Day 2: Nelson and Merci

Yesterday's friend was supposed to come easy, but of course that will probably never be true.  It wasn't until 9 at night that I met Nelson.  He and his wife run a small Mexican/Salvadorian restaurant that we have frequented a couple of times.  When the idea was mentioned to go there I was less than enthusiastic, but knowing that it would provide a good opportunity I gave it a chance.

Nelson (age 45) spent his first 15 years in El Salvador.  At age 13, when his father discovered that he was playing soccer instead of attending school, he was ordered to either go to school, get a job, or move out. He chose to get a job and from that young age he became an adult.  He was marriage at age 15 and moved to the U.S. that same year.  In California he drove truck for 27 years, then after growing tired of the quickly expanding town they lived in they opted for a move to our home town.  There his wife and him have run the restaurant for the last year and half.  Nelson was quick to inform us that he had only spanked one of his boys twice.  Once was after he was caught with weed in junior high school (his wife was quick to inform us that the outburst qualified more as a beating than spanking).  He said weed was not an issue after that.  They have 

6 grandchildren.