. All children got a plate with French fries, apple sauce and a chicken leg. Here after they were allowed to sit at the table again.

“Exchange Mitch?”, Joe asked teasing.

“No way”, answered his nephew.

Quickly he ate his chicken leg as 1^st. Especially because Hoss was looking at it as well.

Betty came to the table of the Cartwrights with a tea towel.

She put it on by Hoss and said, “You are the partner at dinner. Just come along to the kitchen.”

Hoss got up and walked along.

“Am I glad that I already have food. Maybe uncle Hoss gets back with an empty dish because he has eaten everything all by himself”, Mitch said laughing.

“You will get something from us later on”, said Adam.

They saw Hoss coming with a big dish with food in it. He put the dish on the table and began to hand out the meat.

“Enjoy your meal gentlemen”, said Hoss.

“The same boys”, said Ben.

The food was so delicious that the dish and all plates were empty in no time. Mitch also finished his plate to big satisfaction of Adam and Ben.

Before the grownups got their dessert hostess Tina Larson said, “All children may now get and decorate their own ice cream. After that they enjoy a funny show of clowns.”

“Daddy, do I really have to go now?”, Mitch asked anxious.

“I will arrange it with the waitress”, Adam said and he hinted Betty.

Betty came at the hint of Adam. Quickly he explained that his son was afraid of clowns.

“Then we only do the ice cream part”, Betty said understanding.

She took the youngest Cartwright along to the kitchen where Mitch and the other children got their ice cream and decorated.

When Mitch was back with his family again Hoss got taken along to get the dessert. A moment later Hoss returned with 4 pieces of hot apple pie. This too got eaten with taste.

After everything was being taken away Adam winked at Joe and he said, “I heard that the partner of dinner has to do the dishes. So Hoss, just go to the kitchen and do the dishes. The tea towel is already around your neck.”

Ben and Joe laughed but Hoss of course didn’t. They saw that Mitch was tired so Ben decided to ask for the bill. Adam and Hoss helped Mitch with his jacket.

“Grandpa is paying and after that we go home”, Adam said to his offspring.

Very tired but with a satisfied feeling the Cartwrights went back home. Underway home Mitch fell asleep already. It didn’t take long before everyone inside the ranch house was sleeping.