Waiting On A Corner

aiting. Waiting, waiting for pop to get home from work. Sometime around 5:00 pm, Mom would be cooking dinner and maybe, just maybe I was asking one too many times what was for dinner or when it would be ready. On these nights, I believe that she would suggest I go up to the corner to greet Pop as he drove home from work. Chronologically, I guess this was before he started carpooling with Louis Santa Barbara, Joe ? (who lived next door to Darrin Amore), and another guy. I say that because he was always driving alone when I would go to the top of Rochdale and wait on the corner in front of the Cohen’s house for Pop’s car to become visible at the bottom of Pauline Ave. I can remember the excitement of seeing his car. I wonder now – as I type – what was he thinking when he saw me. I know how I feel when I see Sam or Sarah at the end of a day in the neighborhood. It is a good, yes, a very warm feeling.

So, yeah, I remember the excitement building as his brown station wagon made its way up Pauline Ave. I would get in place awaiting his turn onto Rochdale at which time I would run alongside his car on the sidewalk all the way down to the Emple’s house. He would back in to the driveway and we would walk into the house.

Some days, I would follow him to his room and jump on the bed as he did his best Mr. Rogers and changed out of his work clothes and into his comfy clothes. The radio would be on in the kitchen and dinner was near ready as he/we would walk out of his room. Most every night, he would grab a beer and read the paper as he awaited dinner.