I always think of my dad this time of year. He was born in 1908 two days before Christmas. Whenever December 23rd rolled around, I felt sorry for him because it was so close to Christmas he usually didn't get anything but a crummy tie or cuff links. There were rare exceptions. One year he was given a pair of expensive shoes – one shoe on his birthday, the other on Christmas.
Although he died nearly 30 years ago, Lavon McCoy is still alive on our front porch. There’s a “restaurant” there, open a few days a month, run by two of his great granddaughters – Daniella, 7, and Cristiana, 4.
The heart of the restaurant operation is a hutch, a small wooden cabinet, with four doors and two drawers. Dad made it as a Christmas present 63 years ago for his only daughter, Sherrilyn, when she was four. Several months ago Sherrilyn carefully packed the cabinet in a big box, along with a miniature china set she played with as a young girl, and shipped it to us . She also sent place mats, one of them with a patch that recounts the history of the hutch. The thing still looks pretty darn good. Dad made a living as a salesman but was truly a handy man, and I think he would be delighted to see how well his work has held up.
Nearly every time Daniella and Cristiana, our two youngest granddaughters, come to visit they head for the unheated front porch, even in the coldest of weather. Daniella, the older of the two, is clearly the restaurant manager. Her customers – Irene and I – are given menus with the dishes and drinks listed in block letters. Like menus at many restaurants, there is a misspelled word or two. Unlike many restaurants, this one apparently never has specials.
It does, however, have its own jargon. When your drink order is taken, you are asked, “Do you want it ‘frish’?” Where Daniella came up with that word we don’t know. We do know, having asked her several times, that “frish” means you get a saucer under the cup your drink comes in.
Service is friendly but frankly slow. It’s unclear what Daniella does between the time she takes your order and brings out some dishes. Why does it take ten minutes or more to deliver imaginary food you might ask? If you do, you don’t have grandchildren.
On those rare occasions when Cristiana is allowed to wait on customers, the food arrives sooner. That could be because Cristiana is a multi-tasker. While she is playing restaurant, she is also usually pushing a toy car back and forth over the floor or along the edges of grandma’s coffee table. I suspect she brings the food out quicker so she can get back to her first love, the cars.
Part of the charm of this little restaurant is that no one ever comes around with a bill, even if you said you wanted something “frish.” When it’s time to go home, both girls are good about cleaning up, putting the dishes and place mats neatly back into the hutch.
When building it in 1948, Dad was probably just hoping to have it finished by Christmas, not realizing how much enjoyment and how many memories it would bring to others in his family many years later. No batteries needed, a Christmas present with a very long life.
Thanks, Dad, and Happy Birthday!
(Posted December 19, 2011)