Zel, we need another waitress, and I've spoken to your Mom and Dad asking if they would allow you to work at The Percolator some weekends and during school holidays.
Would you like to work for us?
Well, I was seventeen at the time, and a part-time job sounded super exciting. Mom and Dad gave all five of us pocket money, but it didn't go far. The prospect of earning my own money was a big drawcard and made me feel very grown-up.
I said yes, but I did not know anything about waitressing. My aunt assured me that I need not worry, she and the staff would show me the ropes.
Canva Images - edited
They bought the coffee shop in a busy shopping arcade in Pinetown when that small town was in its heyday. They were business-savvy, quickly sussed out the market, and The Percolator's popularity grew! My younger aunt managed the shop.
The local cinema, The Gaiety, was across the road. Movie-goers would stop by for a meal, a milkshake, or a waffle; office workers and shoppers also frequented it.
They served basic meals like burgers and chips, hot dogs, pies, toasted sandwiches, curry and rice, as well as bunny chows.
The focus was on anything but coffee, despite the name!
Another Lizzie
The head chef, another Lizzie, not me;) was a real character, and knew how to cook! Lizzie started making 100% pure beef burger patties, and homemade sauces. Their burgers soon became the best in town!
They started offering daily specials for evening meals.
The Baptism
Cousin Agnes (too young to be waitressing), reminded me of the night we ran out of Kingklip when Kingklip Thermidore was on the 'Specials' menu.
A diner had already placed her order, and Uncle was in the Percolator that night - 'give her Hake, she'll never know the difference.'
Well, he was wrong, she took one look and sent the dish back to the kitchen.
Lizzie was unfazed, scraped the sauce off, turned the fish over onto the pan, and said
I now baptize you as 'Kingklip'.
Uncle himself took the dish back to the diner, apologizing profusely for the oversight by the kitchen. We all stood behind the counter with bated breath.
The diner took a bite of the Hake 'Kingklip', and said
Now THIS is Kingklip, thank you!
We could not believe it, and one by one, we dashed into the kitchen.
Lizzie's face was a sight; victorious! She had us all in stitches, but we had to quickly compose ourselves and go back to the front and carry on with our duties ;);)
Mr. Roast Lamb
My aunt and Lizzie used to decide on daily specials; the house special was Roast Lamb and Vegetables.
An elderly gentleman dined every weeknight, all alone, and ALWAYS ordered Roast Lamb. His nickname was Mr. Roast Lamb; a quietly spoken man who kept to himself.
He stopped coming for dinner, and we wondered whether he had moved to be closer to family or if he had passed away.
We never learnt what happened to Mr. Roast Lamb.
Soft-serve
A soft-serve ice cream machine was bought and quickly proved an excellent investment; soft-serve ice cream in cones, sundaes, and milkshakes was a big drawcard, especially for kids of all ages.
We (the waitresses) had to take turns serving the soft-serve - plain Vanilla, Vanilla and Strawberry Twist, Chocolate Twist, Cadbury flake, Chocolate or Caramel dipped. That machine worked overtime during the school holidays; there would be a queue snaking out the door.
During the hot summer months, we'd often run out of soft serve and would have to refill the machine, which meant customers had to return later as it took a while for the ice cream to freeze again.
We also had to make waffles crispy and delicious served with soft-serve or whipped cream. I remember the old whipped cream dispensers we used had to be given a couple of shakes after refilling.
I still use my aunt's buttermilk waffle recipe.
We could treat ourselves to ice cream or milkshake during a lull - of course, ours had all the trimmings and a mountain of fluffy cream twirls ;)
That soft-serve ice cream machine had to be cleaned and filled every night, ready for the next day.
The Uniform
Take a guess what our uniform was. This was 1970!
Hot pants and long white boots of course!
The only thing I did not like about my job was the smell of fried food clinging to my clothes. Funny how I only smelt it when I got home!
Both Aunts and Uncle have passed on, and their photos are with my cousins. There's even a photo floating around of us dancing on the counter in our hotpants and long white boots ;)
I've been in touch with my cousins, and had a long chat, after a long silence. We all get so caught up with our lives, that we don't make time for each other.
The waffle makers were kept after they sold the business, and whenever the family got together, the highlight was my aunt's waffles, a reminder of those crazy busy days.
#MemoirMonday
Besides storing wonderful memories in my forever memory bank on Hive, connecting with family and old friends triggers memories long forgotten, another bonus of 
This week's question...uhmm...I'm behind again...last week's question is/was:
How did you get your first job?
You've read my response above, I was super blessed and thankful for this opportunity given by my aunt and uncle. It was my first step into the big world, a gentle intro under the mentorship of a loving family.
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