Desks and Letters

Butter

Celia 

I'm in a great mood until I get home.

Augusto is fighting with Mamá.

"¡Nunca te pones esfuerzar en tu trabajo!"  Mamá yells. 

"¡Soy intentar, Mamá! Tu nunca dame una oportunidad!" He shouts back, clenching his fists. Mamá is fuming, shaking a paper at his face. 

Ricardo stands at the counter with his arms crossed and his head shaking in disapproval.

Julian is still on the couch where I left him hours ago. His eyes still locked on his computer. I don't know how he doesn't need glasses. 

"¿Ay Julian, que está pasando?" I whisper to him.

"Augusto got fired from his job," he said back, gesturing his head toward the kitchen.

I hate to say it, but I'm not surprised. Augusto is a hard-worker, despite what Mamá is saying, but he has a short temper and often is unable to control his emotions. When I was younger I used to get scared when he would lash out at me or the twins. He would never hurt us, just yell and blame us for things that we had nothing to do with. He's not always like that though, he loves us just as fiercely as he yells. I think everything he feels is extreme. He's never gotten real help for his emotions, maybe now that we've moved he could find a counselor or something...

Mamá doesn't believe in counseling. 

"No puedo creer que no te sientas avergonzado" Mamá turns away from Augusto and goes to her bedroom. 

Augusto's shoulders sag, he looks over to me. 

"Sorry about this guys, I just, I don't know what to do," he says, eyes on his feet. 

Ricardo claps his shoulder.

"Don't apologize to us, let Mamá blow off some steam, then go say sorry. Maybe you can cook some of those world-famous croquetas to get her mind off of it" he says, raising his eyebrows suggestively.  

Julian frowns at his screen, still not looking up.

"Croquetas are your favorite, Ricardo, besides Mamá doesn't want food, she wants you to get your act together and help out with money," he says, continuing to type away furiously. 

"What about you Julian? I don't see you finding a job," I point out. 

"I happen to be building a robot that will work for me. I won't have to lift a finger ever again," he glances at me, his face serious, I can still sense the sarcasm in his words. 

Just then Papi comes in through the front door, holding his old briefcase and lunchbox. 

"Well, I'm honored kids, but I really don't need a welcome crew at the door every day," he chuckles. 

"Papi, I'm going to a movie tomorrow night with a friend, can I do chores after I come home?" I ask. 

"Sure mija," he ruffles my hair. "Augusto, what are you doing home so early?" 

Ricardo, Julian and I make a beeline for the stairs, Mamá might blow up, but Papi's silent anger is the scariest of all. I say a silent apology to Augusto under my breath. 

↡↟↡

The house got eerily quiet after the big fight. I could still feel the tension in the air. Ricardo and Julian retreated to their room and Augusto took a walk to clear his head. I started my math homework, trying to figure out how to solve polynomial functions.