September 19, Monday

Miriam comes into my kitchen office with a bounce in her step. “You wanted to see me, Eva?”

Her effervescent energy always brings me joy. “Yes, have a seat. How is everything? How is Bruna’s school?”

“She loves it. We’re so happy to be here. Every day when I wake up I thank God.”

“I do too, Miriam. I wanted to talk to you about our plans for a new, casual restaurant. You know the building behind this one, that sits on the road behind us?”

“Yes, I do. I know it’s falling apart and it doesn’t have a roof.” She looks skeptical.

I give her a mischievous look. “Falling apart is a good thing, you know why?”

She looks puzzled. “Not really.”

“Because we bought it for almost nothing. We’re going to renovate it and it will be kind of a snack bar, but with high-quality food. And we’ll feature live acoustic music, nothing loud or jangly. For sipping a drink and listening, not dancing and getting rowdy.” I laugh.

Miriam nods. “That’s a great idea! What will you call it?”

“Meia-Lua. Since it’s a sister bistro to Jaxi.”

“’Half a Moon!’! I like that.”

I lean forward in my chair. “Here’s the important thing. I want you to be the manager.”

She giggle-shrieks just like she did as a child. “A manager! I’m only just learning to be a line cook. I don’t think I’m ready.”

I pat her on the arm. “You’re smart, you have common sense, you’re honest and you work hard. You’ll be my right arm at Meia-Lua. I know you can do it. Besides, it’s going to take us six months to be ready to open. The seating will be covered but outdoors, so really we only have to do kitchen construction. But there are a couple of other pieces to the puzzle, and if you don’t want to do it after I tell you about them, that’s absolutely fine.”

She looks at me with rapt attention. “I want to do it, Eva. I just don’t want to disappoint you.”

I shake my head. “You won’t disappoint me. Here is the first thing. Kai has decided he wants to work in the family business. I’d rather he went to college, but I told him we’d do a trial run. He understands he has to start out as dishwasher and work his way up. But my goal is for him to have some responsibility at Meia-Lua.”

She nods. “Of course, that’s fine, great in fact. Kai is a good kid.”

“Here’s the second thing. I’m going to build out Meia-Lua as a full kitchen, and we will run a new operation for feeding the hungry out of it. The Catholic church just north of here on the beach will handle distribution. We just have to prepare the food.”

Miriam has tears in her eyes. “Oh Eva, this is God’s work and it will be an honor. I will do my very best, I promise you.”

I give her a big hug. “I know you will, querida. I know you will.”