Hey, guys, this is the first chapter of My Oc so far I thought of making this story for a long time now especially with an Oc that knows Latin cuisine some of the recipes I have tried and are apart of my own culture since I'm Latina so I hope you will like it and enjoy this chapter. I'll also be adding a few translations since my Oc will have a habit of Speaking Spanish when she's upset or angry.
Chapter 1
'Just another normal day working in this food truck as always it's a bit busy preparing things before we open ' fifteen-year-old girl with long dark hair and light green eyes thought to chop some tomatoes on the cutting board with ease, she swiftly then moved to chop the other vegetables in the bowl having the diced tomatoes, the red onions, a bit of jalapeno with a fresh squeeze of lime, sprinkling with fresh cilantro and ending it with some salt and pepper.
'My name is Luna Rosario and I just turned fifteen. I've been cooking almost all my life, I learned to use a knife at a very young age. I love to cook especially Latin cuisine. My dream is to see this food truck shine and open a restaurant so that I can see more people smile. I had tried to convince my mother to let me go to Totsuki academy but she refused, telling me that I should find other things to do but my grandmother always encourages me to give it a try despite my mother's protest. ' Luna thought 'My mother owns the truck she let me work in it since I can remember, I work here and someone close to me wanted to get a job helping me.'
" Angel! Where are those shrimps?!" Luna asked while pulling out a container that had some corn tortillas, she turns her head seeing one boy a few years older than her with headphones on who was humming along with the beat, she glared at him she immediately took off his headphones and yelled in his ear in Spanish. " Angel! Donde Estan esos Camarones!"
"OW! Not so loud! Chica!" Angel muttered rubbing his ears. ( Chica Means girl)
'This is Angel, he's a few years older than me and my best friend, he knows a few things about cooking because his father worked in the kitchen with my father...Angel is very organized, he loves music which is why he always wears those headphones. ' Luna looked at Angel as he rubbed his ear. 'My mom told me that my father left us to follow his career. Since then I haven't seen my father, I don't remember what he looks like but I do know that he's the one that taught me to cook from the very begining i remembered him saying that Totsuki Academy helps makes the students become a great chef..'
" I asked you where you put the shrimp! Deja esos audífonos y Escucha me!" She snapped (Stop using those headphones and listen to me!)
"Te escuche! Te escuche Estan alli! " Angel said pointing at the cooler. (I heard you, I heard you it's over there!)
"Thank you." She said
"You know..I think you can do so much better out there, Luna."Angel started.
"Angel stop that, you know I want to go but..who's going to help Mami and Abuelita? This truck is in my mom's name it's at least bringing in some extra money that we need it's bad enough that she had to raise me alone, Abuelita just got here a month ago because we're her only family. "Luna said, "Besides even if I do go there you don't know if they'll even try my food."
"You won't know unless you try, my dad went there when he was your age and well..they didn't seem to like it that much, they flat out rejected him."He stopped letting out a sigh."Some of those rich snobs might not know what real Latin food tastes like unless if it's made by one of our own people or even if they learn how to make it they need to learn on how to control the spices since they're not used to it."
"It would be nice to bring some Latin spice in that place..but Mami and Abuelita...Mami doesn't want me to even be a chef..if it wasn't for abuelita to convince her to let me work here."Luna started until Angel stopped her.
"I know."Angel said, "At least think about it Luna, please?"
A small smile formed her lips."Okay, I'll think about it."Luna said She placed the knife down and picked up the notepad."Let's open this place!"
Angel nodded and saw Luna out the door taking orders from the people waiting in line. 'I think she would do well in that place.' He thought.
"Luna, can you go to the market? we need more cilantro and bring whatever fruit they have to make some agua fresca." Angel asked
"I'm on it!"Luna aid eagerly walking out the door.
'I know she loves this.' Angel thought
Once Luna walked to the market which took about a ten-minute walk she explored the stalls that each vendor was selling different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Her green eyes glinted and sparkled seeing the ingredients, her hands checked on some fresh strawberries looking at the little red jewels taking a bite on one enjoying the sweetness, the vendor got mad at first until she ordered four packages and paid for them.
'Everything looks so good!'Luna thought to pick up a few ripe avocados.
Meanwhile at the food truck…..
Angel was almost finishing up with the prep work.
"Mijo! Donde esta mi nieta?" An older woman with salt and pepper hair asked holding a cane. (Boy, where is my granddaughter?)
"Oh…uh…Ella se fue a hacerme un favor." Angel replied (She went to do me a favor.)
"I'm back!" Luna said she was surprised seeing her grandmother there. "Abuelita! Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing wrong."She replied "Queria verte nada mas." ( I wanted to see you that's all.)
"Okay…" Luna said She knows her grandmother had tried to learn English since she got here but sometimes switches back to Spanish she didn't mind at all since Luna had the same habit only when she gets mad. "Take a seat and relax, I'll make you your favorite."
Her grandmother smiled as she nodded walking out taking a seat.
