Jelisava

Lunch in the tap room / Philadelphia / Nov. 12

When we drive by Alleghany Avenue, he points to the steeples and says that's where it all began. When we turn onto Lehigh Avenue, she says that's where Bill Sepich lived and the Dvornics. The little houses over there. I was born in the house on Almond Street and so was my sister. Near to where it crosses Lehigh. On Fridays, my mother would send me down to the bar to get oyster stew. We slept in bunks in the arsenal. That's where we met. We both worked there. With glasses of vino and pilsner we talked of all sorts of things. The ritual of making coffee. Taking the time. Hand cut fries. The runt bird who needed the help of its family and finally got there. Able to fly. Communal consciousness. A cold and wintry day, so unlike the one we were celebrating; that November day was warm enough that you didn't need a coat. And the sun lit up the steeples on Alleghany Avenue.