What They Wrote Was Unbelievable
It takes a lot of effort to run a restaurant. Despite this, Apollo was always proud of Middlesbrough’s Kilimandjaro restaurant. This was a business owner who was always respectful of his employees and consumers. Three out-of-towners came in for some chicken and then departed without paying. Their acts infuriated Apollo, who subsequently received a letter from them.
What They Wrote Was Unbelievable
The Restaurant
Soccer fans who went to watch Middlesbrough F.C. play over the weekend frequented Kilimandjaro to eat after the game. One of the restaurant’s specialty dishes was Waka Waka Chicken. Despite the busy weekends, Apollo and the team were taken aback when three out-of-towners arrived and promptly left without paying…
The Restaurant
A Regular Weekend
For the first few hours of that hectic weekend shift, everything seemed typical for Apollo and his Kilimandjaro team. Customers were pouring in by the thousands, and service was going smoothly on that particular day. To be honest, Apollo wasn’t even present. He was utterly ignorant of what was going on in his restaurant because he was enjoying himself with his family. He had no idea that something unexpected was about to occur, or that he would receive an awkward phone call from the manager.
A Regular Weekend
Three Men Showed Up
Midway through that busy weekend shift, three guys entered through the restaurant’s doors, evidently looking for a seat and some food. It’s possible they arrived from out of town and supported the opposing side. The staff could tell there was a difference in their accents at the very least. It didn’t take long for them to be served by a waiter who took their orders. After then, everything seemed to be going according to plan…
Three Men Showed Up
Enjoying The Lunch
Walking into a restaurant you’ve never visited before and placing an order is always a risk. On the other hand, the three friends were delighted they chose Kilimandjaro. Two of the friends ordered Waka Waka Chicken with cheese, while the third ordered Waka Waka Chicken without the cheese. Because of their lack of conversation, the crew could tell these three guys were enjoying every bite. The three friends were ready to receive the check after a half-hour wait…
Enjoying The Lunch
A Mystery Sauce
One of the things the friends couldn’t get past was the sauce on the table they were sitting at. The bottle’s logo and colors were identical to those of another well-known chicken restaurant, Nando’s, at first look. They discovered it had a different flavor as soon as they tasted it, and they continued to enjoy their delightful meal. It was now time to make a payment…
A Mystery Sauce
Cards Aren’t Accepted
The three friends were ready to foot the bill for their supper. The entire cost of the food was £35, which is roughly $43 today. As the waiter approached their table, Tom, Alex, and Harry reached for their credit cards and gave them over. They were caught off surprise, however, when the server told them they could only pay in cash. After that, the server moved to another table to take orders. On the other hand, the three pals had other plans…
Cards Aren’t Accepted
Leaving The Restaurant
They were astonished to discover their table deserted when the waiter returned to collect their cash payment. Tom, Alex, and Harry had just strolled out of the restaurant after getting up from their table. They had gone missing after failing to pay for their food. As a result, the waiter had no choice except to contact Apollo, who was upset…
Leaving The Restaurant
It Left Him Confused
When the waiter described what had happened, Apollo was extremely bewildered. He couldn’t comprehend how a bunch of friends could walk into a restaurant, place their orders, eat their meals, and then leave without paying in today’s environment. The truth is that Apollo has traveled a long and winding road throughout his life, with many ups and downs. But this was the most bizarre of all…
It Left Him Confused
The Land Of Honest People
In an interview with Gazette Live, Apollo said that his natal nation, Burkina Faso, actually means “The Land of Honest People.” Apollo has always valued the virtue of honesty, having spent his formative years in the West African country, and he brought that value with him to the United Kingdom when he relocated there years ago. Apollo didn’t have a choice but to turn to drastic methods in his situation…
The Land Of Honest People
Taking Drastic Measures
Because of his reputation as a trustworthy individual, Apollo had strong feelings about what had happened at his restaurant. He even stated that the episode had made him lose trust in humanity. As a result, he advised his employees that if something similar happened again, they should make sure that the customers stayed until they paid. Apollo clung to the notion that the customers would return, despite his resentment…
Taking Drastic Measures
No Hope
There was still no indication of the three guys returning to pay for their supper after a few days. Just in case Tom, Alex, or Harry turned up, Apollo made it a point to stay at the restaurant at all times. The owner’s prospects of them returning diminished with each passing day. While conducting work in his office, Apollo was shocked to see one of his subordinates jump in and present him with something…
No Hope
An Unexpected Letter
The waiter informed Apollo as soon as he entered that he had a letter for him that he wanted to read right away. The staff member was clearly aware of the letter’s contents, and Apollo was eager to know what was inside. The owner seized the envelope from his waiter’s hands, eager to see what was inside. However, as soon as he opened the package, the contents stunned him…
An Unexpected Letter
It Had $50!
