Despite his cold appearance, Buck would change this waitress’ life forever
For most people, going out to eat is a nice outing. It’s the perfect time to enjoy perfectly cooked food and try out new things. And you don’t have to worry about clearing the table or doing the dishes. On top of that, it’s always nice to get out of the house.
To give the guests a relaxing experience, restaurant workers have to work hard. The chefs, managers, and servers do their very best to make sure things run smoothly. One of these hard workers was Melina Salazar from Texas. With years of experience, she knew how to deal with challenging situations and needy guests. Some customers were pickier than others. As a regular at Luby’s, the WWII veteran, Buck, was one of the hardest to please. But despite his reputation, he would change Salazar’s life for good.
Passion for her work
A career in waitressing isn’t a dream job for most people, but Melina Salazar wasn’t like most people. She worked at Lucy’s, a cafeteria style restaurant chain in Texas. After years in the industry, Salazar started to love her job. On top of that, she was good at it. She was probably the best waitress in the restaurant according to fellow staff.
Customer service was at the top of Salazar’s priorities. Every customer deserved to be treated with respect, no matter how difficult they were. Salazar’s colleagues say that she was always smiling and making people happy. These qualities set her apart, but also exposed her to the roughest challenge she'd faced up to that point...
Top service
Because she was so good with handling difficult customers, she was given a special task. Management wanted her to take care of Luby’s most difficult customer. Many people would be fed up with the job, but Salazar didn’t have a single problem with it. She was excited for the challenge.
There was one specific customer that was so difficult that other servers didn’t want to serve him unless there was no other choice. Even Salazar admitted that it was no walk in the park dealing with him. He was one of the most difficult customers she had ever come across. But still, she had her reasons to go on serving him.
The most difficult customer
The feared Luby’s customer was 89-year-old, World War 2 survivor, Walter “Buck” Swords. Due to his short fuse and unfriendly personality, the staff tried to avoid him as much as possible. Buck had been coming to Luby’s for lunch for years. In that time, he had built up a terrible reputation. After a while, nobody wanted to serve him.
Salazar was the exception: she was the only one who could handle Buck.
Always finding a mistake
Old men complain and moan about things all the time, but Buck was especially difficult. The second he walked into the restaurant, everyone braced themselves for what was to come. However good the food was, Buck always found something to complain about.
Buck didn’t have much patience and was always upset when he had to wait. It was so bad that he sometimes cursed at the staff. Even the most experienced staff members were fed up with his behavior at a certain point. But for Salazar, Buck wasn’t a problem, he was a fun challenge. She always served him with a smile on her face.
Respect above all
But what was her secret? How did Salazar handle his cursing fits? Despite his bad attitude, Salazar believed that respect was the key to good service. She stuck to this, even though there were a few times when she nearly lost all patience with Buck. Despite all this, Buck had earned a special place in her heart. She started to care about the grumpy, old man. But she certainly didn’t expect the unique surprise he had for her.
The best waitress
After a while, Salazar was the only one who waited on Buck. His mood and disrespectful words didn’t bother her. For her, Buck was just like any other customer that needed help. Salazar always did her best to serve Buck as quickly as possible. The only time she didn’t take his order right away was when it was extremely busy. She saw Buck as someone who deserved the best possible service, just like everyone else. This is how she became the best server in his eyes.
Piping hot request
Buck didn’t seem to like most things. One exception was his love for piping hot meals. No matter what he ordered from Luby’s menu, one thing remained the same: it needed to be served as hot as possible. According to Salazar, food tasted better to him when it burned the roof of his mouth.
Buck came into the restaurant every day at the same time for seven years. Throughout the years, Salazar learned exactly how he wanted his food. She did her best to fulfill his wishes. She always tried to make him feel comfortable, even if that wasn’t a simple task.
