What starts with "p" and rhymes with fledjudice? - a short story

A White family consisting of two adults and one small child enters a local breakfast spot in Southern Illinois. Ahead of them is a group of four White patrons who arrived at the same time, but made it to the restaurant ahead of the family due to the slower pace of the family's child. Sitting down in two small wicker chairs are two young Black men. It is unclear how long they have been waiting.

A hostess comes up and asks the eldest man in the large party how many they have. "Four," he says, and the party follows the hostess to a spot in the second dining room.

The father in the party of three is confused, and asks the two young Black men if they are waiting for a table. The taller of the two says, "Yeah... she probably just didn't see us."

The White man and woman exchange looks as the taller of the two young Black men stands up. He and his friend are clearly ahead of the White family, and he stands, patiently, waiting for the hostess to return.

As the hostess returns to the doorway, she very pointedly does not look at the young man standing at the head of the line, but instead looks directly at the father with the 2-year old and asks, "How many?"

No longer confused, but instead somewhat sickened and disappointed, the man says, "I believe they were ahead of us," gesturing to the two young men to his right (who are so pointedly being ignored).

The hostess reluctantly turns her gaze to the two young Black men and asks, "How many?"

"Two," says the taller of the two.

"This way."

They walk to small table in the back of the room, near the kitchen, and the two young men sit down to eat, slightly cramped and all but hidden from sight.

The young family sits down shortly thereafter, discussing how strange it was that the party ahead of them said nothing to help the two young men and noting the absence of any other Black diners in their vicinity.

The child, who is 2 and excited to play with jelly, has no sense of what has happened... but the parents are frustrated, saddened, and disturbed not only be the behavior of the waitress but also the party ahead of them who said nothing - cooperating in the conscious discrimination taking place.