Waitstaff

Driven into the custody of our favorite waitstaff in our search for food, my family would decide between Andy from China Palace, who, when I was little, amused himself by tipping my chair back until it reached the ground, Junior the La Pizzeria delivery man who would always cheerfully greet “Meester John” until my dad started hiding during the deliveries to avoid Junior’s over-enthusiasm, or Oswaldo and Rosa at Friendly’s who quietly expressed their appreciation of our dedicated patronage in smiles. Thoroughly embarrassed by our too-frequent presence in these establishments, we would finally go grocery shopping and cook for ourselves.