THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET 02.docx
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THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET 02.docx
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THEHOUSEONMANGOSTREET02
07Laughter
NennyandIdon'tlooklikesisters...notrightaway.NotthewayyoucantellwithRachelandLucywhohavethesamefatpopsiclelipslikeeverybodyelseintheirfamily.ButmeandNenny,wearemorealikethanyouwouldknow.Ourlaughterforexample.Nottheshyicecreambells'giggleofRachelandLucy'sfamily,butallofasuddenandsurprisedlikeapileofdishesbreaking.AndotherthingsIcan'texplain.Onedaywewerepassingahousethatlooked,inmymind,likehousesIhadseeninMexico.
Idon'tknowwhy.TherewasnothingaboutthehousethatlookedexactlylikethehousesIremembered.I'mnotevensurewhyIthoughtit,butitseemedtofeelright.
Lookatthathouse,Isaid,itlookslikeMexico.
RachelandLucylookatmelikeI'mcrazy,butbeforetheycanletoutalaugh,Nennysays:
Yes,that'sMexicoallright.That'swhatIwasthinkingexactly.
08Gil'sFurnitureBought&Sold
Thereisajunkstore.Anoldmanownsit.Weboughtausedrefrigeratorfromhimonce,andCarlossoldaboxofmagazinesforadollar.Thestoreissmallwithjustadirtywindowforlight.Hedoesn'tturnthelightsonunlessyougotmoneytobuythingswith,sointhedarkwelookandseeallkindsofthings,meandNenny.Tableswiththeirfeetupside-downandrowsandrowsofrefrigeratorswithroundcornersandcouchesthatspindustintheairwhenyoupunchthemandahundredTV'sthatdon'tworkprobably.Everythingisontopofeverythingsothewholestorehasskinnyaislestowalkthrough.
Youcangetlosteasy.
Theowner,heisablackmanwhodoesn'ttalkmuchandsometimesifyoudidn'tknowbetteryoucouldbeintherealongtimebeforeyoureyesnoticeapairofgoldglassesfloatinginthedark.Nennywhothinkssheissmartandtalkstoanyoldman,askslotsofquestions.Me,IneversaidnothingtohimexceptoncewhenIboughttheStatueofLibertyforadime.
ButNenny,Ihearheraskingonetimehow'sthishereandthemansays,This,thisisamusicbox,andIturnaroundquickthinkinghemeansaprettyboxwithflowerspaintedonit,withaballerinainside.Onlythere'snothinglikethatwherethisoldmanispointing,justawoodboxthat'soldandgotabigbrassrecordinitwithholes.Thenhestartsitupandallsortsofthingsstarthappening.It'slikeallofasuddenheletgoamillionmothsalloverthedustyfurnitureandswan-neckshadowsandinourbones.It'slikedropsofwater.Orlikemarimbasonlywithafunnylittlepluckedsoundtoitlikeifyouwererunningyourfingersacrosstheteethofametalcomb.
AndthenIdon'tknowwhy,butIhavetoturnaroundandpretendIdon'tcareabouttheboxsoNennywon'tseehowstupidIam.ButNenny,whoisstupider,alreadyisaskinghowmuchandIcanseeherfingersgoingforthequartersinherpantspocket.
This,theoldmansaysshuttingthelid,thisain'tforsale.
09MemeOrtiz
MemeOrtizmovedintoCathy'shouseafterherfamilymovedaway.Hisnameisn'treallyMeme.HisnameisJuan.ButwhenweaskedhimwhathisnamewashesaidMeme,andthat'swhateverybodycallshimexcepthismother.
Memehasadogwithgrayeyes,asheepdogwithtwonames,oneinEnglishandoneinSpanish.Thedogisbig,likeamandressedinadogsuit,andrunsthesamewayitsownerdoes,clumsyandwildandwiththelimbsfloppingallovertheplacelikeuntiedshoes.
Cathy'sfatherbuiltthehouseMememovedinto.Itiswooden.Insidethefloorsslant.Someroomsuphill.Somedown.Andtherearenoclosets.Outfronttherearetwenty-onesteps,alllopsidedandjuttinglikecrookedteeth(madethatwayonpurpose,Cathysaid,sotherainwillslideoff),andwhenMeme'smamacallsfromthedoorway,Memegoesscramblingupthetwenty-onewoodenstairswiththedogwithtwonamesscramblingafterhim.
Aroundthebackisayard,mostlydirt,andagreasybunchofboardsthatusedtobeagarage.
Butwhatyouremembermostisthistree,huge,withfatarmsandmightyfamiliesofsquirrelsinthehigherbranches.Allaround,theneighborhoodofroofs,black-tarredandA-framed,andintheirgutters,theballsthatnevercamebackdowntoearth.Downatthebaseofthetree,thedogwithtwonamesbarksintotheemptyair,andthereattheendoftheblock,lookingsmallerstill,ourhousewithitsfeettuckedunderlikeacat.
ThisisthetreewechosefortheFirstAnnualTarzanJumpingContest.Memewon.Andbrokebotharms.
10Louie,HisCousin&HisOtherCousin
DownstairsfromMeme'sisabasementapartmentthatMeme'smotherfixedupandrentedtoaPuertoRicanfamily.Louie'sfamily.Louieistheoldestinafamilyoflittlesisters.Heismybrother'sfriendreally,butIknowhehastwocousinsandthathisT-shirtsneverstaytuckedinhispants.
