Lyn explained to me that this young lady was originally from Honduras. She and her mother relocated to Indianapolis several years ago. Her mother is now living in Georgia with other family members.
Lyn explained more about the young lady and asked if I would be up to meeting her and maybe getting to know her better before making a housing commitment. I agreed to that, and a plan was made.
She seemed like a very nice young girl. We learned a bit about her family and her relationship with our grandson. She also told us quite a bit about her studies at IUPUI. We agreed to provide her with our spare bedroom. It wasn’t long before she was part of our house and family.
I sometimes enjoy giving nicknames to family members and friends. Our grandson, Trey’s mother (our daughter) is mostly known to me as “Trouble.” As I continued to get to know our new house member, a nickname quickly popped into my mind.
She became known to me as “Little Trouble.” After a few days, I adjusted it down to “Little T.” We really enjoyed the time that “Little T” lived with us. Time flew by very quickly and before we knew it, she graduated, and a marriage was in the works.
“Little T” and Trey are now married and reside in the Whiteland area. She has a really good job and Trey is finishing college and is also working.
A couple of weeks ago, we heard that “Little T’s” mother was coming up from Georgia for a visit. We later heard that she was having some car trouble and needed to postpone that visit until the car was repaired. I also learned that her mother’s birthday was coming up hopefully during her visit.
Last week, her mom leased a car and drove up here from Georgia. The kids met her in Columbus, Indiana and turned in the car. I believe we missed her birthday by two days. Lyn and I were invited down to visit last Friday evening.
We were told that Trey was working late that evening. We figured with Trey not going to be home that we would have our supper at home before driving down for our visit. After we arrived, we visited and had fun. Later, “Little T” asked about eating and we explained that we had our evening meal at home.
She then brought out a big partially eaten birthday cake. She offered us a slice. Lyn turned it down, but I was ready for dessert.
I was presented with a large slice of chocolate birthday cake. It had very thick icing and a different icing between the layers of cake. I started devouring my cake. It was very good. I was happy and I even attempted to sing, Happy Birthday.
All of a sudden, I slid a bit between layers of icing that was located between the cake layers and a strange taste caught my attention. I also felt some rather hard little strips in that icing. I quickly asked what I was tasting in that icing and several loud laughs started.
It was COCONUT. I hate coconut. There were small little strips in that icing. Everyone knew except “Little T’s” mom, the birthday girl, of my dislike for coconut. I maneuvered that coconut icing to the side of the plate and finished that good part of the birthday cake.
Just as we were about to head home, Trey arrived and as we were saying goodbye someone told him about my encounter with coconut. I think he was still laughing as we drove down the driveway.
Shonk is a 1960 graduate of Southport High School, a ’63 grad of Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and a retired bus driver from Beech Grove Schools. He can be reached through email at fdshonk@aol.com.