As Apollo opened the envelope, he was shocked to see £40 (roughly $50) in notes fall out onto his desk. “We open the envelope, there’s some money,” the owner told Gazette Live. The money had been sent by Tom, Alex, and Harry, the three men who had fled the restaurant just days before. Apollo was taken aback by what he’d gotten, but he was even more taken aback when he opened the envelope and found a message inside…
It Had $50!
They Were Sorry
When Apollo began reading the letter, he could see straight away that all three of the friends were very sorry for leaving the restaurant without paying for their meals. “It is my companions’ and [my] sincerest apologies…we forgot to pay our bill,” one of them wrote. “It was very unlike us, which is why we are very remorseful.” Regardless, Apollo had doubts about their sincerity. Then they continued to describe the events of that day…
They Were Sorry
They Planned On Paying
Despite not having stated that they planned to pay for their food that day, the three friends convinced Apollo that they did so truly. They were simply cash-strapped. They claimed that they wanted to pay with a credit card, but the restaurant only accepts cash. This explains why they didn’t say anything when they exited the restaurant. They needed money and were looking for a means to get it. However, things didn’t turn out as planned…
They Planned On Paying
They Looked For An ATM
The three friends decided to dash out and find the nearest ATM machine after learning from the waiter that the restaurant does not accept credit cards. They even claimed to have made a deal with one of the employees to go out and obtain money from a machine and return as quickly as possible. “We then exited Kilimanjaros to embark on a search,” they stated. They were obliged to turn their focus elsewhere despite their best attempts…
They Looked For An ATM
A Ride To Catch
Despite spending the next half hour seeking an ATM, the three friends realized the last train back home was about to leave. “This diverted our attention away from finding an A.T.M. machine, and led to us running down to the train station and just making our train,” they wrote. At that point, the party realized they had forgotten to pay the check. They were, unfortunately, miles away from Middlesbrough at the time, and it was too late…
A Ride To Catch
Not From Nearby
Because they resided in another area of the nation, they were writing a letter to Apollo rather than returning to the restaurant to pay him in person. Because they weren’t from Middlesbrough, they wouldn’t be able to return to the restaurant and apologize as they had wanted. They weren’t sure when they’d be back in Kilimandjaro, on the other hand, so they wanted to pay them as soon as possible…
Not From Nearby
They Loved The Restaurant
While reading the group’s explanation humbled Apollo, it wasn’t the only thing they told him. Tom, Alex, and Harry also told him that they wanted to give Kilimandjaro a five-star rating because they had such a nice experience there. They mentioned that they would submit a nice comment on TripAdvisor as soon as possible. When he finished reading the letter and placed it on his desk, he didn’t know what to do…
They Loved The Restaurant
Faith In Humanity Restored
According to Apollo, after reading the message, he was “absolutely gobsmacked.” He said, “It was really, really surprising [and] shocking when we first received the letter.” As far as the owner was concerned, he couldn’t believe people could still do such things. He said, “I thought those kinds of people had disappeared from the planet.” Apollo has come to believe that there are honest people everywhere, despite being from the “Land of Honest People.”
