Years ago, restaurant tables included a bowl containing paper-wrapped sugar cubes. As a pre-teen, I began to collect cubes with different designs.
As an adult, I worked in New York’s Rockefeller Center. My co-workers and I had lunch at La Fonda Del Sol. The sugar bowl at our table contained variously colored cubes. We collected one of each color and representation of the “sol,” or sun. On a later visit, I realized that the cubes came in seven different colors and displayed eight representations of the sun. A full set would include 56 cubes.
One Friday, I found the few missing cubes. I had a complete set! It was a thrilling moment.
On Monday, the New York Times reported that La Fonda del Sol was permanently closing its doors. It’s been on my conscience ever since. Did my purloining 56 cubes cause a financial crisis? I’ll never know.
