Prologue

“You stupid whore!” Chastised Abuelita in Spanish. She slapped her eldest granddaughter’s backside again with a sandal. Lupe was crying. What a great idea it had been to simply come clean to her grandmother about her unwanted pregnancy. Maybe she should have asked Scott to take her with him. He was so kind and understanding; she could see herself staring right into his baby blue eyes, holding their child somewhere in Texas or maybe California- crack!

Abuelita smacked her hard, this time with an open hand. Lupe stumbled, turning away to shield herself from the terrifying woman. Abuelita, her grandmother, wielded fearsome matriarchal power over the family.

“Isn’t that enough?” Interjected Carlos, visibly unsettled by the sudden turn of events. He made no indication, however, of getting up from his chair or relinquishing his beverage.

“Cómo que isn’t that enough!?” Snapped Abuelita in response. Carlos cowered in his seat. The children in the next room wouldn’t dare challenge her, either.

“The next time I see your face in here, I’ll let the devil drag you back to the hell you belong to!” Abuelita said.

Lupe’s cheeks burned from her grandmother’s slap and from the shame. She instinctively shuffled a few steps farther towards the door, fearing another blow.

“Please, Abuelita, por favor, por favor … ” She pleaded, sobbing.

The old woman straightened her back, seeming to fill up the room with her authority, “There is no place in the kingdom of God or in this house for whores and prostitutes. Jesus Christ did not die for any child of mine to be walking the streets like a dog, sleeping with any man that comes around!”

Her voice shifted from fury to pleading. “Why el guerro? Why not a good man, with a future, not some sinvergüenza! Why not Pedro or Juan? Juan would make a good husband for you.”

“You won’t understand, grandmother. You’ll never understand!” Said Lupe, but Abuelita wouldn’t have it. She continued to berate Lupe as Carlos watched and the children peered onto the scene.

“Why Lupe? Why?” Suddenly, she was on the verge of crying. The change in tone told Carlos that it was almost over. Her outbursts always followed this familiar pattern. She would overreact, explode and then return to normal, like a pendulum.

“Because the men here act like dogs! They have no respect and treat women like trash. Scott isn’t like them, and I love him!” Lupe returned.

Carlos laughed to himself and took another drink of beer. Love! How it was to be seventeen. For a moment, Abuelita’s demeanor seemed to recede.

“You are just like your mother. She never knew what was good for her. Only God knows where she is now,” her eyes softened, and she took a step forward, “Why don’t you marry Juan? He comes from a good family. He can provide for you. We have no room for another baby here.”

“No!” Lupe shouted, taking the offensive, “I will not marry Juan, and I will not play your games. I am leaving tonight!” And with that, she made off towards the door. Abuelita made a show of attempting to stop her, but the girl had already left. She would be back, they knew. Or at least thought they knew. Besides, there was nowhere to go. In a day or two she would return, all fire out of her eyes and her tail between her legs. Besides, all she had was the clothes on her back and her mother’s treasured silver locket. She would be back, Carlos was sure of it. Things would return to normal in a week’s time. What was to happen to the baby was more uncertain. Abuelita sighed and went to the bedroom. Carlos took another drink.

As it turned out, Lupe would never return.