about that because he didn’t think he could betray Isa by saying no. Pathetically, he could say with all certainty that he still was, and he was certain now no amount of time would ever change that. Fortunately, Carmela didn’t ask, and the subject of Isa hadn’t been brought up since.
It’d been Carmela who brought up the reminder of two old friends. She’d showed him the paper with the article about the popularity of the Ochoa’s trucks in and around the San Diego area. Alej read the article, remembering how things had gone down between them over three years ago. At first working with them felt perfect. Like old times. Both knew the job well and it’d worked out great, until the falling out they had, and a few months later Octavio and Cido were working for another truck owner. Moreno’s got word that they were trying to replicate the Moreno special seasoning. They’d even gone as far as advertising that their special secret seasoning for their meats couldn’t be topped by any truck in town.
Luckily for Moreno’s, Alej dad had thought ahead and never actually gave Octavio the full recipe for the seasoning. The truck they’d been working at may’ve had a close imitation seasoning of Moreno’s, but they’d still been missing the key ingredients that made it so good. Alej knew because he’d had a friend buy a few tacos from them and they didn’t even come close.
Then they got word that Octavio’s brothers were in the US now and between all of them they were in the market for their own truck. Octavio took everything Alej’s dad taught him about the business and started his own with his brothers. Alej and his dad soon found out the Ochoas played dirty. They knew Moreno’s had picked up a good following, and wherever they were parked there’d be hungry taco-craving customers. Customers who were sometimes too hungry to wait in the long Moreno’s lines. So anytime Moreno’s found a hot spot to park, they’d park right up the street if not across from them. With Ochoa’s Tacos advertising cheaper prices and their shorter lines, they were making money directly off Moreno’s customers.
Things had gotten heated a few times. Even Alej’s friendship with Cido had taken a blow. While they attempted to keep the friendship going, of course both sided with their own fathers. Ultimately, their friendship had ended. Worse yet, because the Ochoas were several brothers together, they’d been able to upgrade to a bigger newer truck. Then two and three. Alej’s dad was certain they were doing something illegal.
“There’s no way they could afford three trucks that expensive this fast off their mediocre food.”
That might be true, but before long they were pushing Moreno’s out of San Ysidro. With three trucks at that point, they were taking up the three main spots Moreno’s had established as theirs. It was a bully move, but Alej’s dad still had faith and he started looking elsewhere. “I’m thinking we should try the beaches,” his dad said one morning as they set up the truck.
“But don’t they want seafood there?” Alejandro had asked.
“So, we give them both. Our regular stuff and fish and shrimp tacos. Your sister makes a killer ceviche. She can prepare it for us ahead of time. Fuck the Ochoas. I don’t plan on being a street vendor forever anyway.”
“But what about the annual San Diego food truck festival?”
“This may be our last year there,” his dad said without a flinch. “I’m looking to broaden our horizons and I think it’s time.”
That was when they started finding spots on the Pacific and La Jolla beaches. Within weeks, they’d had regulars showing up at the different spots they’d discovered, and Alej fell in love with the beach cities. Someday he was going to live there. He was sure of it. His dad had kept his word about the truck festival. It got bigger every year. Only since this might be their last, they wanted to go out with a bang. They’d now saved enough to start looking into leasing an actual restaurant. Selling the truck would get them money to buy upgraded kitchen equipment and pay for any of the other start up fees. As nervous as this made him, even Alej agreed it was the next step in their now mutual dream.
His father had already told him he’d be loading up and making this year’s truck festival the best one since it was his farewell so to speak to