An American woman once fed three homeless children; years later, three Rolls-Royces parked in front of her food stall…
The sound of three engines preceded the cars’ arrival.
First, a soft, gentle roar, as if the whole street were holding its breath.
Then, an unbelievable sequence of events unfolded.
A white Rolls-Royce, a black one, then another white one, lined up one after another on the cobblestone sidewalk, too gleaming for the neighborhood of old brown brick buildings and bare trees.
Shiomara Reyes, her brown apron stained with saffron and grease, stopped, her spoon raised.
Steam from the golden rice rose, touching her face like a warm memory.
She blinked, thinking it was some kind of recording, a wedding, or something related to people who didn’t belong here.
But the cars stalled, the doors opened calmly, and three people stepped out, dressed as if the entire city had been created just for them to walk through at that moment.
Two men and a woman, upright, impeccably dressed, their eyes casually scanning the shop windows and displays.
They looked first at the metal cart overflowing with large bowls of roasted chicken, vegetables, rice, and tortilla rolls, then at the other goods.
Their steps were unhurried.
There was a heavy feeling, as if each step was a deliberate decision.
Siomara unconsciously raised her hand to her mouth.
For a moment, the street seemed to transform into a tunnel.
The blaring car horns in the distance, the chill seeping through the collar of her floral shirt, the forgotten knife beside the trays.
She felt her heart pounding in her throat, and with it came an old question she buried every day in order to work.
What did I do wrong?
Three people stopped a few steps away.
The man on the left, in a dark brown suit with a short beard, forced a smile that seemed to be trying to appear resolute but couldn’t.
The man in the middle, in a dark blue suit and simple tie, swallowed hard. The silver-haired woman, her hair loose, her face showing she had learned not to cry in front of others, placed her hand on her chest. Siomara tried to say “Good morning!”, but only air escaped. The man in the brown suit spoke first, and his voice, echoing from afar, shattered something within her.
“You still cook rice the old way.”
She felt her legs tremble.
That wasn’t from a stranger.
That phrase carried a direction, a scent, a texture of a bygone winter.
The chill of the streets vanished, replaced by another sidewalk, dirtier, noisier, harder, where the footsteps of the world seemed so hurried that no one seemed to notice who was on the ground.
Years ago, Siomara came to New York with a suitcase that looked large simply because it was all she had.
Her English was brief, clumsy, and full of fear. She knew only two things perfectly: work and cooking. In America, she soon realized that food was more than just sustenance; it was language, warmth, a way of saying “I see you” without words. She started washing dishes at a café near the subway station, her hands cracked, the smell of detergent clinging to her skin. At night, she shared a room with two other women in a cramped apartment in Sunset Park. The landlord raised the rent whenever he wanted, and no one dared complain.
She realized that complaining aloud was a luxury.
After a year, having saved enough money to buy a used food cart and pay for a cheap food safety and hygiene course, she thought life was finally returning to normal.
She obtained her license, not without embarrassment, long lines, and paperwork she didn’t quite understand.
The first day with the cart was like opening a door to breathe.
She arranged the bowls, covered them, and turned on the grill.
The aroma of lemon and chili-marinated chicken wafted through the air like a promise of hope.
The sound of the three engines arrived before the cars. First a low, soft purr, as if the whole street were holding its breath. Then, the impossible sequence. A white Rolls-Royce, a black one, another white one, lined up one behind the other on the cobblestone sidewalk, too polished for that neighborhood of old brownstone buildings and bare trees. Shiomara Reyes, her brown apron stained with saffron and oil, stopped, ladle in the air. Steam from the yellow rice rose and touched her face like a warm memory.
She blinked, thinking it was some kind of recording, a wedding, something involving people who didn’t belong there. But the cars turned off, the doors opened calmly, and three people got out, dressed as if the entire city had been made just for them to walk through at that moment. Two men and a woman, upright posture, impeccable shoes, their gazes not lingering on shop windows or other displays. They looked first at the metal cart with the large bowls, roast chicken, vegetables, rice, wrapped tortillas, and then at the other items.
There was no hurry in her stride. There was a weight to it, as if every meter were a decision. Siomara unconsciously brought her hands to her mouth. For a second, the street became a tunnel. The distant honking of horns, the cold seeping through the collar of her flowered blouse, the knife forgotten beside the trays. She felt her heart pound in her throat, and with it, an old question she buried every day so she could work.
