Gerardo and I are coming from Antara Polanco, where we watched a movie because we can watch movies cheaply every Wednesday there. He is driving the car and suddenly asking me, “Have you done your mission?”

“What kind of mission? Do I have a new mission?”

“Of course, man! You have a very important mission. You have to ask Andrea out to obtain some information. I want to know what she likes because I’m planning to buy a Christmas present for her. And I want to go out with her again, man!”

I am laughing, “Again, idiot! I’ve been out with her and gotten some information for you a couple of times already; I have asked her out three times past two weeks. We went out together two times, but you didn’t make any move, idiot! What else do you want from me? If you like her so much as you said, why don’t you ask her out by yourself? My mission is over!”

“What? Son of bitch! I let you stay at my apartment free; I’m feeding you. You want me to throw your mattress out from the window? Do you want to sleep on the street tonight? Ha-ha-ha…. I’m asking you a favor, man. Just ask her out again and go somewhere together to get more information. Tell her about my good things – tell her how pure I am. Tell her that I’ve never cheated on any women in my whole life, because she thinks I always change girls and have never fallen in love with anyone sincerely. No, my friend, tell her about Maria – tell her how I was passionately in love with her and how faithful I was. You know about all my love affairs. Just let her know I am a good person. Tell her I’m very pure, and my heart is in the right place.”

He raises his right hand, “La cuenta, por favor.”

“Shogo, you know, when I was in Canada, my fellow construction workers said foolish things to me and insulted me,” he spills out the ill feeling, “Canadians couldn’t understand why I came to Canada to work as a construction worker, because they thought I was a complete loser in Mexico; they couldn’t realize I went there to work as a construction worker with my own free will. They simply presumed that I couldn’t find any job in my own country because they thought Mexico is the poor country. They thought I hadn’t gotten enough education, and I didn’t have money, so I came to Canada to find an opportunity to start a new life. They thought I was a sorry immigrant. And on top of it all, they congratulated me on getting a job as a construction worker, saying, ‘You have no choice, you have to take this kind of low jobs, because you don’t have any education and can’t speak good English, so it’s impossible for you to get a good job here as well as in Mexico.’ Shogo, I was so mad at them and couldn’t control myself. I know money, education, car, and such material things are nothing and what I said to them was so foolish, but that moment I simply couldn’t control my rage and hurled at them, ‘Look, man, you’d better know I came to Canada and took this job with my own free will. I chose to come here. In Mexico I drove BMW; I had a nice house; I graduated from Tecnologica de Monterrey, which is the best university in Mexico by the way. Also I had a good job and had a good salary in Mexico. I can live better life in Mexico than you, guys, here. I wanted to have a new experience. For that reason, I decided to come here.’ I am ashamed what I said to them now, but that moment I simply couldn’t compose my anger, you know, because most people thinks Mexicans are poor, have no education, and can’t have a good life. This is not true, Shogo. We can have a good life; we have more energy in life than Canadians, Americans, Europeans, and so on. Moreover, they ridiculed me, ‘You, dirty Mexican! Where is your sombrero? Where is your donkey? Where is your mustache?’ I couldn’t accept such insults, so I hit them.”

“No, I don’t believe you. I think you exaggerated it too much. I know you, Jorgito. You are a very peaceful person – you can’t even hurt a fly. No, my friend, I don’t believe you. You didn’t hit them, ha-ha-ha….”

“Shogo, I did! I really hit them! I think you don’t know about me yet,” he says excitedly.

“Yeah, maybe, I don’t know about your aggressive side yet,” I am laughing.

“Shogo, you don’t know about my dangerous side yet, MY DENGEROUS SIDE, ha-ha-ha….”

A bright smile is spreading on his face, and he utters joyfully, “You know, Shogo, the first time I talked to you, I felt so comfortable. Before I met you, I couldn’t be true myself to anyone and couldn’t talk with anyone freely about what was in my mind. You know, those stupid guys out there, but you are so similar to me. We are the same kind, Shogo. I can talk to you freely everything under the sun; I feel so comfortable to talk with you always; I can be true myself with you all the time. I always feel being alive with you. Do you understand what I’m talking about or you’re just saying ‘Yes’ to everything that I’ve said?”

I am nodding in order to let him know that I have perfectly understood what he has said: “Go on Jorgito. I feel the same way as you do.”

