Tragedy follows some people like a ghastly shadow, and one poor soul has suffered loss on a scale we can only hope we’ll never know: This man has outlived every taqueria he’s ever loved.
It takes incredible strength to go on in the face of such unthinkable grief.
Gaze deep into Alexander Sull’s haunted eyes, and you will glimpse a sorrow seldom beheld in even the most soul-stirring Pietà—at only 30 years old, he’s already mourned the untimely closure of no fewer than six of his favorite taco places. To outlive just one beloved taqueria is a terrible thing. To outlive two seems more than any soul can bear. But for Sull to have six times had the giddy bliss of tasty, affordable tacos snatched away from him; six times watched helplessly as his taqueria of choice succumbed to the wasting ravages of increased rents; six times averted brimming eyes as construction workers gutted his sweet taqueria’s lifeless shell to make way for a fast casual salad place; that is a fate so cruel as to make all the tribulations of Job seem but a stubbed toe in comparison.
“Felipe’s, El Burro Loco, La Victoria… sometimes at night I still find myself reaching absentmindedly into the fridge, hoping to find their insanely good tacos al pastor waiting for me there,” lamented Sull softly in the hollow whisper of a man with no more tears to shed. “But my cold hands grasp only air. Those taquerias are closed. Their colorful Jarritos have gone where I cannot drink them. Their festive Mexican music is swallowed up by deafening silence. In vain my lips yearn for the warmth of their tender barbacoa beef, for that is my curse—to grieve as many taquerias as I am foolish enough to love.”
Jesus, your heart breaks for the guy.
We truly hope Sull can find a delicious taqueria to spend the rest of his life frequenting, but at this point the specter of devastating loss no doubt hovers over every new taco joint that opens in his neighborhood. Of course, fear of loss shouldn’t keep someone from opening their heart to the wonderful guacamoles and horchatas this world has to offer. But for Sull to have outlived so many amazing taco places already, he probably half wonders whether his love itself isn’t the creeping poison that dooms these taquerias to their fate.
Man, this really reminds you to treasure every moment you have with your favorite taqueria. Here’s hoping that Sull’s tragic misfortune never befalls any of us!
