El Barrio [The Hood] ~Fiction Novel~

Chapter 1

Fumes intoxicate my room as I crush my burned out cigarette onto the little old ash tray on my night stand, mesmerizing the photo-covered-wall, as The Dells play in the background.

Man, the crazy stories I can tell you about every picture that was in this room, you'd be surprised.

"Monica!"

A tiny scream came from behind as I turned to see a white little child run towards me, as I lend my arms open to catch this angel.

"Guero!"

Guero is my little seven year old nephew, Andrew for real name, but since he is the whitest looking kid in our family, we call him guero for short.

As for me, he is the only one that calls me Monica or Moni, but mi familia calls me Smiley, for that is my title.

"What you doin' here foo?"

I squished his little nose which caused him to squirm and make his light brown hair swing side-to-side.

"Mama let me come." He said.

Guero's mom, Daisy, is a rich girl from upstate where all the white people live, that's why we call her La Chingona porque se cree. Her ego seems to be too high for us to handle, atleast that's what she says since that's why she isn't with my brother anymore.

But Chango, my brother Javi could careless for all he wants is to have his son happy and send that bitch back to where she come from.

"Well Papa isn't gonna be home until later, you wanna help your Tia put photos on the wall?" He nodded.

He jumped on my bed, where all the photos were put, as he looked at them confusingly interested.

I walked over to my record player and placed a new disc of The Four Seasons, where 'December 1963' begins to play out.

"Tia?" Guero calls.

"Yes mijo?" I asked.

"Who are these people?"

He holds up a picture of thirteen people, counting my brother Chango, Payaso, and myself.

"Mi F-a-fam-ili-a." He reads.

"Mi Familia." I say.

As I sit by him and look at the photo myself, smiling at the gang that posted infront of Tijuana's Restaurant on 18th Street since that was the spot we kicked at whenever.

Before, during, and after school. It was our place to be, either for meeting or just to kick it when we wanted or needed to.

"Who are they?" He repeated.

"These people are our family from back in the day mijo, this is me, your daddy, and your uncle Luis (Payaso)."

"And the others?"

I smiled and gulped tryin' not to look sad at my boy, trying to change the subject.

"Nobody mijo."

"Come on Moni, tell me..." He whined.

I laughed and picked his chubby butt off my bed and placed him again but in a spot where I can sit right next to him.

"Alright," I breathed. "Ima tell you some stories about our familia, okay mijo-"his eyes gleamed.

"But you gotta keep it between you and me, okay?" He pinky-promised.

"I promise." I smiled.

"Okay now-"

*To Be Continued*

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