by J. Andrew Reilly

Created on: December 03, 2009   Last Updated: December 05, 2009

"Emily's Christmas Quesadilla"

The smell was abhorrent, yet unmistakable and the haze of its aroma was nearly visible as it drifted through the cool December air, a mixture of French fries, onion rings, and tacos. The deep friar was Conan's daily workplace greeting, detected from two blocks away as he rode his bike toward the back of the run-down restaurant. Conan had been initially hired as a dishwasher at the El Gappito Mexican Restaurant and Cantina eight months earlier, and was quickly promoted to Fry Cook one month later. The promotion came with a boost in pay of .90 cents per hour. Conan believed that his ascent in the business world was due to the 3.4 grade points he was averaging as a senior at Bernardino High, but it was more likely due to his being under the age of twenty. Norm, the owner, spent a majority of his life in the cantina imbibing his profits and had difficulty being authoritative toward adult subordinates. Because of this, he tended to hire kids that could easily be bossed around.

Conan enjoyed being able to escape the turmoil of his family life by working this job, and actually volunteered for additional hours. He told everyone that he was pulling extra shifts in order to buy this nice Corolla his math teacher was selling, which though accurate, was not the entire story. After his dad ran off last year with some Real Estate agent, his house had not been a home. Conan's mother wallowed in her despair and played the victim well, especially with her daily reminder; a bus bench Real Estate advertisement bearing the woman's perky photograph right across the street from their home. Conan attempted to prove his allegiance by drawing a graffiti moustache on the face of the home-wrecker, but it didn't make anyone feel better. When Conan was not in school or asleep in his bed, he was at the restaurant, whether being paid or not. This was where he felt comfortable and connected to his friends and co-workers, who he now considered his new family.

Conan was greeted at the back door by the sound of Johnny Mathis coming from an old transistor radio that someone had rigged with a coat hanger antenna. Hector, the lead chef, loved the oldies and was busy chopping peppers for the salsa. You could always tell when Hector was in a good mood, because the salsa was especially HOT! As Conan walked past, he dipped his pinky finger in the bowl, only to learn that that Hector was having a good day. Although he was away from his family this Christmas morning, Hector

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>