Chapter XVIII - SADDAM, READ MY LIPS!

And then I got this phone call: "Can I speak with the owner?" That will be me, what can I do for you". "Now Sir, we have a great advertising possibility for you, you know that our boys are fighting in Kuwait not? So what we can do for you is print up a banner with the text "Restaurant The Peppermill from Merritt Island Florida supports our boys in Kuwait". And then they will hold up that banner when there is a TV crew around, what do you think of that, isn't that a great opportunity to give your restaurant some good publicity?"

"Are you for real? You are a sick fuck, Goodbye!

We lived close to Patrick's Air Force Base in Indian Harbor Beach and I passed the base every day driving to Merritt Island. When I came home the day before, I told Patricia that I thought the invasion of Kuwait could happen any day now because I saw more and more transport planes leaving the Base. CNN was broadcasting the whole day in loop George Bush Sr. saying his, now famous words "Read my lips, Saddam". The war was inevitable.

We did a good lunch that Wednesday but at night we had no customers, which was strange, that never happened before. There was almost no traffic passing by and I asked Maria, as we didn't have a TV or a radio in the restaurant, to go listen to the news on the radio in her car.

Minutes later we were both leaning in the car listening to the radio:

"RIGHT NOW WE'RE BOMBING BAGDAD", THE VOICE SAID

Holy shit, I thought, is this how it's gonna be, no customers because of the war?

The effect of the war skyrocketed on the Space Coast, 700.000 men troops went to that desert, which left our Air Force Base almost empty and the funding to NASA stopped instantly which made Harris, a big supplier to the Kennedy Space Centre fire three thousand employees days later. Within several weeks the first stores were closing, and the local economy started hurting big time.

The war lasted seven months and we couldn't get enough customers in to survive and make a living, instead of bringing money home from the restaurant, we brought the money from home to the restaurant, and Patricia and I decided to throw the towel in the ring.

I called Ron Lucas, one of the owners of the real estate company where we rented the building, and asked him to come and talk to me. Ron heard my story and the wish to stop the business, he kind of knew already because we didn't pay the rent for two months in a row already.

"I thought this would be the subject of our conversation today, so I talked with my partners about your case, and I told them that I want to grant you three months free of rent to help you out."

"Why would you do that Ron?"

Because I never have seen somebody work that hard with so much passion, I really want you guys to make it, you deserve it!".

"Ron, I really appreciate your generous offer but my decision is made, we stay open another week and then close"

"Ok Nino, I understand, we will forgive your dept of two months' rent to make things easier, I will see you next week when picking up the keys, just give me a ring when you're ready".

I told Maria the bad news the next day when she came in for work, she understood but was a little worried about getting a job in this economy. We decided to tell all the customers in the coming days that we were closing down next week.

That afternoon a regular guest came in for lunch, pushing the wheelchair of her brother. They always came late for lunch and stayed long, her brother had a lobotomy and couldn't take care of himself anymore, she was his full-time caretaker. They came twice a week, and I guess they came in so late, so they were good for lunch and dinner.

I decided to tell them the news myself.

Her reaction was one I didn't see coming, she got very angry at me and shouted "And where do we go then?" I told her that I was sorry, but I had to make a living to support my family and the restaurant couldn't provide that at that moment. That was my priority.

I went into the kitchen to prepare their lunch order and was thinking about what just happened. 5 minutes later Maria came to tell me that that lady wanted to speak to me again.

She had changed her angry posture and was turned halfway in her seat towards me.

I noticed that she had a checkbook and a pen in her hand.

"I am so sorry that I snapped at you angrily, I was so disappointed because we really love to come here and I want you to tell me how much you need to stay open, I will write you a check and give it to you, no loan, you don't need to pay me back, just stay open"

I was so overwhelmed and touched by her words that I had to do my best not to burst out in tears right there at the table, all the stress from the past half year was ready to come out. I manned up and told her that I couldn't accept her offer, I made up my mind.

"I understand, I wish you and your family all the best and we will come two times more before you close down."

A week later I was ready to close down, Ron came to get the key and to say goodbye.

I stepped into the car to drive home, with 163 dollars in my pocket, that was all the money we had left, I decided not to worry today, Tomorrow is a new day!

Driving home I suddenly realized that I went thru all this stress and misery, but I didn't drink! I repeated my thought out loud:

"BUT I DIDN'T DRINK, I DIDN'T DRINK!"

I was proud of myself and was happy all the way driving home!

"Patricia, I am home, it's done! But all we have left is 163 dollars."

"We will be fine, and you are gonna take a couple of weeks rest now before you go looking for a job" We can stretch that money a little bit and you brought home all that good food from the restaurant, I love you, be with me a little before you start working like a madman again."

I heard what she said, but in the morning I walked over to Goodings, the supermarket, to buy a newspaper for the classified ads, I had to find myself a job. A couple of months before, we moved to a nice house closer to the beach.

They had a Chef's position and a sous chef position available in The Black Orchid, next to Goodings, 100 meters from our house.

I sneaked out in the afternoon and came back an hour later, "Patricia, I know you want me to stay home for some weeks but 163 dollars is not lasting very long, so I went for an interview, and in 2 days I will start as the chef in The Black Orchid, right around the corner. I will take today and tomorrow off and I will be with you all day! You can help me make the menu, and I told them you will do the baking.