“Shogo, I really think God has put you in my life, so that I can understand I’m not alone feeling in this particular way on this earth. You know, this is a very good feeling to know someone utterly thinks the same way as I do. You’re right – maybe, we don’t have money as ordinary people who never take a risk, but we’ve had extraordinary experiences in our lives. Likewise, I’ve been in many countries and had marvelous experiences. Remember, Shogo, I quit the job in order to go to Canada to work as a construction worker. Everyone told me that I was dumb to throw out the good job to be a construction worker in Canada. However, these three months, I’d had the great time and incredible experiences. I had never thought I would be working as a construction worker after turning to be thirty years old. If I thought about life like mediocrities, I would never have such wonderful experiences. It’s a lofty feeling to work under the sun once in your life, you know. Oh yeah, I am grateful for being made in this way. I am truly grateful to God for everything that has happened to my life.”

“Are you sure, Shogo?”

“Positive.”

He looks into my eyes squarely, “If you say you know what you’re doing, I am relieved and believe you. I just want to make sure whether everything is okay with you. You have the apartment and the office to write, so just I thought why Shogo doesn’t get started? But now I understand, my friend, and will wait patiently.”

“How about you, Jorgito? How is your business going on?”

The food is served, and he eats like a beast of nature, “Sorry, Shogo, I’m starving. The food is very delicious, eh?”

“Yes, my friend. Very delicious and cheap indeed.”

He wipes his lips with a napkin and replies, “I’m building three houses in Toluca right now, as I told you. Of course, I have some problems, but I can’t complain because at least I am free to enjoy eating lunch with you. You know, I am a little bit worried about whether I can sell houses soon because I don’t have enough money now. I know, Shogo, thinking about money is stupid, but living in this frivolous society system, we need money, you know. If I want to go to Excess to enjoy dancing with sexy vaginas, I need money, ha-ha-ha… I need to fill my gas to go to Toluca, need money to pay a rent, bills, etc. I need money to buy some food; you know, everything requires money. I hate this foolish society system. I try to enjoy my life, but always stupid money makes me anxious.”

I drink water and say, “I completely understand how you feel. Frankly, I don’t have much money now either, but I’m so content with few possessions because how many Japanese have a wonderful friends like me? How many Japanese have the opportunities to have such great experiences like me? How many Japanese have the privilege to stay in Mexico for gratis to be granted to do what they want to do for their lives? A few or none.”

“Of course, no Japanese have such wonderful experiences like you – I guess you are the only Japanese, who has the great opportunity to stay in Mexico without worrying about anything, because you have good Mexican friends. And this is your seventh time to come here. You are almost Mexican, man, ha-ha-ha… you’re really enjoying your life and living on extraordinary life, Shogo.”

“You are right, my friend – if I worked in Japan and never quit my job to take a vacation, I might’ve had enough money to enjoy luxuriating, but I would never experience what I have been through and couldn’t have built good friendships with Gerardo, Ramon, and you. I am thankful to God for having a free spirit and not being obsessed with money. You, too, my friend, before quitting your job, you were constantly depressed and never had time to enjoy your life; however, you now have time to enjoy spending time with me or whatever your heart desires to do, because you are your own boss, and you’re living your life in your own sweet way. You might not have enough money, but you have your own life and time to enjoy. I suppose it’s everything.”

I am on my way to the office because Jorgito asked me to have a lunch with him. His father owns the office, where he usually works and which is indeed very near to my apartment, five minutes by walking and actually just crossing the bridge to the other side of street. When I come into the office, he says with a radiant smile, “Hey Shogo, how are you doing? I am so glad to have you in Mexico. I am starving, let’s eat something, man.”

“I’m happier than ever, Jorgito. How is your job? Is everything okay?”

We are walking to a restaurant. “Shogo, you know I can’t complain about my circumstances. Watch out the cars, Shogo. Here is not Japan. Nobody stops for you because Mexicans don’t care about pedestrians. You know, I can’t complain because I’m working for myself now, so I have time to have a lunch with you. If I was employed, I wouldn’t enjoy spending time with you on weekdays. Here is the restaurant. Sit there, Shogo.”

“Here looks very nice. How much is the food?”

“Just forty pesos, my friend. Very cheap, eh?  What do you like to order? Shogo, here is the menu.”

“I’ll order Copa do pasta, arroz, y pehoga cordon bleu.”

“So Shogo, tell me how is your writing going on? Did you write anything today?”

“No, my friend. I was reading a book at Starbucks.”

“Shogo, you have a lot of time now, so why don’t you start writing?”

“Because I need more time to study and improve myself, my friend. Probably in two weeks, I’ll start writing.”

“But I think you should start writing your book right now. Why don’t you try to write something after lunch? I am a bit worried about you.”

“Don’t be, Jorgito. And I know exactly what I’m doing, so give me more time. I’m waiting for inspiration.”