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In memory of Gregory, RIP January 2018

Gregory came to the United States in 1979. Having a difficult and deprived childhood in El Salvador made him realize that he wanted a better life. At the age of 17, he arrived in New York with his best friend, Marco. Nothing was easy for them. They found many barriers, including finding shelter and learning a totally new language, but their hopes of a better life and opportunities never stopped them from overcoming the challenges they encountered.

Gregory and Marco found jobs at a construction site in Queens, and soon they were able to rent a room in the Bronx, where the rent was cheaper. At first, they were able to go to bodegas to get bread, milk, and eggs, since that type of food is ready to grab and pay for without the necessity of speaking English well.

Every day, Gregory and Marco took the 6 train from the Bronx and transferred to the 7 train. When they left the station, they had to walk about 10 blocks to get to the construction site. On the way, they passed a few stores, supermarkets, and restaurants. There was a particular restaurant that always caught their attention. It had a big crystal window that was always steamy, but they were able to see through it. Aligned on a big horizontal pole were a few chickens being roasted, and underneath the chickens there were trays with a variety of rice, meat, and pasta. The smell of a proper home-cooked meal that came through the open door made Gregory’s and Marco’s stomachs rumble. They wanted to try that rotisserie chicken so badly, but they had no idea how to ask for it in English.

The next day, they decided to learn how to ask for the chicken in English. Gregory bought a composition book and a pack of pencils at the local 99-cent store and brought them to the construction site. Some of the workers had been living in New York longer, so they were able to help Gregory and Marco write the proper question. Gregory and Marco were very happy. They could not wait for the day’s work to end so they could finally go to the restaurant and ask for that chicken.

At the restaurant, Gregory and Marco went inside, and Gregory proudly pulled out his notebook from his backpack. But before he even said anything, the person behind the counter asked, “¿Cómo puedo ayudarlos, muchachos?” in Spanish. In English, “How may I help you guys?” Gregory and Marco looked at each other and started to laugh. They never thought that it wouldn’t be necessary for them to learn how to ask for food in English.

After that, Gregory’s composition book became his special tool. He wrote down all the sentences and questions he and his friend needed on a daily basis. Soon after, they found a school that taught English as a second language. At the end of the course, Marco moved to Florida, and Gregory found a job in a cargo transport company in New Jersey. Even though they took different paths in life, they learned a very valuable lesson: If you work hard for something, you can achieve your goals.

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Linda Parada was born in 1982 in San Salvador, El Salvador, and came to New York in 2008. She married and gave birth to her son, Matthew. She ran her first NYC Marathon in 2018. She believes that running is a fun way to spend time with her son (who sometimes runs races with her), stay healthy, and inspire others. She studies at the Hunter College SPELL program, with teacher Ruby Taylor MacBride.