Faith In Humanity Restored
Did They Return?
Even if the letter restored Apollo’s faith in humanity, there is no proof that the three friends ever met him on Kilimandjaro. However, they appeared to keep their word and wrote a five-star review on TripAdvisor. They wrote, “I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area and would definitely return if I ever found myself in Middlesbrough again.” On the other hand, returning for more Waka Waka chicken would have been a waste of time…
Did They Return
No Longer Open
The long journey back to Middlesbrough by Tom, Alex, and Harry appears to have been in vain. This is due to the fact that Apollo’s restaurant has been closed permanently after the incident. The cause for the restaurant’s closure is unknown, although other locations appear to be running properly around the country. In any event, Apollo seems to have gotten a lot of motivation from that wonderful letter, and his life has only gotten better since then…
No Longer Open
Feeling Blessed
Apollo had no choice but to close his business, and there’s no doubt he was disappointed. The businessman, on the other hand, did not appear to have taken long to go back out there. Just days after hearing the dreadful news, Apollo was busy uploading images of himself and his family to the internet. One of the photos showed him driving his car, and he commented on it with two simple words: “Feeling blessed.”
Feeling Blessed
Nowhere To Go But Up
While Tom, Alex, and Harry will be unable to express their gratitude in person at Apollo’s restaurant, they will be relieved to learn that he is happy and successful. The entrepreneur is not only the chairman of Thornaby FC, a soccer team, but he also makes his own sauce. As a result of his recent commercial ventures, Apollo has connected with well-known soccer players. One thing is certain: this enterprising man appears to have a promising future ahead of him.
Nowhere To Go But Up
Working Hard For His Family
Apollo’s primary motivation for being such a successful businessman is to support his family. He also wishes for his partner and children to be happy, as well as for his children to be as ambitious as he is. We are confident that they will grow up to follow in their father’s footsteps after hearing stories like this one. Just wait till you see what happens next…
Working Hard For His Family
Jackie and her husband were having difficulties in their marriage. Jackie had just given birth to their third child, and this was the first time the whole family could gather together for supper. So they took their three children out to supper in the hopes of having a pleasant, relaxing evening. They had no idea that their waitress would completely change the course of their evening…
Behind Her Back
What caught Jacie’s sight as she returned from the restroom made her blood boil instantly. She dashed back to the table where she and her family were seated, only to be greeted with a rude surprise.
Behind Her Back
The Tears Came
She tried her hardest not to lose her cool in the restaurant, as she didn’t want to cause a ruckus. But she quickly felt as if she couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. Jackie, on the other hand, was well aware that she needed to take action. She was also interested in learning more about what was going on. She begged her husband to show her, but when he handed her the letter, things became even worse…
The Tears Came
Motherhood
Being a mother, Jackie Johnson-Smith knew, came with many difficulties. Being a wife and mother of 3 kids is a huge responsibility that isn’t as simple as many people believe. However, no previous encounter could ever compare to the one hand she had to deal with while eating dinner at a local restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa.
Motherhood
Stirring Up Drama
Jackie admired the bravery of the waitress who served them. How could she think of writing a letter to her husband, especially behind her husband’s back? She couldn’t believe her eyes as she read what was written in the note. Another reason tears welled up in our eyes was because of this.
Stirring Up Drama
Not Someone To Mess With
Jackie was in the U.S. Army for a while and had a tough demeanor and personality. People were well aware not to walk all over her or cause her any distress. Jackie had been through a lot in her life up to this point. Additionally, she believed that her experiences shaped her into the person and mother she is today. She was adamant about being the best mother she could be, and nothing or no one would stand in her way.
Not Someone To Mess With
A War Hero
Although she had survived numerous army drills and other hardships, something this waitress did had a profound effect on her. How could this waitress believe it was acceptable to smuggle another woman’s husband? When Jackie’s husband realized that this minor detail had made his wife cry, he was stunned.
