Once Again

Chapter 9

The woman told Papa that the company would pick us up later today around 2. They were taking us to a place called Laredo. We were in Brownsville. The woman mentioned it when she was on the phone. We were in the state of Texas, Papa told me. I did not know what a Texas was but I nodded. It was barely 11 a.m. I went down stairs with Mama & the woman. She had Mama help her sweep the store & I was to fix the shelves. A customer walked in. They were white: Americans. I had never seen an American but I heard that they were everywhere in the U.S. The American had a child with her. He had blonde hair & blue eyes. He was about my age. He looked at me when he walked in. His mother was holding his hand. She walks up to the woman.

"Hello. I came to buy something," the American says with a squeaky voice. The boy is still looking at me.

"Oh, yes. What could I help you with?" The woman has a strong accent.

"I am going to look around." She walks away dragging the boy behind her. I go back to fixing the shelves. I hear a thud in the back. And I smell raw meat. She must have a carniceria here too, I thought.

"Hello," a squeaky voice says. I jump from my thought & knock down some cans. I turn to see it was the American boy.

"My apologies." He picks up the cans and puts them back on the shelves.

"My name is Kenneth. What's your name?" He offers me his hand. I don't know what he is saying to me. I take his hand & he shakes my hand hard. The woman from the store comes to us.

"Her name is Marcela. She does not speak English."

The boy looks disappointed and whispers something to the woman's ear.

"He says you are very pretty," she says & smiles at me. I blush.

"Gracias." I say.

The boy smiles huge & walks back to his mother, who is at the register. I go back to putting stuff in order. The American boy was sweet, but not as sweet as my Luis, wherever he may be.