With time
Every year, things seemed to get better between Salazar and Buck. She knew how to get his food just right and always served him with a smile. She even tried to get the man to talk by asking him how his day was going. While Salazar was building up a relationship with Buck, her colleagues didn’t understand how she could constantly serve their most difficult customer with a smile on her face. Every day she welcomed him in enthusiastically. She didn’t have the same image of him in her mind as the others did. He even smiled back sometimes.
A special day
In the seven years that Melina Salazar and Buck got to know each other, other servers came and went. Even the cooks knew the exact time Buck was going to come into the restaurant. Through thick and thin, he remained an important customer at the restaurant. His unique personality slowly became a staple at Luby’s.
Buck wasn’t the only regular at Luby’s, but his colorful personality set him apart from the others. After seven years of coming in every day for lunch, everyone noticed immediately when he didn’t come in one day. Even the employees who would have wanted to avoid him. Nobody was truly worried – except Salazar…
Worries arose
After seven years of serving Buck, Salazar was used to seeing him every day. She even looked forward to serving him! She knew exactly when he would come in and knew that he was never late. When he didn’t show up one day, Salazar got worried.
Buck was still very quick on his feet, despite his old age. After all, that fiery mood demanded lots of energy! Salazar began to worry and fear the worst. However, she still had work to do, so she tried to not think about it too much. After all, despite her sincere concerns, there was still work to be done.
Buck didn’t return
The next day, Buck didn’t show up again. After coming in every day for seven years, there was no way he would stay away for two days for no reason. Most of the staff members weren’t concerned, but Salazar missed him. She assumed he wasn’t feeling well and needed a few days of rest. But she couldn’t stop thinking about how he was doing. While Salazar was worried about him, her colleagues started making jokes about Buck. They couldn’t understand why Salazar missed him so much. The friendly waitress had no idea what Buck had in store for her…
From days to weeks
The few days quickly turned into a week. Salazar couldn’t let it go and began to worry about her regular’s well-being. She didn’t know how to contact him and didn’t know where to start to find out how he was doing. Salazar had learned a lot about Buck in her seven years of serving him, most notably, his wish for privacy.
Buck had never mentioned his personal life. After seven years, Salazar didn’t know a single thing about his personal life. She tried to not think about it too much and went on with her work at Luby’s just like she always had. She would soon make a discovery that would change her life forever…
An unsettling discovery
Because Luby’s was a busy restaurant, Salazar didn’t have time to dwell on what had happened to Buck. There were several other customers to serve. Eventually, she forgot about him because of her busy job. Until she discovered something in the local newspaper. Oddly enough, she felt like she had to buy the paper, even though she wasn’t really looking for anything in particular. The obituary page quickly grabbed her attention. It suddenly became clear why Buck had stopped coming in: he had passed away. Salazar couldn’t believe what she was reading.
Full of emotion
Salazar had come to appreciate her ever so grumpy customer. She couldn’t get a single word out after reading the obituary. The details of his death filled her with sadness. Despite everything, Salazar was surprised by her own reaction to the news. The waitress had never thought she would get emotional. The sudden sorrow and loss took her by surprise. Her colleagues didn’t care but Salazar was devastated. One of her favorite customers would never come back.
Grief
Her colleagues couldn’t understand why Buck’s death had such an impact on Salazar. The man had only ever smiled at her a handful of times. Despite his bad attitude, the server had a weak spot for the old veteran. Salazar herself couldn’t completely understand why Buck’s death affected her so much. She did the only thing she could think of and prayed for him. She hoped that this would help him on way to eternal peace.
Life goes on
Her favorite customer may have passed away, but Luby’s was just as busy as ever. The other customers needed to be taken care of, so Salazar had to move on. The rest of the waiters and waitresses had no problem doing so. They couldn’t care less that Buck would never return to the restaurant.
A few staff members were even happy to know that they would never have to see his grumpy face or hear his curse-word filled rants ever again. They were thankful to be left with some peace and quiet after seven years. The rest of Texas moved on, but things were different for Salazar.
The feeling
After Buck’s death, Salazar was left with a hollow feeling. She often stared at the door, secretly wishing that Buck would come in. Unfortunately, he would never do that again. She didn’t know much about his life, but his service in World War II was enough to earn her respect.
