part 12
I cannot go in to too many details of the next couple of months on the grounds that it may incriminate me and others who went out on a limb to help me stay here and work and make money to survive. But I can tell you I did get a job that was created especially for me as a hostess at the International House of Pancakes aka (I.H.O.P.) on Miami Beach.
There had never been a hostess before, but at that time Freddie Laker was flying the Brit’s in by the thousands for such a low price that every day working folks who had never traveled outside of Great Britain before were taking advantage of this deal. Coming here on package deal which brought them to the hotels such as the Carillon and included a bus trip 2 days Disney world. Most of them stayed in the hotel and walked across the street to our restaurant every night for dinner, went to Disney on the bus got severe sun burn and heat sickness and returned home, with the blisters and story to tell of their trip to the United States Of America.
The line outside our I.H.O.P. every night went down the street, I used to go up and down the line with glasses of cold water for everyone and sing and dance and have fun with my fellow countrymen as they waited in line or in the Queue, as we say. They were happy and appreciated me as someone from back home, able to make them feel welcome. Some of them actually lived one street away from my sisters and knew them .Anyway I made very little money and no tips, but I got free food and was eventually made night manager closing the place at night and partying in the bars across the street till morning.
