T’was a fancy restaurant we went to in my imagination. The waiter not only had stiff upper lip, but same surgeon had turned his nose up in the air.

“What will you have sir?” he smirked.

“Wine!” I said

“Which one?”

“Red!”

“Which one sir?”

“Any wine that’s red!” I said pleasantly.

“What’s with the wine?” asked the wife under her breath.

“Good for the heart,” I whispered and smiled at the waiter. I waited till stiff upper lip along with equally stiff nose marched off, then rummaged in my pocket.

“You didn’t bring your wallet?” the wife asked worried.

“No, I’m looking for that piece on red wine!”

“You brought it along with you?”

“To show you,” I said pleasantly, realizing red wine was making me pleasant even before I drank it.

“Why didn’t you show me at home?”

“Thought I’d show it, when I drank it,” I said then managed to bring out crumpled piece of paper, “See what it says,” I said.

“I didn’t bring my glasses,” said the wife, “You read!”

“I didn’t bring mine,” I said, the wine hitting me, “Waiter will you read this for madam?”

Stiff upper lip fell, upturned nose also.

“Waiter!”

“Sir?”

“Could you please read this for madam!”

“I don’t read English sir!” whispered crestfallen waiter and fled. Red wine, I noticed, made humble the proud, even before it was touched. I marvelled at its qualities. “It is good wine!” I said.

“You haven’t had a sip yet!”

“I can feel it” I whispered, “it’s effects are awesome!”

I sipped the wine. I continued sipping it. I sipped second glass and then the third. The wife watched unhappily, “What does the paper say about how much you should drink?” she asked as the waiter with suddenly fixed smile watched me try to read without glasses somewhat shakily from small printed page.

“I can’t read,” I said finally.

“You can’t read English sir?” asked the waiter happily. “He can’t read English!” announced the waiter to his colleague and to some Russians in the next table, who smiled sympathetically at him.

“Ofcourse I can,” I said angrily and got up from my table.

We walked out of the restaurant; there was red wine on the waiters nose.

“How did the red wine get onto the waiters nose?” I asked next day as I nursed a terrible hangover.

“Through your fist!” said the wife, “Red wine good for heart, but too much wine not good for man’s temper!”

“Also not good for reputation and wallet!” I whispered as I paid lawyer, then surgeon to get waiter’s nose back to stiff upper position.

The wife opened the scriptures and said, “Read Bob,” she said, “It’s from Proverbs 23! It’s about the wine you wanted the poor waiter to read out loud. Now read it aloud to me!”

“Don’t drink too much wine and get drunk…!” I read, and nodded.