Salazar knew through friends’ and family members’ stories what Buck must have gone through. His service meant he had lots of life experiences. Salazar wanted to make his life easier with her good service, but she couldn’t do that anymore. She had to move on. That was, until she got a phone call.
A surprising phone call
Salazar went back to her daily life. She had processed Buck’s death and went back to work as usual. Until she got a surprising phone call from an unknown number. During her break, Salazar’s phone rang. The person on the other end introduced himself as a lawyer and addressed her by name. That’s when the man told her something that made her jaw drop. At first, she thought it must be a joke or a terrible mistake, but the lawyer was able to convince her that it was, in fact, the truth…
Buck’s will
It appeared that Salazar was really on the phone with a lawyer, but she didn’t understand what was going on. The context of the call was even more puzzling. The lawyer clarified and let her know that he was the recently deceased Walter “Buck” Swords’ lawyer. What he said next came as a complete surprise: Buck had named Salazar in his will. The lawyer suggested they meet up the next day to discuss her inheritance. Salazar didn’t know how to respond but agreed to meet with him.
The grumpy old man had apparently left a lovely surprise behind for the waitress that had served him with a small for all those years. Salazar didn’t know what to say after getting the phone call. She had one big question: what could Buck have possibly left her? And why had he chosen her for his inheritance?
Why me?
Salazar finished her shift after the unique phone call and couldn’t think of anything besides Buck. The next day, his lawyer would take her through the necessary procedures. But why had Buck named her in his will? Why would he choose a waitress and not close friends or family? He had never showed much interest in her. Despite everything, he had named her in his will. To figure it out, Salazar started to think back on old memories.
Reliving old memories
Before going to bed, Salazar tried to think back on as many memories as possible that she had of Buck. She thought about how he had never had a positive attitude toward her or her colleagues. Despite everything, she had adapted to his crabby behavior. She had even developed a soft spot for him!
She had empathy for Buck and had respect for his former service and war background. But she had never felt appreciated by him. She wasn’t even sure if he took notice of everything she did to make him feel comfortable. It would soon become clear how much he appreciated it…
A beautiful gift
All of the regulars at Luby’s knew just how hard Salazar worked to give the best possible service. She did her work perfectly but never expected anything back from customers. Especially not from the cantankerous Buck. But apparently, that was the very reason the lawyer had called her. She was, to say the least, shocked.
Buck’s lawyer showed up at Salazar’s house the next day. Once he got inside, he told her what exactly Buck had left for her. It turned out to be his favorite car and 50,000 dollars. Salazar couldn’t believe he had left her such a beautiful gift. He had chosen her above everyone else in his life.
Assured future
Buck knew Salazar better than she thought. He expected that she wouldn’t accept his gifts right away. For this reason, he demanded that her lawyer to be sure she would take them. Just as expected, she had a hard time accepting a car and the large sum of money.
The lawyer ensured Salazar that Buck would rest in peace knowing that she had made his life better. The unexpected act of gratitude took Salazar aback, but she didn’t take it for granted. After thinking about it carefully, she decided to respect her favorite regular’s final wishes.
An extremely thankful waitress
The faithful waitress was extremely gracious of Buck’s show of appreciation for her. Despite this, she believes that there is no amount of money that can compare to the sympathy and kindness between two people. On top of that, she sticks to her belief that every customer should be treated with the same respect. Just like Buck. All those years of work paid off for Salazar, even if it wasn’t really for her at all. The gesture and feeling of appreciation for her work was the most important thing, according to her. For as long as she stays working, she’ll keep the same smile on her face. She will always treat others as she wishes to be treated.
Looks can be deceiving
Salazar is thankful, but also learned an important life lesson: looks can be deceiving. Even if someone always seems angry, this doesn’t mean they aren’t enjoying life. Even grumpy people can appreciate the best things in life. For Melina Salazar, Buck is the perfect example.