Just Because You are a Sushi Chef, It Doesn’t Mean You Know More About the Tuna Than a Fishmonger

(Image by272447from Pixabay)

“Hey, who the hell is that?”

Mako shouted as we looked outside our restaurant, Miyako Sushi. A dark-skinned man came out of a white GMC cargo van in the parking lot.

“Is that a customer? Why don’t you go and tell him we are closed, Kaz?” Mako told me.

Out of the front door, I walked to meet the mysterious man in the parking lot.

“Do you need Tuna?” a Latino man with a mustache in the mid-30s smiled before.

I lost my words for a moment. Tuna was not the word I was expecting to hear from him.

“What?” I shouted. I knew what he said. “Tuna?”

“Yes, Tuna. Do you want to buy some Tuna? I have a lot on my van.

I sell them. Would you like to take a look?”

The man didn’t sound suspicious, but my mind couldn’t process what was happening.

Why would this man be selling Tuna in our parking lot? That’s not how we buy Tuna. Besides, what do Latino know about Tuna for Sushi?

“Who are you?” I asked.

“My name is Rubio. My brother and I sell Tuna we get from San Pedro.”

“Oh, I see.”

Okay, this is starting to make more sense now.

“No need to buy, just to look, please. Maybe you like them. Tell me what you think.” Rubio kept talking.

“I understand. Let me ask the Head Chef if he is interested. Please wait here.”

I turned around and started to walk back toward the restaurant. Through the front window, I could see Akio and Mako looking at each other and shaking their heads.

“I dunno,” Akio said, looking at Rubio and his van.

“He has a van full of Tuna,” I said. “He seems nice.”

Wait a minute. Whose side am I on?

I realized Akio and Mako’s suspicion lifted mine away.

(Continue reading here.)

Subscribe the weekly newsletter to get updates.