24th of June, 2009

Italian Clotheslines

Posted by Doug in Food, Home and Garden, Outdoor at 5:49 pm

I was reminded the other day about my trip to Carroll Gardens when I drove by a teenager standing on top of an empty sign pole. It was around 1970 or so, can’t remember exactly, I was attending a college not too far from Brooklyn. I was working part-time for a printing and boxing company in Queens, New York. My position there was a sample maker which in turn helped me make good friends with the printing foreman. Funny, I don’t remember his name now, but he was a nice tall dark Italian man. One day, while I was busy making samples for a bakery, he came up to me and invited me over to his home for dinner. Yes, he was married with 2 children, but he knew that I’ve never really had a good home cooked Italian meal, but he wanted something in return.

His house was really his mother’s and father’s house. His mom still lived on the first floor garden area. A beautiful garden with with several outdoor sinks, built-in BBQ and refrigerator. I’ve never seen the likes before, absolutely beautiful. My Italian friend lived on the 4th floor. Did I mention that his home was huge? Well, after I met the entire family, hugs, kisses and food stuffed down my mouth, my Italian friend revealed want he wanted me to do. I was to climb to the top of a clothesline pole and replace the pulley wheel with which the clothesline can travel. The original one broke. Now, I know I was young and agile, but climbing a pole? Did I mention that all my new Italian friends were overweight? And the children were too young. I actually didn’t have a choice, they all surrounded me, talking Italian and laughing while they put they pulley and the tools in my pockets, I’m glad I didn’t wear a dress, and they led, prodded and pulled me to the pole and lifted me up. So, before I even realized it, I was climbing a clothesline pole. It was a little scary being 4 stories up, but my Italian friends encouraged me from the open kitchen window giving me instructions from below. I replaced the pulley without any trouble at all and inched my way back down the pole with a nice hot Italian meal waiting for me.

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