Superman at Burger King

When I first entered Burger King, Superman was lying on the ground.

A young boy, about five, noticed the situation first and rushed to help him. He got him to his feet, but the breeze from the air-conditioning vent was too much for the Man of Steel and it blew him back on his face in the entry way. The boy picked him up again and, by this time, everybody in the line was watching with concern.

Superman stood there for a while and I found myself admiring him. I thought how good he would look in my room. I knew I wouldn’t be able to buy him. I thought about stealing him. The employees didn’t seem to be paying much attention…. The customers were, however, as he fell on his face for the third time. The same boy picked him up, but by now, the people waiting had little faith he would remain standing.

Another boy, a few years older, and his Dad, who had a desire to step in, were expecting him to fall.

“Jason, see what you can do,” the father asked his son.

“I’ll fix him so he doesn’t fall,” Jason promised and ducked under the maze of bars for the line, rushing to help.

Jason picked Superman up and adjusted the cardboard sticking out from the back of his boots.

“He won’t fall now,” Jason declared.

Jason was right, he didn’t fall again while I was there. The Last Son of Krypton stood beside the door looking pretty tough, now that he was firmly planted on his feet.

He was holding an advertisement I hadn’t noticed before. I sadly realized that I wouldn’t be able to remove it without destroying him.

I turned away. I wanted him less now, and it was my turn to order anyway.