Home Sweet Home (4)

My second meet-up for the afternoon really brought back some old memories. It is easily one of the most memorable periods in my life. Of the 6 old friends I was
meeting with, 4 of them I hadn’t seen since high school graduation in the mid
80’s. Roy, Karin and their daughter were among the guests at our wedding
reception, which was almost 10 years ago.

I wouldn’t say that I was getting nervous about meeting my old friends, perhaps a little anxious. I actually didn’t attend the same high school with any of them. What
had brought us together was that we had all worked at the same McDonald’s
restaurant. Call this a McCrew reunion if you will.

I didn’t know who would show up and who would take a rain check. Roy and Karin did respond to my email, that they would come with their children, all four of them now. I still feel bad about not being able to attend their wedding reception. I was on a business trip in Japan. Nevertheless, Roy and I are still like brothers to this day, and William, too.

It was a short drive from the Starbucks where I said goodbye to Grace, to the McDonald’s where I was to meet my old pals. I had about 10 minutes to spare when I pulled into the parking lot. The old store looked quite different on the outside. A pergola now covers much of the west entrance. A cascading pond now sits in front of the store; it used to be a grassy area. Once upon a time, a skinny
Taiwanese boy used to roam this parking lot. You see, my first job there was a
janitor.

I remembered the brown polyester jumpsuit, then the pin-stripe uniform and paper hat. Speaking of which, I really need to put away those old photos so my sons won’t ever find them. I’m not ashamed of being a janitor in my teens, but those ugly uniforms! Is “grotesque” the right word to describe them? I walked into the very store where I had spent my high school years, only I couldn’t recognize it!

Gone, are the sectioned dining areas. Out, are the rigid benches and swivel metal seats. The interior now bears resemblance of an upscale coffee shop or hotel lounge. There are tall bookshelves, sofas and a coffee table. Wow! Contemporary
furniture is elegantly laid out in the large dining area. I blinked a few times just to make sure my vision wasn’t deceiving me.

“Wow!” I repeated a few more times as I sat down and gazed out the large windows with the Golden Arches. This place was almost like a second home to me. I had pedaled the 5 mile stretch from home to the store for almost 2 years until I
got my first car. I had to battle two hills in order to get to work, rain or shine.

At around ten after 2 pm, a somewhat familiar figure walked into the store, followed by two teenage kids. It didn’t take me long to recognize that big smile – trade mark of the Garcia sisters. My last recollections of Christy paused sometime between ’86 & ’87. Now a mother of two, both her son and her daughter tower over her.

We gave each other a big hug then Christy introduced me to her kids. She told me about her husband but for some reason I just couldn’t remember him. Teri arrived shortly after, then Roy, Karin and their sons. We exchanged hugs and greeted each other before sitting down. I looked at my old friends; it was as if we had warped through time, skipping over two decades.

We have all added some gray hair, gained a few pounds. We aren’t the fresh faced youngsters anymore. We talked about our families, our jobs, friends we had known in the past. Just then, Trace walked through the door. I had lost contact with her; it was Teri whom she had kept in touch.

If you think only a group of teens would have a lot to talk about, I have a big surprise for you. Our 40-something Club never did run out of topics. The time capsule really led us back to some nostalgic, fond memories. We certainly had a lot of catching up to do.

I went to the front counter to order a drink. I looked at the cashier; she looked about the same age I was when I first started working there. I could tell the kitchen area had been totally revamped as well. I told her that my friends and I had worked at the store over 20 years ago, her eyes widened. Perhaps 20 years from now, there will be another group of 40-something, sitting and chatting about their good ‘ol days.

We really had a great time seeing one another, chit-chatting and catching up the “lost” years. I proposed another reunion in 2011, perhaps a picnic at the beach, a
bonfire or something. One thing for sure, we won’t wait another 20 years before
our next reunion. All great parties must come to an end, this one was no exception.

I stayed and watched my friends leave one by one. “What a day this has been!”, I thought to myself. Seeing my mom, my sister and her family; meeting a new friend and some long lost friends all in the same day. This trip was not only worthwhile, it was long overdue!