El Barrio

My name is Maria Marisol Fuentes. I am fifteen years old, well almost. I'll be fifteen next month. My home is New York City, El Barrio. You may know it best as Spanish Harlem. If you haven't already guessed, I'm Puerto Rican. This is my story.
I dropped out of public school when I was twelve years old and started work in a garment factory located on East 113th Street. I live with my Papa, an unemployed alcoholic. My Mama left us two years ago, and I have not heard from her since. The money I earn at the factory helps pay rent for our tiny apartment on Marin Boulevard. Each day that passes, I find myself more depressed and resigned to the idea that I will live and die in the barrio. I want more, and I have a plan to get out, but I will need help.
"It's 6:47 am, I need to walk faster. I've got to clock in by 7:00 am. I can't be late again!" As I made my way down Marin Boulevard, turning South on 2nd Avenue, and then arriving at the factory on 113th street, my feet ached from the fast pace I set walking into work. I thought, I've got to buy some new shoes as I grabbed my time slip and shoved it into the clock. "Ahh, 6:59, I made it!" Still too close for comfort, I thought. As I took my position at my sewing machine my body switched to autopilot while my mind took me to faraway places, like Florida... maybe Puerto Rico. San Juan would be so beautiful this time of year. Anywhere away from this dreary existence that I call home.
So as soon as my shift would begin, it would end. My fingers always ached from the endless repetitious task of attaching collars to the endless supply of shirts that would be pushed my way by the team of seamstresses. I had a quota of one thousand shirts a day. Within two months on the job I could not only meet one thousand shirts a day, but I could surpass that quota by another thousand shirts. I was paid three cents per shirt over my quota. So on a typical day I could earn an extra thirty dollars. To me that was my ticket out of the barrio. I didn't tell Papa about the bonus money. If he knew about it, he would drink it up within a week or two. Yes, my money was safely hidden beneath the floorboard of my bedroom. The money I have saved over the past two years now totaled exactly $15,200. When I find a way to leave Papa and the barrio, I will be gone....just like Mama.
I know my story sounds so dark and hopeless, but there are bright spots in my day. There is a young man at the factory who has been asking about me. He smiles at me, and spoke to me last week. He said "Hola Maria. Mi nombre es Tito Vázquez ." Since then I have learned that he has asked a lot of questions about me. I also have asked about him. I know he is twenty one years old, drives a nice car, and works in quality control at the factory. I also found out that he thinks I am pretty, and wants to ask me out on a date. The older Puerto Rican ladies in the factory are telling me to stay away from him. "He's a playboy," they say. "He's no good...you'll only get hurt" But I like him and if he asks I will go out with him. Although I am fourteen, I have yet to go on a date, or even have a boyfriend, so Tito and his attention intrigued me. I thought possibly I would have a way out of the barrio.
A week later while I was at lunch, Tito sat at my table and asked me on a date. "You know Maria, I was thinking it would be nice to see a movie with you, or if you want to go for coffee we could do that. If you are interested, that is." I thought for only a minute and agreed to meet him. Not at my apartment, but at the corner of Marin and Second Avenue. Tito agree, and told me to watch for a candy apple red Porsche 911. "I'll pick you up at 7pm Maria, watch for me OK?"
That evening before our date I pulled up the floorboard to my bedroom hiding spot and took all $15,200 and stuffed it into an oversized purse. I packed an extra set of clothes. My Papa was passed out on the sofa in the living room. I bent down and kissed him on his forehead and whispered "Goodbye Papa". I knew that when I left the room and closed the door behind me that I would never be back, and would never see Papa again.
Tito pulled up in the Porsche at 7pm. He got out and opened the door for me to get into the passenger side. "Tito, do you believe in God?" "Si, Maria...I do believe. Why do you ask me this?" I opened the bag and showed Tito the money.
"Let's get the hell out of this city," I said. Tito replied, "Si mi amor, si. You should buckle up, I have a very fast car."

Green Papaya Salad - Aridoi Restaurant, Okinawa Japan

My favorite salad, namesake of my blog.  Found at a wonderful restaurant in Okinawa, Japan.  Dad cooks, Mom waits tables.  I eat.  Life is good.

