December 17, 2018--I've Been to This Rodeo Before

"Today's my first day, but not to worry, I've been to this rodeo before."

We are in Florida for my cousin Murray's funeral and drove up from Delray to the New Jersey Pizzeria. It's been about a year since we were there and had a craving for their home-cooked Italian fare. It's a funky place and the food is fresh and delicious.

The new waitress, who introduced herself as Kathy, appeared to be loving every minute of her orientation to the restaurant and to serving the customers at all five tables. She also took the calls for takeout and served as cashier for those at tables as well as those who came in to pick up their orders.

To each and all, almost with a"Yippie," she announced, "I've been to this rodeo before!"

When things quieted down, we had a chance to talk with her and to get a bit of her story.

"I was born in Massachusetts," she said, "and came here about ten years ago. The guy I was with at the time had family in the area and wanted to get away from the cold winters. I went along, one might say, 'for the ride.' 

"No surprise, things with him didn't work out and after about six months he was as tired of the weather as he was of his family and so he next wanted to move on to Arizona. I said, 'No more drifting around for me. I want to plant roots somewhere and this place is as good as any. So, Adios amigo.' He left and here I am ten years later still slinging hash. Though in this place hash tends to be eggplant parm.

"And, how could I forgot--he did leave me with something--I was three month pregnant when he lit out. Talk about planting roots!"

"Some story," I said, "Florida's full of people looking for second chances."

"Or a third or fourth," she laughed. 

"I'll be right with you sweetie," she said to a fully tattooed couple waving for the check.

In a minute she was back. Still all smiles.

"It hasn't aways been easy making ends meet," she said, "My nine year-old is on the Autism Spectrum. Not the high end, thank God, but bad enough. Though there is some state and federal money to help with kids like him it's not nearly enough so I have to work hard just to pay the bills. I'm not complaining though. Lot's of people have it worse than me. I know folks who live on Spam and worse. So I do the best I can. You see, I'm not really trained for anything. All I know is this," she gestured taking in the whole restaurant, "As I said, I've been to this rodeo before. I mean waitressing. In fact, right now I have this job two nights a week and another job waiting tables in Lantana, the next town north of here. At another pizzeria. That's my specialty, I suppose, pizza places." That tickled her and she shook with laughter.

"That's a lot," Rona said.

"That ain't the half of it," she said.

"The half of it?"

"I have five other jobs." She held up her hand to display five fingers.

"Five?"

"Let me list 'em for you." She wiggled her pinky. "I work over there by the bridge to A1A in a memory unit three afternoons a week. As I said, I'm not trained or licensed so mainly I clean up their slops. Not elegant but it plays 15 an hour. And then," wiggling her ring finger she said, "Then there are the two old folks in Boca who I baby sit another two afternoons a week. I don't know if that counts as one or two jobs since I do it freelance and have two families ordering me around."

"That's a lot," I, this time, said.

"There's more," she said, playfully flipping me the bird with her middle finger, "I also clean houses. Again freelance for two other people. I do this only once a week for each. Four five hours a condo. So it's not that bad. But both of them are bossy. So I usually count them as two separate jobs since with them I have two folks more telling me what they want me to do."

"Wow," Rona said, "You're amazing."

"That adds up to five, no?" She said.

"To tell you the truth," I said, "I lost count."

The phone rang and she raced to the counter to write up a ticket for a takeout order.

"It's the same couple who came in at lunch time today for a medium pizza. And now they want a large pepperoni. Some diet," she said, "You don't have to be trained as a nutritionist to know that if they keep that up they'll be dead before they know it." She slapped her thigh, amusing herself.

"If I may," Rona said softly, "You have one more job you left out."

"What's that one?" she asked.

"Your son. He may have some professional help but I assume most of the responsibility for his care--"

She cut Rona off. "I didn't put it on my list of jobs intentionally because I don't consider it a job. I'm his mother and we're a family. That's the whole story. I love him more than life itself."

I was glad the phone rang again and she got lost in taking an order. I didn't want her to see me tearing up. She's too busy to have to deal with what I was feeling. As she said, she's waitressing and her job description doesn't require her to handle that. Seven jobs is enough. I was on my own.