Hips
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Mama's Fall
Sometimes Nenny forgets things. Things like how to cook tamales, and not to bother Papa when hes on the telephone. Mama is always reminding Nenny. Its my job to remind her too. Mama is always making sure I watch Nenny. She needs you. Mama says it over and over. She needs you. Mama told me that Nenny couldn't unwind thoughts in her head sometimes. Mama thinks its her fault.
In Keeler, an ugly street I don't remember much of, there is a road where the cars don’t care for anything, moving faster than you can blink. Those cars buzzed like bees under a porch, they were always coming and going somewhere in a hurry. Carlos, who is my brother who knows everything, explained. When Mama had a belly like a balloon she would cross through those cars to wait for Papa at the bus everyday. Mama carried Nenny inside her swelling belly, Nenny must have been the size of a guava, Carlos said. One day Mama was real tired when she crossed that street. She moved slow like honey pouring out of a bottle. Mama was so tired she didn’t see a red pickup speeding around a corner. She tried to move. To run away from that pick up, but she moved so slow. She fell onto that street sharp and quick. Like a baseball flying through a window.
On Nenny’s birthday a bad thing happened. She didn't cry for a day. Babies are born to cry. When a baby cries you know its breathing, you know its ok. But Nenny didn't cry on her birthday. Mama cried instead.
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The First Job
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Mama's Fall
Sometimes Nenny forgets things. Things like how to cook tamales, and not to bother Papa when hes on the telephone. Mama is always reminding Nenny. Its my job to remind her too. Mama is always making sure I watch Nenny. She needs you. Mama says it over and over. She needs you. Mama told me that Nenny couldn't unwind thoughts in her head sometimes. Mama thinks its her fault.
In Keeler, an ugly street I don't remember much of, there is a road where the cars don’t care for anything, moving faster than you can blink. Those cars buzzed like bees under a porch, they were always coming and going somewhere in a hurry. Carlos, who is my brother who knows everything, explained. When Mama had a belly like a balloon she would cross through those cars to wait for Papa at the bus everyday. Mama carried Nenny inside her swelling belly, Nenny must have been the size of a guava, Carlos said. One day Mama was real tired when she crossed that street. She moved slow like honey pouring out of a bottle. Mama was so tired she didn’t see a red pickup speeding around a corner. She tried to move. To run away from that pick up, but she moved so slow. She fell onto that street sharp and quick. Like a baseball flying through a window.
On Nenny’s birthday a bad thing happened. She didn't cry for a day. Babies are born to cry. When a baby cries you know its breathing, you know its ok. But Nenny didn't cry on her birthday. Mama cried instead.
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The First Job