Dieu Est Un Poisson

My name is constantly coming up as a matter of contention to some. My friends know me as Kim, my business associates call me David, and God knows what others call me. I tend to like Papa to be used by those who love me. As for anyone else, it really doesn’t matter.
So here I am driving up to Rhode Island from Virginia to be with my family at Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year. Nan, my wife has invited the parish priest to come by and deliver blessings and have a taste of true Vietnamese/Rhode Island/Southern cuisine. Nan and the kids have really taken to being active in the local church since coming to Albion. I suppose it’s a credit to her that our children are all being raised Catholic. If it was left up to me, I really don’t know what sort of religious upbringing they would have.
So Stafford, Virginia has been my home for the past six weeks while I have been overseeing a military contract. Another month and I’ll be done, but for now I can only get home every other weekend to be with family. As I cranked up the Landcruiser, and headed north I noticed the first snowflake. Just my luck I thought as I headed home to the ‘Hope’ state. Yep, that’s our motto. I preferred the motto, “Rhode Island…Where Size Doesn’t Matter”. I had that on the bumper of the SUV until my wife made me take it off. It seems like we got too many stares, finger pointing, and giggles from passing motorists. That embarrassed Nan, but I liked the attention. Regardless, I agreed to take it off the bumper to make her happy. As I exited the military gate and went through the traffic signal, my world came to a stop…a dead stop. There will be no Thanksgiving in Albion, Rhode Island tomorrow.
As I opened my eyes I was surrounded by the most beautiful light anyone could imagine; a bright light emanating from a large white room. “Where am I? What happened? How did I…?” As soon as I uttered those words, a fat man with a chewed up cigar in the corner of his mouth answered. “You’re in Heaven Mack. Nice to finally meet you, I’m Gabe. Welcome to heaven where all is good, and the chow hall is always open. Now I suppose I should introduce you to God, you are expected.” As we walked down row upon row of aquariums filled with goldfish, there positioned in the center of the room was a huge octagonal aquarium filled with beautiful colored gravel. Swimming alone inside the aquarium was a goggle eyed fancy finned goldfish of impeccable quality. Gabe turned toward the fancy fish and said, “God this is Kim. Now I’ll leave you two alone to get acquainted.” Gabe turned and disappeared, and God spoke. “Surprised? Don’t worry, everyone is. You didn’t think God was a fish did you? Well, go ahead…say something.”
“Oh my God, I mean Sir, I didn’t…know!” “You presume much by calling me Sir", replied the Almighty. And don’t be too hard on yourself about using the name in vane, everyone has, and I'm a forgiving God if you haven't been told. Everyone gets into heaven. I should let you in on a little known secret...hell is what you make of your life on earth. You didn’t think I would love you so little that I would create you in my own image and then cast you into a burning sulfurous eternity to suffer endlessly did you?" I thought about what I was seeing and hearing and then said, “God, what do you mean created me in your own image? You’re a fish for God’s sake….I’m sorry again.” Oh Jesus!” “Everyone is a goldfish, God replied. You may see yourself differently on earth, but believe me…you are a goldfish. Go ahead look at your reflection in the aquarium and see for yourself…you’re a goldfish.” You don’t have to go to confession, you don’t have to eat fish on Fridays….please don’t eat fish, God reiterated. You don’t have to tithe ten percent of your earnings. All you have to do is love your fellow man as you would have them love you. That’s as simple as it gets. Obey the golden rule. And if you get it wrong a few times, I’ll make an exception, you see…everyone gets a ticket into heaven. Now, it’s your turn to take your place among the school of souls where you will be fed fancy tropical flakes for eternity.” “But I don’t want to be here. I want to be with my wife and family. I want to go back!” At that moment I felt Gabe’s hand on my shoulder leading me out of the great aquarium room and pointing me towards Virginia.
I spent the next two weeks in intensive care at the Bethesda Navy Medical Center. The morning of my fifteenth day in the ICU, I awoke from my coma to see my wife sitting by my bedside knitting a blanket; a blanket monogrammed with the following; Commander ‘Papa’ Pennebaker…My Hero.
I had incurred a broken T-6 vertebrae but no spinal cord damage. I had traumatic brain injury, and had a broken left femur, but I was going to be OK. I knew where I had been, and I knew where I was going. My life on earth from this moment on would be different I thought. I was going to make a difference in my life and the lives of those I dealt with on a daily basis.
I finally made it home to Albion just in time for Christmas. We called it our Thanksgiving dinner at Christmas. The importance of the word Thanksgiving was not overlooked. As the family gathered around the table and held hands I wanted to tell them that we are all going to heaven. God loves us all. But I just couldn’t help but let out a huge laugh seeing them all as goldfish.
Thanks Gabe for leading me back home, and save some of those fancy tropical flakes for me would you? I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again, though hopefully not too soon.