On A Daily Basis I Prepare Around Fifty Lunches

"On A Daily Basis I Prepare Around Fifty Lunches" / Cubanet

Ay mi'jo, I would die of shame if I told you the things I've had to do,
to earn a living (…) Fortunately, the best thing about working on my own
is that even though beginnings are hard and there are always
difficulties, I have managed to find my business (…)

Since I'm from Bauta [municipality about 25 miles southwest of Havana] I
have to get up early almost every day, from Monday to Saturday, to be in
Havana from 7 to 8 AM at a friend's house who rents me her kitchen in
Cerro. Then I have until noon to cook the food I'll sell, and I have to
make it well (…)

On a daily basis I prepare around fifty lunches. I put them in the
containers I have, and around noon I go and sell them at a taxi stop by
Parque de la Fraternidad.

Afterwards, I'll go back to my friend's house and prepare for the next
day, buying anything I might need, or defrosting and seasoning meat. In
the afternoon, I'm off to Bauta once again (…)

It's been like that for five years (…) I've always been a dreamer, with
many hopes and aspirations, but now at my age I try to not expect much
from the future. Better to have it surprise me.

Translated by Leidy Johana Gonzalez and Brenda Rivera

Source: "On A Daily Basis I Prepare Around Fifty Lunches" / Cubanet –
Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/on-a-daily-basis-i-prepare-around-fifty-lunches-cubanet/