When it was eventually our turn, we found the buffet to be almost completely empty. Everyone at our table was left feeling disappointed and hungry despite our efforts to scavenge a few scraps. Talks were tense as it became apparent that a major shortage of food had been caused by a lack of planning. Seeing our unhappiness, Tom walked over to see how we were doing. Sincerely sorry, he said that he had thought the food would be plenty.
Even when we informed him that it wasn’t his fault, the state of affairs didn’t improve. One of our tablemates joked that we should get pizza to lighten the mood. Feeling disappointed and hungry, we decided to move forward with the plan. After combining our funds, I placed an order for four large pizzas and some wings over the phone.
We were ecstatic to receive the pizzas and distributed them to neighboring tables that had not been able to eat the buffet. Relieved to finally have something to eat, we dived into the pizza, and the mood at our table brightened. But we were blind to the growing resentment at other tables. Shortly afterward, Linda’s father approached us with a serious expression on his face and asked about the pizza.
He was clearly disappointed when I told him that we had ordered it since there wasn’t enough food, especially when I refused to give him the final few pieces.With Linda and her family staring at us with disapproval, tension rose in the room.
Tom reappeared shortly after, appearing upset, and requested us to leave. He clarified that our choice to order dinner and not share had hurt Linda and that her father felt insulted. We left the wedding hurt and disappointed, even though I tried to justify our actions. It was obvious that our presence was creating more problems than it was worth. A few days later, Tom apologized over the phone.
They discovered there had been a significant oversight with the food after talking with Linda and her family about the matter.
When her family took more than their fair share and left others hungry, Linda became enraged. To guarantee that nobody went hungry this time, Linda’s father made the decision to throw a “After Wedding Shindig” with plenty of food, beverages, and entertainment for everyone in attendance.
I was relieved when I hung up the phone. Although the first encounter had been uncomfortable and awkward, it appeared like things were improving. When I gave it all some thought, I saw that the shortage of food had produced more problems than anyone had imagined. But in the end, it produced a resolution that seemed even more fantastic than the initial incident.