Louie'sgirlcousinisolderthanus.SheliveswithLouie'sfamilybecauseherownfamilyisinPuertoRico.HernameisMarinorMarisorsomethinglikethat,andshewearsdarknylonsallthetimeandlotsofmakeupshegetsfreefromsellingAvon.Shecan'tcomeout—gottababy-sitwithLouie'ssisters—butshestandsinthedoorwayalot,allthetimesinging,clickingherfingers,thesamesong:
Apples,peaches,pumpkinpah-ay.You'reinloveandsoamah-ay.
Louiehasanothercousin.Weonlysawhimonce,butitwasimportant.WewereplayingvolleyballinthealleywhenhedroveupinthisgreatbigyellowCadillacwithwhitewallsandayellowscarftiedaroundthemirror.Louie'scousinhadhisarmoutthewindow.HehonkedacoupleoftimesandalotoffaceslookedoutfromLouie'sbackwindowandthenalotofpeoplecameout—Louie,Marinandallthelittlesisters.
Everybodylookedinsidethecarandaskedwherehegotit.Therewerewhiterugsandwhiteleatherseats.Weallaskedforarideandaskedwherehegotit.Louie'scousinsaidgetin.
WeeachhadtositwithoneofLouie'slittlesistersonourlap,butthatwasokay.Theseatswerebigandsoftlikeasofa,andtherewasalittlewhitecatinthebackwindowwhoseeyeslitupwhenthecarstoppedorturned.Thewindowsdidn'trolluplikeinordinarycars.Insteadtherewasabuttonthatdiditforyouautomatically.Werodeupthealleyandaroundtheblocksixtimes,butLouie'scousinsaidhewasgoingtomakeuswalkhomeifwedidn'tstopplayingwiththewindowsortouchingtheFMradio.
Theseventhtimewedroveintothealleyweheardsirens...realquietatfirst,butthenlouder.Louie'scousinstoppedthecarrightwherewewereandsaid,Everybodyoutofthecar.Thenhetookoffflooringthatcarintoayellowblur.Wehardlyhadtimetothinkwhenthecopcarpulledinthealleygoingjustasfast.WesawtheyellowCadillacattheendoftheblocktryingtomakealeft-handturn,butouralleyistooskinnyandthecarcrashedintoalamppost.
Marinscreamedandwerandowntheblocktowherethecopcar'ssirenspunadizzyblue.ThenoseofthatyellowCadillacwasallpleatedlikeanalligator's,andexceptforabloodylipandabruisedforehead,Louie'scousinwasokay.Theyputhandcuffsonhimandputhiminthebackseatofthecopcar,andweallwavedastheydroveaway.
11Marin
Marin'sboyfriendisinPuertoRico.Sheshowsushislettersandmakesuspromisenottotellanybodythey'regettingmarriedwhenshegoesbacktoP.R.Shesayshedidn'tgetajobyet,butshe'ssavingthemoneyshegetsfromsellingAvonandtakingcareofhercousins.
Marinsaysthatifshestaysherenextyear,she'sgoingtogetarealjobdowntownbecausethat'swherethebestjobsare,sinceyoualwaysgettolookbeautifulandgettowearniceclothesandcanmeetsomeoneinthesubwaywhomightmarryyouandtakeyoutoliveinabighousefaraway.
ButnextyearLouie'sparentsaregoingtosendherbacktohermotherwithalettersayingshe'stoomuchtrouble,andthatistoobadbecauseIlikeMarin.Sheisolderandknowslotsofthings.SheistheonewhotoldushowDaveytheBaby'ssistergotpregnantandwhatcreamisbestfortakingoffmoustachehairandifyoucountthewhiteflecksonyourfingernailsyoucanknowhowmanyboysarethinkingofyouandlotsofotherthingsIcan'tremembernow.
WeneverseeMarinuntilherauntcomeshomefromwork,andeventhenshecanonlystayoutinfront.Sheisthereeverynightwiththeradio.Whenthelightinheraunt'sroomgoesout,Marinlightsacigaretteanditdoesn'tmatterifit'scoldoutoriftheradiodoesn'tworkorifwe'vegotnothingtosaytoeachother.Whatmatters,Marinsays,isfortheboystoseeusandforustoseethem.AndsinceMarin'sskirtsareshorterandsincehereyesarepretty,andsinceMarinisalreadyolderthanusinmanyways,theboyswhodopassbysaystupidthingslikeIaminlovewiththosetwogreenapplesyoucalleyes,givethemtomewhydon'tyou.AndMarinjustlooksatthemwithoutevenblinkingandisnotafraid.
Marin,underthestreetlight,dancingbyherself,issingingthesamesongsomewhere.Iknow.Iswaitingforacartostop,astartofall,someonetochangeherlife.
12ThoseWhoDon't
Thosewhodon'tknowanybettercomeintoourneighborhoodscared.Theythinkwe'redangerous.
Theythinkwewillattackthemwithshinyknives.Theyarestupidpeoplewhoarelostandgotherebymistake.Butwearen'tafraid.WeknowtheguywiththecrookedeyeisDaveytheBaby'sbrother,andthetallonenexttohiminthestrawbrim,that'sRosa'sEddieV.,andthebigonethatlookslikeadumbgrownman,he'sFatBoy,thoughhe'snotfatanymorenoraboy.
Allbrownallaround,wearesafe.Butwatchusdriveintoaneighborhoodofanothercolorandourkneesgoshakity-shakeandourcar
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