The company we keep

My mother and I noticed that the two women were wearing beautiful coats, and in every aspect appeared to be very stylish. The server who was taking care of us was waiting on them also. In fact, their orders were almost identical to ours. However, while my mother and I were having a great time and enjoying our lunch as a real treat, there just seemed to be no pleasing the mom at the next table. She announced to her server that the chicken in her Caesar salad was far too dry (the chicken in my salad seemed fine) and that her water had a funny taste to it. She went on to complain there was a lack of room underneath her table for her to house her humongous Louis Vuitton tote and the other massive shopping bags she accumulated that morning.

The waiter did everything in his power to accommodate her, including removing the Caesar salad from her bill and offering her a bottle of Pellegrino free of charge. Unfortunately, it seemed nothing would make her happy. As I was leaving, I made a playful comment to my waiter about the woman's hostile manner. His awkward, uneasy laugh was accompanied by a look indicating to me she was not the first of her kind, and certainly would not be the last. The young man went on to tell us the clientele there is not an easy one to satisfy.

At that moment, I had never been happier to be employed in the San Mateo restaurant at which I work. The patrons there are far less fussy and difficult customers are generally few and far between. While an occasional addition error on a bill or an incorrect order will kindle mild-mannered complaints, most people who visit with us are pleasant, generous and kind. Maybe they don't feel such a large social distance between themselves and the wait staff as the patrons of Neiman Marcus.

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One woman in particular comes to mind as I mention the thoughtfulness of our customers. And while the story is not very old, it is an instant classic: About a month or so ago, a middle-aged gentleman was leaving our restaurant after watching a Sunday football game. On his way out the door, he came across a driver's license card on the ground. Unsure of whose it was, he brought the license to me and told me he had found it outside our front door. I thanked him, took the card and he went on his way.

Immediately, I decided I would try my best to return the card to its rightful owner. So I did what seemed easiest at the time: called Pacific Bell Directory Assistance, asked for the number of the woman pictured on the card, and left her a message on her home answering machine informing her that her ID had been found and I would be happy to mail it to her.

I never spoke with the women directly. One of my co-workers, Lisa, received a call from her a few days later and mailed it to her as she requested. Neither one of us thought anything of it after it was all said and done. We both just assumed anyone would have done the same in a similar situation.

Until this past Thursday, Lisa and I had both forgotten about the woman and her identification card calamity. As my family and our friends gathered around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner, my boss brought over a letter that had been sent to the restaurant with attention to Lisa and me. Inside, we found a beautifully written note from the women thanking us for going out of our way to help her.

As it turns out, she is an elderly lady who travels from San Jose to San Mateo once a month to shop at Jud Green's. She thinks she must have dropped her identification card on the way to her car after leaving the store. She was delighted to learn someone had turned her license in and was thankful to have avoided all the hassle of going to the DMV and ordering a new one.

In her letter, she wrote: "It is a great world we live in and full of good people, despite all the troubles the news is full of. Thank you again." Maybe the idea of no good deed going unnoticed is true after all.

Grace Kallis is a graduate of Aragon High School. She will be attending Barnard College in New York City. Her column, Graceland, appears every Tuesday. If you have some news you'd like to send Grace's way, e-mail her at gkallis5@hotmail.com.