Southern Charm, Beverage Style

With a melodic drawn-out southern drawl, the decidedly polite café waitress inquired as to what my choice of beverage might be. Well, she didn’t say it that way. She asked me what I wanted to drink.

My daughter-in-law and I were driving from Iowa to California with all of her worldly possessions loaded in a U-Haul truck, her red Trans-Am in tow behind on a trailer. We were trading off driving duties on the way to racking-up over 2,000 miles of westward migration. She starts law school next week in Los Angeles. It was in Oklahoma when we stopped for dinner that I received the twangy-accented beverage question.

As usual, I asked for a Coke. As usual, I expected to get either a Coke, or a “we have Pepsi, would a Pepsi be alright?” to which, as usual I would reply, “Yes, a Pepsi would be fine.” I could have asked for a Pepsi. Then typically I would either get a Pepsi, or a “we have Coke, would a Coke be alright?” to which, typically I would reply, “Yes, a Coke would be fine.” I have been known to ask for “a cola-flavored beverage” but usually that just confuses people, so I don’t bother.

But that evening I asked the waitress for a Coke. And in her polite, drawly, twangy voice, she says, “I’m sorry, we just have RC.” And she says it, you know, southern-like. Which means - long - like, “aaaa-RRRR-rrrr -- CCCC-eeee.” I’m thinking “RC !!!” I break out into a wide grin and tell her, “I’ll definitely have an RC.” I tell Alexa, "I haven’t had an RC Cola since I was a little kid! I love RC!" Royal Crown Cola, I didn’t even know that they made it anymore, let alone that they served it anywhere on fountain tap.

Then Alexa had a negotiation with the polite southern waitress and ends up ordering a Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper! It turns out Dr. P is big in the south. We have an RC Cola and a Dr. Pepper. You have to imagine rolling these things off the tongue with a slow musical southern drawly accent. Priceless. What fun. I always love traveling in the south.

I wonder how far I have to travel before I find another place where I can get an RC. My quest begins. I think from now on when I order a pop I’m going to ask for an RC, then settle for a Coke or a Pepsi if that is all they have. Yea, that’s what I’m going to do. Cool.