A War Hero
Not So Glamorous
Parents understand that raising children is one of the most difficult tasks in the world, especially when they are small and require a lot of attention. Moms also have to deal with the weariness and bustle that comes with having children around. Regardless of this, Jackie makes it a point to appear her best, not just for her husband, but for herself as well.
Not So Glamorous
He Got A Lot Of Attention
Jackie, of course, loved her husband from the moment they met. Jackie was well aware of her husband’s attractiveness, and she was aware that many others shared her opinion. That, on the other hand, never worried her. However, on this particular day, she could feel her rage rising as she noticed the waitress glancing at her husband.
He Got A Lot Of Attention
A Blind Eye
Jackie couldn’t forget the wonderful years she’d had with her husband. Of course, things change with time, and even though they were going through a difficult time at the time, their primary responsibility was to their three lovely kids. Nothing else was important to them.
A Blind Eye
Feeling Uncertain
Jackie was filled with doubts, and she was worried about her marriage. She questioned herself and considered the need to confront herself. She attempted to dismiss these kinds of feelings, but it seemed as if there was a valid explanation for her uneasiness. Is it possible that this particular day added to the fire?
Feeling Uncertain
Bringing The Family Out
Jackie and her husband Tom were aware that they had not had a date night in a long time. Instead, they decided to take the entire family out to dinner. What could be better than a delicious pizza from their local pizzeria? They wanted nothing more than to relax and spend quality time together.
Bringing The Family Out
Life With A Newborn
The newborn started crying uncontrollably as soon as they sat down at the restaurant. Jackie assumed her baby was hungry, so she turned to nurse her at their table. People were talking and staring at their table, she could tell. But what was even more confusing was the way their waitress regarded her…
Life With A Newborn
Needed Support
When you become a mother, there are far too many things about which you will be judged. But you can’t please everyone in life. People believe that they may freely criticize others, and Jackie was no exception while out eating pizza with her family. People automatically gaze and gasp when a mother lowers her shirt to nurse her kid. Jackie has experienced this far too many times since she had breastfed her other two children.
Needed Support
A Proud Momma
Jackie wasn’t the type to be concerned with what others had to say or think about her. And she had no intention of allowing looks to deter her from breastfeeding her child. Jackie, on the other hand, was disturbed by this particular waitress on this particular day. This was unlike anything she had ever encountered before. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, though.
A Proud Momma
All Eyes On Them
Jackie was used to people condemning her life choices after having two prior children. Many years ago, she likewise stopped caring about breastfeeding in public. She would occasionally hear people mumbling under their breath, but she simply ignored them and went about her work.
All Eyes On Them
Feeling Uneasy
Jackie knew that she had to do something. It wasn’t uncommon to get stares when she breastfed her child, and she had already decided not to allow it to bring her down. She heard murmurs and whispers, but stayed strong and ignored them, continuing to feed her child.
Feeling Uneasy
The Letter
Jackie did however begin to feel uncomfortable when she noticed that the waitress was watching her. Now feeling somewhat uneasy, Jackie wondered if the waitress had ever seen a woman breastfeed before. Jackie anticipated that the waitress would do/say something, she just wasn’t sure what.
The Letter
A New Feeling
When Jackie got up to use the bathroom, her husband requested the bill from the waitress. As soon as Jackie hurried off, the waitress rushed back to their table, handing Jackie’s husband a small note.
A New Feeling
How Did He React?
Having read the note, Jackie’s husband showed a range of emotions on his face. What Jackie’s husband didn’t realize, is that Jackie had overseen the entire interaction. Jackie was confused. She thought that immediately after reading the note, her husband would have thrown it to the side; he didn’t though.
How Did He React?
Had He Fallen In Love?
