Gloria:
Fortune Cookies
“But you told me on the phone that you had a car!” insists an irate Mr. Han.
“No, I didn’t say that,” I answer red-faced. “What I said was that my dad lets me use his car practically anytime.”
“No, no, no! I heard you say you had your own car. That’s why I asked you to come in for a interview,” he replies impatiently.
Taking a deep breath I feel myself break out in a sweat as I awkwardly attempt a second lie to cover up the first.
“Look, I’m really sorry if I confused you, but I promise, getting to work on time is never going to be a problem. And in a few months my dad is probably going to give me his car when he buys a new one.”
Mr. Han glares at me and then sighs.
“Okay, okay. You’re hired. The hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. You’ll be working the cash register."
“I’ll be here right after school,” I answer.
“That means no football games or other school stuff, you know that, right?”
“Yes.”
“And this is okay with your parents?”
“Yeah, no problem, they don’t mind,” I reply, lying again.
“All right, you start tomorrow. Buy your uniform tonight at Nenos Department Store and memorize the names and prices on this menu. You get $.95 an hour, a half-hour break for dinner, and meals are free. And no switching hours with the other girls. Any questions?”
“No.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow at three.”
I smile stupidly and stumble my way out of the small Chinese restaurant. Híjole, man, money! I run down Hillhurst Avenue, thinking of all the different ways I can spend it: First, I’ll have to give some to Carmen because the money from the farm is not enough, then a coat for Laura who only had a sweater all last winter, and then some new school shoes for me. By the time I reach Buena Vista I have a whole
new wardrobe and a sports car. Then all of a sudden —damn! I have to buy the uniform tonight and Ihave only six dollars from baby-sitting! If I borrow some money from Tía Mercy for the uniform, then use my baby-sitting money for the work shoes— that’ll work. Now the car problem. Even if Dad hadn’t wrecked the car I couldn’t have driven it because I’m not old enough to have my license. I guess I can ride Emily’s bike to school and then to work. I’ll have to park it away from the restaurant, so Mr. Han can’t see it. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.
Now, all I have to do is convince Carmen to let me work. That’ll be the easy part.
(THE RED CAMP is reprinted with permission from the publisher of The Red Camp by Debra Diaz (University of Houston – Arte Público Press, 1996) to buy a copy of THE RED CAMP, go to their website at http://www.arte.uh.edu/view_book.aspx?isbn=1558851690)