Hold Up at the Star Cafe

In the late 1950’s I spent as much of the summer with my grandmother as my mother would allow. My grandmother owned The Star Cafe in Angleton, Texas, everyone in town called her “Mom”, and so did I.

The cafe opened early for Dow shift workers and stayed opened late for those wanting a big steak and a longneck beverage.  The cafe was located downtown, on Highway 288. We opened before dawn and closed late at night, at those early hours, the only traffic light in town was blinking yellow. 

I enjoyed the long days at the cafe, there was a juke box, pin ball machines, and an old wooden telephone booth. The telephone booth had a light and a fan that came on when the door was closed, this fascinated me, like magic.

I loved spinning the bar stools and all the attention the friendly customers showered on “Mom’s” visiting granddaughter.  When I got bored, there was a Five & Dime Store next door, Mom gave me some change from her pocket full of tips, I happily shopped the toy aisle. 

A red Nehi soda water and hamburger was the best lunch in the whole world.  Mom’s faithful short order cook, Tomasa, cooked burgers to perfection and wrapped them in white paper for easy handling.  

My favorite spot in the cafe was to sit on the tall stool behind the big black cash register, it was old style with big buttons and a loud bell that rang when the drawer opened.  I was about 5 years old and allowed to take money and give change to the customers.  At the beginning of the lunch rush, the cafe was packed, I sat as patiently as possible, waiting for the customers to finish eating and pay. 

While waiting, I noticed the cowboy style pistol on the shelf under the cash register, I knew I shouldn’t touch it, I was taught to never touch a real firearm, but in an Annie Oakley moment, I picked it up, stood on the stool and steadied the gun on top of the big cash register. 

The cafe went silent, all eyes were on me, I liked the momentary spotlight and attention, so I waved the gun back and forth from my perch. 

I looked to the right and a few men were walking very slowly towards me, sideways, like crawfish. I don’t know where my grandmother was, but one of the crawfish walking men asked me to put the pistol back where I got it, and I did. 

I don’t think I got spanked, but I disappointed my grandmother, that was worse than a spanking. 

My grandmother had a reputation of being an outspoken character, the cafe patrons were not surprised that her granddaughter was a chip off that same block. 

My grandmother never left me with a sitter, she took me everywhere. Trips to the meat market and the bank to make the daily deposit, the early mornings, all day at the cafe and the late evenings.

The rest of my life, I have had a healthy respect for firearms and gun safety. I still have that cowboy pistol, it is a reminder of those happy summer days at the Star Cafe.  A reminder of how much fun it was to be a kid growing up in the innocent days of the 1950’s. It also reminds me of my brief brush with crime. 

My grandmother was constantly teaching, with words and actions. I was loved completely, absolutely and unconditionally by her. 

The life lessons learned during those wonderful summers have lasted my entire life. What was taught continued as I assumed the role of a grandmother and great-grandmother. 

Psalm 103:17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and His righteousness to children’s children. NKJV