Many years ago, Alessandro spent his first birthday outside of Italy with me in Corona del Mar. Each year after that, we always celebrated the day together. He also became a connoisseur of American Fish and Chips.
When we moved to Long Beach, his most favorite restaurant was Baba Gump's Shrimp Company. We always ordered the same dish: Fish and Chips.
Today I walked to Baba Gumps and asked to speak with the manager. I should have gone before, but it was just too painful. I told him what happened last year in his restaurant. I was seated, it seemed in the spot we always sat in. The restaurant has a style of server friendliness. The server always engages the patrons in a conversation, sometimes even asking trivia questions about the film "Forest Gump" with Tom Hanks. Alessandro loved to try to answer those trivia questions.
So it was normal for the server to take a seat with me and ask how I was. I told him I was celebrating Alessandro's birthday. It was a difficult conversation and even harder for me to eat. At the end of the meal, I was ready to flee. I avoid crying in public.
When I asked for the bill, the server sweetly told me there would be no bill, that the meal was a gift to me from Baba Gump and Company. It wasn't until later that I realized the server himself had probably paid for my lunch.
Today, I thanked the manager for the kindness of one of his employees. I should have done so sooner. I've avoided going to that area.
Alessandro also loved to share Fish and Chips with his Italian students during each road trip they in made researching Italian immigration to the American West. He would always pay for each celebratory lunch at Baba Gumps.
I've checked through our photos to see how many celebrations I can find. I'll add more as I research.
~.~2008
~.~2006
~.~ 2005
~.~ 2004
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