Instead, Jackie’s husband got his phone out! Jackie speculated that perhaps the waitress had given him her number; she was astounded. Jackie worried that her husband was no longer in love with her and had become tired of his life with the family.
Had He Fallen In Love?
Her Jealousy Was Showing
Jackie’s heart had sunk. She was overwhelmed with anger; why had the waitress waited until she had walked away to hand him a note? It had to be something dodgy, otherwise it would have been something she could have said in front of the both of them? She was confused and upset.
Her Jealousy Was Showing
Demanding Answers
Jackie’s mind raced with all the possibilities of the contents of the note. She had to find out what was on it. She was still flabbergasted that her husband’s response was to simply take his phone out! The suspense was killing her.
Demanding Answers
Everything Was Suspicious
Jackie needed to know if he had saved the waitress’ number. She walked back, demanding to see the note, and immediately broke down in tears after reading. The waitress hadn’t given Jackie’s husband her number, but rather offered an exclusive discount on the family’s bill. It was the message attached that made her cry, however.
Everything Was Suspicious
The Center Of Problems
The note included something about his wife’s choice to breastfeed in a public place. Jackie was surprised at what the waitress had written, and tears streamed down her face.
The Center Of Problems
Getting Emotional
Controversy had often followed Jackie when it came to breastfeeding, so she wasn’t unfamiliar with being in the center of a situation quite like this.
Getting Emotional
The Letter That Made Her Cry
The message came as a great surprise to her. She wondered how someone could write something quite like this. She cried as she read the note and even needed to sit down as a result of the shock of it all.
The Letter That Made Her Cry
Her Note Went Viral
A note quite like this coming Jackie’s way was surprising and Jackie was inspired about it’s contents. She felt so strongly about the waitress’ actions that she took to social media to share exactly what happened. Breastfeeding in public areas is always controversial, she knew people would appreciate the whole encounter.
Her Note Went Viral
The Note Itself
The Facebook responses she received were equally as surprising. She began her post with this message: “I have breastfed three children… I have breastfed them in countless places both pleasant and unpleasant, discreetly and out in the open.”
The Note Itself
An Experienced Waitress
The post continued: “I have gotten many looks and stares, but tonight erases any negativity I have ever received.” The waitress, Bodi, had been in her role for a while up to that point and often noticed how mothers who choose to breastfeed their babies in public often get looked at and spoken about.
An Experienced Waitress
Circling
During an email interview, Jackie wrote: “The waitress kept walking by and I was worried she didn’t want me nursing in the restaurant.” Jackie’s parents had decided to raise her on formula, but she had always favored breastfeeding, citing it as a journey that was “deeply personal with endless woes and triumphs.”
Circling
Sharing Her Emotions
Jackie’s post continued by saying: “…I ate at Fong’s for the first time tonight. Having a fussy baby I nursed him for a while in the booth and eventually left the table early as to not disrupt the restaurant. The waitress gave this receipt to my husband. I was speechless and emotional.” So what exactly did the note say?
Sharing Her Emotions
What Did The Note Say?
Bodi, the waitress, was not a mother herself, but felt deeply about this issue. It upset her to see others judging women for public breastfeeding. At the end of the day, the child’s wellbeing is most important.
What Did The Note Say?
She Expected The Worst
“I bought one of your pizzas… Please thank your wife for breastfeeding!!”. Jackie was touched by the kindness of Bodi. Jackie actually began to feel guilty, assuming that she had given her husband her cellphone number.
She Expected The Worst
Went Public
Jackie had anticipated the worst. Despite her concerns at her husband removing his cellphone after receiving the note, she now realized that all he wanted to do was take a picture of the note. Jackie included a photo in her Facebook post and some of the responses were amazing.
Went Public
Medical Support
Jackie’s post went viral and a lot of medical professionals came forward in support of her. Doctors and gynecologists began by making people, specifically mothers, aware of the health-benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child. An entirely new discussion began.
Medical Support