Desert of Hope

The typical boring Sunday morning, no business, flies buzzing around the cramped sweat box of a cleaning office. That scalding ninety -five degree heat is really getting to me now. I hope someday people will realize my true passion for preparing food, I thought as I lugged my stubby 225 lb body down to the ball field for a break to clear my mind. Just a few balls, I’ll hit to get some exercise. I need to think of some ideas for business, I thought as I launched a ball probably 350 feet down the left foul line. Baseball always seemed to help me with my thoughts, as I have a knack for those two things, baseball and thinking, along with; of course, making Mexican food. All of the sudden I heard a scream in the woods. The scream made me fall backwards onto the sun- fried dirt. My skin was on fire, and my mustache was loaded with sweat, when I jumped back to my feet to realize it was just a crow in the distance. The phone rang to wake me up at 8:30 Monday morning. It was my friend Sammy Francisco.
“Hey” Sammy said.
“They are having a future job talk at the cleaning store tonight.” I rubbed my eyes, “Go on.”I mumbled.
“ Ok,” Sammy continued, “ your brother Lloyd, and your dad are running it, basically you just show up and tell about your skills and weaknesses and everyone at the store decides on what job you should do.”
“I’m so there!” I shouted into the phone, slammed it into the receiver, and sprinted to my car, only to forget it wasn’t ‘till 7:05 Later, I, Manny Gonzalez, push through the doors at the cleaning business, really hoping to be recommended to cooking. I was up first [for the job interview], and was bouncing off my chair with excitement. I explained thoroughly about how good I was at making Mexican food and how tidy I am. I even let everyone have a bite out of the quick burrito I whipped up before I left. Hearing “Yum” come from everywhere in the crowd, I was almost sure that my future job would be…
“Cleaning!” The crowd all seemed to shout in unison.
I shouted, “%$#@ you all” right back at them. Hearing a bunch of gasps I distinguish my Brother Lloyd’s voice in the back yell,
“Hey Manny, these are just suggestions!”
“I don’t give a $%^#! I don’t need you %#$^%$! I’m going to run off into the desert and hopefully pass out because of the heat and someone will find me and bring me to Texas, where people will notice that I can make Mexican food!”
Sammy, who didn’t want me gone as much as a tiger didn’t want to lose their prey said, “Y’all won’t last 2 days out there in that desert.” I couldn’t care less. I pegged my other burrito at the wall making a splattered salsa mess, swore and left the crowd in awe as I shuffled out the door and to the car, smelling salsa and feeling an adrenaline rush, I revved up my engine blasting out of the miniature parking lot and took the route that goes through the desert and eventually reaches Texas. I don’t care when I stop driving nor where I’m going, I just hope I finally get to Texas to open a restaurant, I thought as I put the pedal to the metal hoping to leave town before someone picks up my trail.
***
Waking up looking up into the night sky and seeing dozens of cactuses around me, I knew I must have fell asleep at the wheel and am at the middle of the frigid desert at nighttime. Wishing I brought a jacket, I tied my shoes, tripped in the hard, frigid, dirt, and straddled myself up. My mouth was as dry as salt, and my hands were nearly frozen but I unzipped my pants to take a leak and quickly zipped up them back up to realize that a car was coming from the north( which I figured out because of the North Star.) I wondered why in the world someone from Texas would be traveling hours away from civilization in a Mexican desert at 2:45 Am. Still furious about last night, I managed to wave to him and he halted to a stop.
“Morning y’all” he casually jabbered showcasing his Texan accent, “Whatcha doin’ this early out here?” Trying to find the right words I looked up at him and noticed something. I saw the ‘Johnson’ nametag on his navy blue suit.
I quickly shouted, “Hi Mr. Johnson I am a huge fan of your burritos.” The professional chef went on saying,
“I am looking for the great cleaner Manny Gonzalez.”
Though mad for a second, I still said, “Look no further, but I really want to make Mexican food; I am 100% Mexican as you can tell by my dark hair, mustache, and tan skin.”
“Well I am really shorthanded at my restaurant, ‘El restaurante de Taco,’ just outside of Dallas. I could use some help.”
I blurted, “Please can I have a job?!”
He quickly responded. “Son, why do ya think I was comin’ down here? To collect dirt? I was just a little surprised to see y’all in this here desert.”
“Yes!” I shouted.
“Ok son lets go back and train you.”
After hours of riding in Mr. Johnson’s car and dozing off a few times, I finally arrived in Texas and let me say it was breathtaking with the beautiful sunrise on the horizon looking back at the desert. I immediately had a four year contract waiting for me to sign in Mr. Johnson’s office. Without even reading it I signed it and couldn’t wait to make my first burrito. After months of training to make the food on December 12, 2009 I was finally ready (to make burritos and tacos). Seeing as I was working the afternoon shift and being a Mexican restaurant we don’t open until noon, because no one would eat tacos for breakfast. I was very startled to see Lloyd to slowly make his way through the door followed my Dad and Sammy. I hadn’t talked to them in nearly two months since I deserted their small town. I had really enjoyed life in the new condo I bought, a couple of blocks away from the restaurant. I found new hope. They knew what to order after exchanging whispers.. After seeing the cashier punch in the prices, I knew Lloyd had ordered a taco, Sammy a burrito, and my Dad a big Enchilada Burrito. I was one of the only two chiefs working and said I would take this order. My first challenge would be to make food for my family and friend. I was wondering if they knew that I worked here. I would have to think seeing as they came to this restaurant of all them in the world, and the fact they drove seven hours away from home. I was now sweating and hiding in the back of the kitchen to make sure they couldn’t see me. I saw the order appear on the screen above the oven and knew I had to start. I started with the taco shell followed by meat, tomato, cheese; jalapeno peppers, and toasted the cheese. I followed the same procedure for the burrito but without a taco shell. Next up was the Enchilada burrito. Working quick now, I doubled the meat amount, chili peppers, and melted twice as much Mexican cheese into the warm burrito shell.
“Voila!” I shouted pathetically loud. My heart suddenly stopped beating. My head went numb; I couldn’t whiff the food I just made or realize where I was.
They must have recognized my familiar voice when I recognized my Dad’s voice shout, “Hey Manny, is that you back there?” I ignored him, walked out from the kitchen, and slammed down the lunch trey on the counter, when I saw my Dad’s eyes light up.
He said, “So this is where you’ve run off to.”
I grinned a bit saying, “Yep.”
“I heard this place is well known for its Mexican food, because of Mr. Johnson, and apparently you.”
“Uh huh.”
“Let’s see…” my Dad said as he extended his arm reaching for the burrito, then took a gigantic bite, and then suddenly sprinted towards the soda dispenser and gulped down some sprite. He then informed me, “Manny, I’ve never tasted a better, spicier, burrito in my life, son.”
“Thank you” I said, grinning ear to ear, and letting Sammy and Floyd inhale all of their food in a few minutes. They gave me a fifty dollar tip and took me out to dinner to celebrate. “I don’t know what I’d do without that one hopeful night in the desert.” I wondered.
“Son, I wrote a letter to that Mr. Johnson to ask him to cheer you up. I wasn’t in any way expecting him to get you a job, but he did somehow, “My dad says.
“I sent him your leftover burrito Manny!” Lloyd exclaims with a triumphant grin covering his face. Feeling tears beginning to weld I manage,
“Why, thanks guys,” while I’m also beginning to sniffle.
“Well son it looks like you’ve got a bright career ahead of ya.”My dad says.
“Yep” I smiled thinking of how fortunate I am. I may have done the wrong thing 2 months ago, but, I have never felt more proud about taking a huge risk in my life.