Nacho

Pedro and Raul helped to clean up inside their father's Mexican Restaurant after a rather busy Cinco de Mayo celebration. Pedro wiped down the tables, and Raul washed dishes in the kitchen. It was the fifth of May, and Raul and Pedro's father, Jose, held a "Half-price Tacos" and a "Half-price Margaritas" promotion for Cinco de Mayo at his restaurant, "Casa del Sol", and they had a big influx of customers. But closing time inevitably came at 8o' clock that night.

Raul washed the dishes, cleaned the stove and counter tops, and mopped the kitchen floor. Pedro bussed and wiped down the tables, watered the plants, and swept and mopped the dining area floor while their mother Rosa took down the decorations and Jose tallied Receipts.

After they were done, Pedro and Raul grabbed two trash bags stuffed to the brink of bursting and opened the back door to the dumpster in the alley when they heard a "Meow!" noise coming from the inside of the dumpster.

"Did you hear that?" Raul asked his brother.

"It sounded like it came from inside the Dumpster..." Pedro confirmed.

Pedro opened the lid, and there was a tied burlap sack that was moving around from the inside in the dumpster. Raul, being the taller one, leaned in, grabbed the burlap sack, and gently and carefully set the bag on the ground.

Pedro untied the sack, and inside was a Cat, no more than 5 months old.

"Meow?" muttered the Cat.

"Awww, it's a kitty cat!" Pedro said.

"Meow!"

"I bet he's thirsty, I'll get him some water!" Raul said, creeping softly back into the kitchen.

Pedro held out his hand for the Cat to sniff. The Cat sniffed his hand, then licked Pedro's palm.

"I like you too!" Pedro said.

Raul came out again, careful not to make too much noise or sudden movements, this time with a bowl of water.

The boys stepped back, giving the Kitty Cat space to drink in peace.

Raul quietly walked back into the kitchen. A few moments later, he came back out with a paper plate full of leftover shredded Chicken. Raul slowly set down the plate of Chicken and stepped back. The boys smiled as they watched the Kitty Cat.

"Meow! Meow!"

"He sure is cute!" Raul said.

The Cat sat down on the ground and licked it's tummy clean, and that's when they noticed that the Cat was a girl kitty.

"Oh, It's a SHE!" Pedro said.

"What should we call her?" Raul asked.

"How about Fanta?" Pedro suggested.

No response from the Cat.

"Maybe we could call her Salsa?" Raul suggested

Still no response from the Cat.

"Maybe we could call her Mimosa?" Raul suggested.

Still no response from the Cat.

"How about we call her Nacho?" Pedro suggested.

"Meow!!" replied the Cat.

The Cat then walked up to the two boys and snuggled with the brothers.

"...Then it's settled, your name will be Nacho!" Pedro said.

Every morning, before Raul and Pedro went to school for the day, and every evening, after the restaurant closed for the day, when Pedro and Raul were done cleaning for the night, they would leave a bowl of water and a plate of leftover meat out for their feline friend, Nacho. They cuddled with Nacho when she had her fill of food and water, but they dared not tell their mom and dad about Nacho, as their dad Jose has a Cat Allergy. The next morning, Pedro and Raul volunteered to take out the trash every day from now on. One night, Raul looked up prices to buy a pop-up Cat House and decided to save his wages up to buy one for Nacho. A few days later, on a sunday, the day the restaurant was closed for the week, Raul rode his bike to the Pet Store and bought the pop-up Cat House. A couple of weeks had gone by, and 15 days later, when Pedro and Raul got ready to go to school, they saw that their feline friend and her Pop-up Cat House had disappeared from the alley.

The brothers were sorely disappointed. They went to school, studied, ate lunch, and played dodgeball in the Gym, but the only thing either of them could think about all day was Nacho, and whether she was okay or if something terrible had happened to her. When School was out for the day, and the bus let them off for the day, Pedro and Raul sullenly walked back to their family's restaurant. They were surprised and slightly confused as to why their father hadn't opened the restaurant for supper hours, yet. They opened the door, and their mom and dad were waiting for them.

"Raul, Pedro, your father and I have a surprise for you!" Rosa told her sons.

"What is it?" Pedro asked.

"Come upstairs..." Jose said.

The parents lead their children upstairs into their house on the second floor of their restaurant, and Raul and Pedro were shocked and overjoyed to find...

"Nacho!?!?!" Raul and Pedro gasped in delight.

The Alley Cat rushed up to her human friends, purring and rubbing up against them, a collar wrapped around her neck.

"How did you guys know?" Pedro asked.

"We had an idea something was up when you two volunteered together to take out the trash, so we installed a camera." Rosa said.

"But isn't Dad allergic to Cats?" Raul said.

"I've decided to take Medicine for that from now on." Jose answered.

"Now then, let's open up the restaurant for the evening, you can take the evening off, we'll handle everything on our own." Jose finished.

A few months later, on November 3rd, Jose had a "Half-Price Tacos and Burritos" Promotional Event to celebrate "Day of the Dead", and they had a big rush of customers. But closing time inevitably came at 8 o' clock that night.

Raul washed the dishes, cleaned the stove and counter tops, and mopped the kitchen floor. Pedro bussed and wiped down the tables, watered the plants, and swept and mopped the dining area floor while their mother Rosa took down the decorations and Jose tallied Receipts.

After they were done, Pedro and Raul grabbed two trash bags stuffed to the brink of bursting and opened the back door to the dumpster in the alley.

After Raul and Pedro walked upstairs one last time for the night, they played and cuddled with their favorite feline friend, Nacho, as they did every morning before school and every night after closing time.