Apr 12, 2010

Memories: The Ice-Cream Truck

The memories I have of my grandfather are very fond memories. One that stands out for me is the ice-cream truck memories. My grandfather, eventually, wasn't allowed to eat sweets and chocolates etc. Not because of Diabetes, but because of Parkinson's Disease. He was told to cut down on the sweet stuff. Yeah right! With a granddaughter like me? With all the hidey holes he had in the house? Get real.

My grandfather had the tendency to have selective hearing. I think all parents and grandparents develop this 'illness' at some point in their lives. But one thing my grandfather never played deaf to... was the ice-cream truck tune. I don't know what tune you have where you live, but over here, it's very very distinct. No confusing it with anything else. No thoughts of anything else. Just children running to their parents and down the street to find the ice-cream truck. Hoping it doesn't pass your street or house before you can get to it.

In our house, low-and-behold, it wasn't the child (aka ME) who heard it first. It was my grandfather! Or it would be the both of us together, of course. My grandmother forbid him to eat sweet stuff, unless SHE gave it to him, so getting ice-cream past her every other day was no easy feat. So my grandfather would pass me some change 'under the counter' (so no one would notice) and have me heading out the door in no time. Our house was quite large at that time, so I could still get away with it. We had 4 entrances into the house at various points and I was a master tree/wall/gate climber. As young kids usually are =D

Time and time again I would go out into the street without my grandmother knowing, I'd either buy my grandfather and I an ice-cream to share or buy us each an ice-cream. Depending on the mood, we'd have a flake in our ice-cream or bubble gum/cherry/chocolate sauce.

Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!

It was just our little secret. I had to sneak past my grandmother, ice-cream in hand, in all kinds of Mission Impossible ways, in hopes of not being caught. If I think back now I'm pretty sure I wasn't. But I do recall having to buy grandma a Sorry Ice-Cream every time she overheard our plans. As long as we got her one, she'd let us have (and enjoy) ours. Both of us.

Another reason why I miss my childhood so much...

(Ice-Cream Truck courtesy of Desi van Zyl)
('Draai roomys' or soft serve courtesy of google images)

3 comments:

desi said...

this is soooo cute. :)
My oupa het altyd chocolate in sy kluis weggesteek en vir 'n blokkie of 2 gegeee as ek seergekry het of soet was of watookal! ek het baie keer gaan voel of die kluis deur nie dalk oopstana nie, maar neeeeee. hehehe!

Andhari said...

I'm very sensitive to ice cream truck tune. I remember running out of the gate back in the days whenever I listen to it. I love ice creams :p

Maryx said...

Desi - My oupa het ook 'n kluis gehad! The trick is to find out where he hides the keys! En ek't geweet.. meeste van die tyd! Hehe! My oupa het so baie sweets en biltong en goed in dai kluis kamertjie gehad, dit was paradise vir enige kind. Mar ek's ook seker hy't oë agter sy kop gehad as ek sweets wil steel. The memories! =) Thanks for sharing!

Andhari - Like my grandfather! Hehe!