I was a little messy!

I was thinking about this week’s Sunday Scribblings prompt ‘Mess’ when my mind suddenly shot back to something that happened when I was taking an autumn holiday in Greece a couple of years ago.

I was sitting under a delightful vine covered trellis at the front of a picturesque tavern on the island of Samos. The floor and the tables were strewn with fallen leaves and the odd grape or two. It was wonderful. I’d ordered a tankard of Mythos beer and a glass of ouzo which was delivered by Stavros along with a dish of local olives. As he placed them on the table he beamed at me and said what I thought was ‘messy’! I commented that I found the debris rather attractive, but the way I which he shrugged his shoulders told me that he’d not understood what I’d said.

Anyway, I got started on my refreshments and plunged my nose into my book. A couple of minutes Stavros re-appeared. He pointed to the table and said something like ‘you messy’! I immediately thought he had a point because it was a bit of a mess. I’d spilt quite a bit of beer on the table and several olive stones had missed the pot. I looked up, grinned back and said ‘Ne’ (that’s one of the Greek words I actually  know - it means ‘yes’! The other word I know is ‘birra’!)

A few more minutes passed and back came Stavros who presented me with a platter of little fishes, cheese, tiny sausages and dips galore! He pointed at it, puffed out his chest and said what I thought was ‘messy meester’. I was baffled.

And then I suddenly remembered another Greek word I knew, and realised he'd been asking all along if I wanted a ‘meze’! It is of course the name of the traditional selection of nibbles and treats that go down so well with a drink under the Hellenic sunshine! 

It all started when the guy eating in the middle of the restaurant tried to crack the brittle topping on his crème caramel. He stabbed it with his spoon, but it refused to yield. He then jabbed it with a fork. Mistake! It had the desired effect inasmuch as the topping cracked, but unfortunately the entire dish leapt off the table sending a slimy slick of crème across the floor.

Unfortunately a waiter carrying a tray of drinks was but a step away when the puddle appeared at his feet. He made a gallant attempt to stay upright, but he began to slither and slide around like a drunken skater! Needless to say, by the time he gained his composure the wallbangers, whiskies and wine had launched themselves into the air. There was a crashing of glasses on the floor and their contents shot up and then down again splattering everybody in an alcoholic shower!

As if that was not bad enough, a couple of drink drenched diners jumped to their feet knocking their table skew-whiff, and as a result two plates of the chef’s 'plat du jour' landed upside down at their feet. The waiter, still shell-shocked realised that one of them was beginning to lose her balance, so he shot towards her in an attempt to keep her upright. Whilst his feet seemed to move at double speed like Fred Astaire performing a tap-dance, he made no forward progress whatsoever. Then it all went into to slow motion. As the young lady fell backwards as the waiter leaned forward, and they ended up in a tangle of arms and legs in the slop on the ground.

One by one, fellow diners tried to help the hapless couple get back onto their feet, but one by one they too ended up on their back-sides. You should have seen it!

Then the fun began. One of the fallen guys started laughing. Then another, and another. Before long everyone was laughing! Suddenly one girl grabbed a fistful of food and rubbed it into her friends face. Someone else did the same, and in no time at all it had turned into one hilarious food fight!

People still talk about that night. One letter to the local paper, presumably from an ex sailor, suggested the name of the restaurant be changed to the Mess Deck! Several other correspondents thought it would be a great idea if they made the food fight a regular event! Now that really does sound like fun.

The new Carry On Prompt is HERE!