Day CCXLVI

Lunch Time

     I studied his menu, and he had all kinds of yummy Boricua stuff like, rice and beans; Re yay no de papa, (a knish with meat inside); mofongo, (mashed fried plantains), served with a chicken or steak sauce; sautéed steak with onions; boiled green bananas; which we eat along with an avocado salad, and olive oil and vinegar dressing; sancocho a kind of mulligan stew, Boricua style, with cilantro, and Caribbean  root veggies; fried plantains, both sweet, green, and of course he had morseeyah, a black, pork blood sausage. My mom used to say it was poor people’s food, but to us here in the city, we who grew up on it, to us it was, and is indeed the richest food in the world. He had the works!

      “Yo dude, gimme da guin neh ohs verdes, (boiled green bananas), widda salad, da rice an beans, da steak, and a piece adet morseeiyah, and afta when ya brings my coffee, let me have some adet sweet flan, okay.”

       “Damn bwa, when’s da last time ya ate, man?”

       “I hadda coupla eggs diz morning, dude.”

     But before that, to be honest I could not remember, I must have munched on some of George’s spread. Prior to that, I couldn’t remember. Maybe Saturday’s dinner. Cheo was gone but an instant, and was right back with my salad. The place was packed with peeps trying to get their lunch, but he was keeping up with me, as I finished one course after the other. I was really into my black sausage, and rice an beans, when a brother walked in. He was looking over the menu, and just as I was finishing he yells,

     “Yo man, gimme wat he gots…it looks good tammee.”

     “Coming right up dude,” Cheo responded.

      I guess he saw my delight in putting it away, and figured if he’s enjoying it that much, then so can I. But the thing is that all morning long I was having fun, I was being mischievous. A moment later the dude got his meal, and dived into to it with great gusto.