Every day after high school I took the bus home from Our
Lady of Wisdom Academy in Ozone Park. Some
days I would hop off the bus at the half way point in order to stop in at Popp’s
Ice Cream Parlor on Jamaica Ave. (I believe his first name Ralph) had become a
local hangout for a group of Woodhaven teenagers and I snuck into the mix even
though I lived a few miles down the road in an area called “East New York”. My cousin, Tom Marski, lived in a two family
house in Woodhaven and he had ready access to a rather large group of
teenagers. My neighborhood, up the hill from Jamaica
Avenue and down the road from a rather large park known as Highland Park, was
sorely lacking in teenagers. Scenery-wise, my neighborhood was a bit more rural,
but when one is 15 years old, other young people are more attractive than trees,
bushes and grass.
Certain places and certain events leave lasting impressions when
one is coming of age. Popp’s Ice Cream Parlor was one of these places. And the events that took place there, as mundane
and unexciting as they may have seemed to others, left a lasting mark on my
soul. I can remember the feeling of
excitement and trepidation as I exited the bus and crossed the street to the
front door of the corner Ice Cream Parlor.
When you entered the establishment you were met with a delicious smell
of chocolates from the glass display case on your left. And as
you looked to your right, towards the big mirror behind the counter, it was
especially nice when Popp looked up from washing the glasses to acknowledge your
existence by nodding and issuing a quick greeting. When,
eventually, that quick “Hi” was followed by your name, you got this warm, happy
feeling because you felt you had made it to the category of a “Regular”. You would never know who would be there that
day, sitting in those modest back booths, slowly sipping their egg creams. You wouldn’t know if there would be a space
at the booth or if you would be able to say the words that made you sound like
one of the cool kids. It was a certain
type of scary but Oh so exciting. To be
continued…..
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