Pushcart Stories

Who doesn't find hope in pushcart stories, America's best? Pasquale took Will and me on a tour of northeast Bronx where he has made a home for 35+ years. As we crossed the Bronx River Bridge, we stopped for the raising of the draw in order for a barge to pass. Then we went on City Island to go to Sammys (no apostrophe) Fish Box which has been a huge enough success that Sammys Shrimp Box was added across the street. Sammys is a pushcart story as he started out with simple fare and built the cart into an enterprise. Lee, the waiter, happily recounted his odyssey from Thailand as a teen with ten dollars in his pocket. First stop Germany. No, he didn't speak German, only a little broken English. America, the land of dreams fulfilled, came next. He proudly showed us the I.D. cards of his daughters': University of Chicago, MIT, Cal Tech, and UC Berkley. Lee had wanted to be a physician. Instead, he worked seven day/14 hour shifts to help his daughters achieve. His wife stayed home and assisted the family in her motherly, wifely ways. The girls' names translate to Blessing and Peacefulness. The paper placemats had a map of City Island with drawings of signal flags, ships--Yawl, Brig, Sloop, Schooner, Cat Boat--but the map didn't give a hint of the winsome cottages with exuberant window boxes and container laden steps. A church called Star of the Sea captured the nature of the place. Singular and beautiful.

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...May the blessings of good friends ad tucked away surprises be yours...