Putting her life together

MATTAWA — When Ken Broda was buying the Tiddaly Diddaly’s sandwich and pizza shop from Anita Brown two years ago on Feb. 1, Anita recommended he keep Alejandra (Ali) Naranjo employed.

“That turned out to be really good advice,” Broda said recently.

According to Broda, Ali does everything that’s asked of her, and then some. She has gone from part time to full time to right-hand man to assistant manager.

Ali is in charge when Broda is gone. She takes care of the business the way he would, Broda said. She’s conscientious, always willing to put forth the extra effort.

That’s really helpful because this is the first business Broda has operated, the first time he’s hired people. So far he’s been fortunate, saying all of the ladies who work at Tiddaly Diddaly’s are model employees.

Ali became a model employee partly because she had no choice. She needed to put a life together for her and her 5- and 4-year-old daughters.

In order to correct a big mistake she made coming out of high school, she broke off a domestic relationship that became abusive.

Actually, Ali has found a home of sorts at Tiddaly Diddaly’s. She thinks of Broda as the father she never knew. He advises her about life.

“I go to him when I need to talk to somebody,” she said.

Ali was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. She was still 2 when her mother came to the U.S. in 1994 with Ali in her arms. She eventually learned she and her mother left Mexico to get away from her father.

Ali and her mother came directly to Mattawa, where the mother had family. Ali grew up here, graduating from Wahluke High School in 2009. She was planning on college.

Then Ali made the big mistake. She moved in with her longtime boyfriend. Her mother advised her not to, but she was in love, and he was kind. She enjoyed that relationship more than the one with her mother.

“I thought we were going to get married,” she said.

Ali moved in, and the boyfriend changed. He started running with his friends and leaving her at home with no transportation and no minutes on her phone. Then she had to stay home with one baby, then two babies.

“We had no money. He wouldn’t work, and he wouldn’t let me work,” Ali said.

Then the boyfriend became physical. After a few assaults, Ali realized she needed to get out of the relationship.

But she was afraid of the boyfriend catching her and beating her. She was even more afraid of having no place to live, no car and no money with two little girls to feed.

Finally, in 2012 Ali had the courage to act. After yet another physical incident, her live-in fell asleep. She went to another room to quietly call the sheriff’s office.

Three deputies arrived within a half-hour. At her request, they removed the boyfriend. At the risk of having to hear, “I told you so,” Ali went to her mother for refuge. The “I told you so” happened, but Ali’s mother took her in for a couple of months while she made other arrangements.

Ali lives near her mother now, and the two are building a new relationship. Both avoid bringing up topics that will cause discomfort.

Ali went to work in the orchards the summer of 2012. She saved $900 and bought a small car in October. She taught herself to drive, studied the driver’s manual and got her license in December, scoring 87 on the written exam.

Also in October, Ali went to Brown and asked her for a job. She had no restaurant experience, but Brown liked her attitude and her demeanor.

“She has a great personality,” Broda said. “It’s perfect for serving the public.”

Brown said she’d think on it. Ali was about to go job hunting the next day, but Brown called before she could leave home. Brown asked her to come to the sandwich shop at 11 a.m. so they could talk.

“Oh my God, I have a job!” Ali exclaimed to herself.

Brown said she would show Ali everything there was to do at Tiddaly Diddaly’s and, if she still wanted the job, she’d be hired. She was hired.

Ali started as a part time employee and was still working 20-25 hours when Broda took over. Broda eventually bumped her up to 35-40 hours, sometimes more, and she’s excited about the future.

“I really like Tiddaly Diddaly’s,” Ali said. “Even when I don’t work, I like being here. My life and the lives of my daughters have improved.”

Ali plans to work at Tiddaly Diddaly’s as long as Broda wants her. And she plans to go to college online so she can keep working. She has no particular career plan for after college. She just wants to be more educated.

“I used to feel scared,” Ali said. “Now I feel relieved.”