my favourite thing about the country of canada when i moved here as a youth was taco bell in montgomery, located conveniently at the edge of town next to the super loud and often perilous-to-cross transcanada highway this was the first place i ever saw a photo of a chihuaha, the first time i had to the opportunity to taste the pseudo-mexican fare so beloved by gringos the world over, and later on the only place i had enough cash to eat out in. ever since i first wondered 'what is a taco, and what does it have to do with a bell' this has been a spiritual place for me.
a couple of weeks ago i was the in the neighbourhood, with my last $4 in pocket, my bike functioning so poorly i walked it downhill, and my supply of various smokable items running very low i nonetheless had a smile on my face because i knew i actually would be able to eat due to the proximity of the world's greatest restaurant.
to paraphrase porter wagoners country music classic
a satisfied mindwhich was presumably heard in many taco bells during the 1960s 'suddenly it happened, i lost taco bell'
it looked open but only one car was in the parking lot, and then suddenly it happened i read the sign saying that taco bell would be closed 'forever'. the sign conveniently and politely stated that taco bell was available in some apparently nearby neighbourhood i've never heard of.
whether i die from my own self-negligence, old age, or a snake hunting accident far from medical attention, i know taco bell in montgomery will be my last fond remembrance.
i hope that other taco bell locations will provide the same sort welcoming, affordable, and filling memories for other foreigners seeking a less shitty life, but they can never be seen as the same beacon of hope in my eyes as this one.
if i get to heaven and st. peter is not wearing a taco bell uniform i will know it's nothing but hell in disguise