"You're going to make her the usual?"Angel asked
"Yeah, but with a twist,"Luna replied taking out a red ribbon and swiftly tied her hair into a high ponytail.
Angel nodded he started making the juice occasionally glancing at Luna. He watched while she cooked taking out a container that had some type of fish marinating in some type of citrus juice she had done two hours earlier to let the flavors seep into the fish, She started adding in the fresh chopped jalapeño, tomatoes, and red onions. She was fully concentrated with a small smile formed her lips taking out a small jar of spice. Once she lightly mixed the ingredients she took out a spoon and tasted the mix with a nod she continued.
The plating she had decided on putting it in a simple plastic cocktail glass letting the colors present itself nothing over the top very simple yet classy making it look so appetizing, she sprinkled a bit of chopped cilantro and avocado. She did the same for the other two cocktail glasses before even serving it she tasted one of the glass one last time.
"It's done," Luna said taking the dish and walked out the door, she placed the plate in front of her grandmother with a smile. "Here's your usual a ceviche but I decided to add a bit of a twist on it so Enjoy."
Her grandmother nodded seeing the simple plating. "It looks good, the colors are making me feel excited the importance it's on how it taste."She said
Luna watched as her grandmother took a spoonful of the ceviche. She waited for her grandmother to say something, anything but there was complete silence. She got nervous now, usually, her grandmother would say that it's missing something a little more lime or more seasonings she wanted her to say something already!
"It is refreshing, it is eye catching and the flavor improved."She started "Did you use allspice in this?"
"Yes, I did add a pinch of it. I thought it would help to mellow out the sourness from the marinated fish."Luna explained
"It tastes better than the last dish you gave me." Her grandmother said
Luna smiled suddenly her cell phone rang she looked at the screen recognizing the number.
"Hello, mom." Luna answered
"Luna, where are you?"
"I'm at the truck, with Abuelita,"Luna replied
"I thought I told you that you need to study today, Angel can handle it on his own."
"But mom-"
"No buts You're finishing up middle school, you have to start thinking about your future."She said
"Mom I already thought of that i-"
"Don't tell me that you want to keep working at the truck? We talked about this."She said, "I said it's okay as a part-time job but once you reached High school you have to study hard to pick a more reasonable job in the future."
"But mom I want to-"
"No! I don't want you slaving away in the kitchen and abandon your responsibilities just like your father did! Remember he left us to pursue his career not caring about you or me."She said with anger. "I only decided to open the truck to get the money together for your future."
Luna tighten her phone she bit her lower lip it was the same story that her mother had told her everytime that Luna wanted to even pursue the culinary field her mother would bring up the same story of her father that he abandoned them for fame and fortune, Her grandmother saw the look on Luna's face. Before Luna could say anything her grandmother took her cellphone.
"Go help him, I'll talk to her."She said smiling at her.
"Okay.."Luna mumbled Her grandmother started talking to her while Luna ran inside the truck. A few minutes later her grandmother handed back the cellphone giving her a gentle and caring smile.
After an entire day of working non stop the sun was setting a bit a clear sign that they decided to close up. Luna cleaned the utensils that they used, when she was done she saw that her grandmother came back to pick her up, it was like that every day, they would walk to go home and just talk about their day.
"Luna, I'm going to do something can you finish up until I get back?"Angel asked
"Yeah, I'll finish up until then."Luna said with a smile.
Angel left as Luna let out a sigh looking at the clean and immaculate kitchen. 'I want to do this but…'Luna thought her eyes glanced at her case that had her kitchen knives.
"Luna…I know that you want to be a cook."She said, "Your mother doesn't see it as a dream job.."
"But it's my dream job..every day I see people smile eating our food, I want to keep making people smile like that. "Luna replied "When I see them smile it just makes me happy too, and it makes me want to try harder to see more smiles. That's why I want to go and do the entrance exam to that academy…but I can't leave unless if my mother or someone in my family signs the papers letting me go apply there."
"Tu eres su hija.." her grandmother mumbled ( You are his daughter…)
"Huh?"Luna tilted her head.
"I want you to have this."She said handing her a silver pendant. "I planned to give you that when you start high school but think of it as a early gift."
Luna held the pendant in her hand in awe looking at the teardrop pendant.
"Y esto Tambien."She added ( And this too.) Handing her an envelope. Luna opened it seeing a lot of money in it. "I saved every penny i had from my pension …It's for your studies."
"Huh? But I can't accept it Abuelita."Luna said handing the envelope back but her grandmother refused.
"That money is for your studies, I want you to go there to study."She said
"But what about mom.."Luna started
"I convinced her to let you go there, she said if you fail then you go straight home."She said "I told her she's going to wait a long time, She still doesn't like you becoming a cook, but you don't budge and do something else…Ella es muy obstinada pero tu Tambien eres." ( She is very stubborn but so are you.)
There you guys have it! Please leave a review and tell me what you guy think!