Aguilar: A Home Well-hidden
by Debra Wall
Rocky Encinias, owner of Rock House Café, was engaged in conversation at a table with two women and a man, his wife, sister-in-law and bother-in-law. After the waitress informed Encinias who I was, his brother-in-law indirectly let me know who he was.
I'm at two o'clock, Gary Ringo, owner of Ringo's Food Market, said. I felt a little disadvantaged, like everyone knew who I was, but I had no clue who they were.
Encinias showed me to a nearby table, and after serving me some coffee, he went back and sat at his table and engaged in the conversation taking place at that moment.
Aguilar,
a former mining town, is very much a family-oriented community. It is impossible
to move in unless you have family or want to buy property up in the foothills--like
the Californians. It seems no one lives here unless they grew up or visited
relatives in the town. Encinias moved to Aguilar because of his family. Ringo
didn't grow up in Aguilar, but it was family who influenced his decision to
finally settle in. It seems you aren't allowed to live in the town unless
you
have some kind of family connection.
You are
more than welcome to visit anytime, but don't expect to stay overnight unless
you have family, or you make a new friend who will offer you his or her spare
bedroom for the night. You will be bedless without one of these connections
because there are no hotels, motels, cottages or shacks for rent to be found
anywhere.
These two
men became brothers-in-law because their wives lived in the small town. After
making the town their homes, both men opened businesses, and both have both
been fortunate in their endeavors.
When Encinias
moved to the area, there wasn't a restaurant to speak of, so he decided to open
a café. On Dec 25, 2002, he swung the doors open to the Rock House Café,
which features Mexican food. Ringo's Food Market, on the other hand, has served
the community since 1981.
During our
visit, Ringo keeps greeting people who come into the café. Because of
his cordialness, I assume he knows everyone in the café; however, I was
informed that neither one of the men knew every person in the place.
Moving in
from out-of-state, many people are calling the foothills at the edge of Aguilar
home. Not mingling with the town folk often, these newcomers are not well known
yet. Not having the opportunity to acquaint themselves with many newcomers,
Encinias and Ringo speculate about the newcomers journey to the quiet hills
of Aguilar.
It is assumed they are selling their California mansions and coming out here
to build multimillion-dollar homes in the foothills. People cautiously speak
about the new foothills residents. Whether it's to protect their business dealings
or reputation, no one wants to talk much about their new neighbors.
Being a
ranching community, Aguilar residents have animosity toward big-city folk. Some
are offended that the “implants” are buying good ranch land with
no intention of working it.
"Implants
force a city way of life on ranchers," said Gary Mestas, a 41-year Aguilar
resident. They are taking land from ranchers.
After my
visit with the two men, Ringo and I sauntered next door, so I could check out
his business. Although he has a grocery monopoly, he supplies his customers
with many of the choices they would find in a bigger city, but he offers them
a bonus-homemade sausage (a sausage recipe that has been in the family for 100
years that you can't get it anywhere else).
