I had spent the entire afternoon wandering aimlessly around the streets of Madrid, feeling rather lonely. By 4:30, hunger was starting to set in. As I anticipated, I couldn’t locate an open restaurant. In Spain, restaurants typically close at 4:00 p.m. to prepare for the dinner service and reopen at 8:00 p.m.
I was so hungry that I felt I couldn’t wait much longer to eat. A few blocks down the street I spotted a sign that read “Cafetería Andrade.” I figured they would be open, and I should at least be able to grab a sandwich. I was correct. They offered ham and cheese sandwiches along with soft drinks on their menu.
The place was dimly lit, and except for me, empty. When Farida, the woman working at the cafeteria, brought me my sandwich, I devoured it eagerly. My intense hunger made it taste like the most delicious sandwich I had ever eaten.
I was sitting at the counter when she joined me, perhaps to break the monotony and ease her loneliness. As I ate, she began to share her story. She recounted how, at just eighteen, she left her hometown in Morocco and, all by herself, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, seeking a better life in Spain. She described some of the difficulties she faced, including racism and encounters with people who attempted to exploit her by trying to lure her into prostitution and drug trafficking. However, she had managed to escape those dangers. Now she was married, with a three-year old daughter. Her husband worked in construction, while she ran the cafetería. They were saving money to buy a home.
Her company and our conversation were far more satisfying than the sandwich itself. It was her words that gave me motivation to continue my journey.
© William Almonte Jiménez, 2015
