Soul Food, AW Yeah...Chinese, okay

Now, sista is on a budget and I can't be spending big bucks on lunch so I head over to the Food Lion I passed on the way in. Man, the deli isn't making sandwiches. "Mam, can you tell me where a good cheap restaurant is?" "Sorry, I'm not from here I 'm from Cheraw. He might know"...the woman in the deli says pointing to a guy restocking the dairy section. "Hey, yeah, would you know where there is a good restaurant?" "There aren't any restaurants around here. They're all downtown." "They're no restaurants here?" I asked increduously..."I gotta go back down town?" I am shocked that in a heavily populated area there would be no restaurants. I was thinking, so the people here have to go downtown if they want to eat out? It made no sense. Then he asked the golden question. "Do you want soul food?" Now, when I said cheap, good food I guess he was thinking "tourist"...meaning the "white" area. "Yeah, soul food!" "Well there is a good place on East Bay St. You know how to get there?" "Nah, I don't." "Okay, you gonna take a left on the street up here and when you get to a blinking traffic light make a right."..."He'll get you lost. Don't take directions from him"...a young woman says smiling as she walks by to check out the dairy section. "Follow that road to East Bay and take a right. The restaurant in on the left. It's called 'Martha Lou's'...real good eatin'." Thanking him profusely and the woman in the deli for directing me to him, I head off to my car with visions of collard greens in my mind. I followed his directions but could not find East Bay St. I kept arriving at the entrance to the interstate. Now, I am feeling extremely hungry and my stomach is eating itself. I finally pull into a Church's Chicken and ask an old man standing outside the restaurant, "Where is East Bay street?" "Where are you going?" "To Martha Lou's" "Oh yeah, let me go inside and get some change and you can follow my car there." So, I follow his white Caddy, you know, the kind that old people in the South drive. A big boat of a car that has style. We arrive at a pink building with hand painted "Martha Lou's" over the entrance which, despite the hours painted 'Open: Saturday 9-4', a 'Closed' sign is in the door. I could not hide my disappointment and my stomach screamed in anger. I thanked the nice gentleman and headed back toward the park. Then I saw it!!! I had passed it at least three times and though it wasn't soul food, I didn't mind settling. In a small building on the corner of King and Romney was 'Great Wall Express'...Chinese take out and delivery. Going inside I ordered a small shrimp a brocolli, a small wonton soup, and a sweet tea. While I sat waiting for my order I read with some amusement, what was written on a very large cup..."No Refill. Sweet Tea. $1.00"...This was a take out/delivery place only. Do people actually take the time to come back there for refills? I didn't ask.