The food stand around the SIPA corner

Today is the last of the semester. It happens to be my Italian sausage day. I stopped by the food stand around the SIPA corner. The line was not long because most of the students have gone for the winter break. I am going to stay during the break. So I reached to the guy in the food stand, who I never know his real name.

"Are you going to be here next week?"

"No I'll be back on Jan 2!"

With a little chat about so and so, he asked me,

"How long have you been here?"

7 years I said. The time I answered this, I asked him back,

"How about you? How long have you been here?"

He told me it is going to be his 11th year next October. He started his business on March 11 years ago. Even though I don't understand his calculation and his logic of counting, I asked,

"How did you manage to get this spot? This is a very good spot to do business!"

He began to tell me his history. He started his first food stand in Queens but the business was "slow." One day a friend of his told him there was an old guy who wanted to sell his spot in New York. So he bought the spot.

"He only sell lunch. I sell breakfast and lunch. The business is `up'!"

He was proud of himself. And he continued,

"I now make money. I want to make more. Maybe I will start a store!"





I don't know where I am going to be when he started his store. It would be a interesting thing to find out when I come back to visit to New York some days in the future after I graduate. I am not saying this is going to happen soon. But I really cherish the special synchrony between me and him.

Every Friday, I stop by in front of his food stand around the SIPA corner. I just have to say "hi!" He will know what I want--Italian Sausage, everything, no onion!!