BrokenChain.docx
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BrokenChain.docx
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BrokenChain
BrokenChain
byGarySoto
Alfonsosatontheporchtryingtopushhiscrookedteethtowherehethoughttheybelonged.Hehatedthewayhelooked.Lastweekhedidfiftysit-upsaday,thinkingthathewouldburnthosealreadyapparentripplesonhisstomachtoevendeeperripples,darkones,sowhenhewentswimmingatthecanalnextsummer,girlsincut-offswouldnotice.Andtheguyswouldthinkhewastough,someonewhocouldtakeapunchandgiveitback.Hewanted“cuts”likethosehehadseenonacalendarofanAztecwarriorstandingonapyramidwithawomaninhisarms.(Evenshehadcutshecouldseebeneathherthindress.)ThecalendarhungabovethecashregisteratLaPlaza.Orsua,theowner,saidAlfonsocouldhavethecalendarattheendoftheyearifthewaitress,Yolanda,didn’ttakeitfirst.
Alfonsostudiedthemagazinepicturesofrockstarsforahairstyle.HelikedthewayPrincelooked—andthebassplayerfromLosLobos.AlfonsothoughthewouldlookcoolwithhishairrazoredintoaVinthebackandstreakedpurple.Butheknewhismotherwouldn’tgoforit.Andhisfather,whowaspuroMexicano,wouldsitinhischairafterwork,sullenasatoad,andcallhim“sissy.”
Alfonsodidn’tdarecolorhishair.Butonedayhehadhaditbutchedonthetop,likeinthemagazines.Hisfatherhadcomehomethateveningfromasoftballgame,happythathisteamhaddrilledfourhomersinathirteen-to-fivebashingofColorTile.He’dswaggeredintothelivingroombuthadstoppedcoldwhenhesawAlfonsoandasked,notjokingbutwithrealconcern,“Didyouhurtyourheadatschool?
Quépasó?
”
Alfonsohadpretendednottohearhisfatherandhadgonetohisroom,wherehestudiedhishairfromallanglesinthemirror.Helikedwhathesawuntilhesmiledandrealizedforthefirsttimethathisteethwerecrooked,likeapileofwreckedcars.Hegrewdepressedandturnedawayfromthemirror.Hesatonhisbedandleafedthroughtherockmagazineuntilhecametotherockstarwiththebutchedtop.Hismouthwasclosed,butAlfonsowassurehisteethweren’tcrooked.
Alfonsodidn’twanttobethehandsomestkidatschool,buthewasdeterminedtobebetterlookingthanaverage.Thenextdayhespenthislawn-mowingmoneyonanewshirtand,withapocketknife,scoopedthemoonsofdirtfromunderhisfingernails.
Hespenthoursinfrontofthemirrortryingtoherdhisteethintoplacewithhisthumb.Heaskedhismotherifhecouldhavebraces,likeFrankieMolina,hergodson,butheaskedatthewrongtime.Shewasatthekitchentablelickingtheenvelopetothehousepayment.Sheglaredupathim.“Doyouthinkmoneygrowsontrees?
”
Hismotherclippedcouponsfrommagazinesandnewspapers,keptavegetablegardeninthesummer,andshoppedatPenney’sandK-Mart.Theirfamilyatealotoffrijoles,whichwasOKbecausenothingelsetastedsogood,thoughonetimeAlfonsohadhadChinesepotstickersandthoughttheywerethenextbestfoodintheworld.
Hedidn’taskhismotherforbracesagain,evenwhenshewasinabettermood.Hedecidedtofixhisteethbypushingonthemwithhisthumbs.AfterbreakfastthatSaturdayhewenttohisroom,closedthedoorquietly,turnedtheradioon,andpushedforthreehoursstraight.
Hepushedfortenminutes,restedforfive,andeveryhalfhour,duringaradiocommercial,checkedtoseeifhissmilehadimproved.Ithadn’t.
Eventuallyhegrewboredandwentoutsidewithanoldgymsocktowipedownhisbike,aten-speedfromMontgomeryWard.Histhumbsweretiredandwrinkledandpink,thewaytheygotwhenhestayedinthebathtubtoolong.
Alfonso’solderbrother,Ernie,rodeuponhisMontgomeryWardbicyclelookingdepressed.Heparkedhisbikeagainstthepeachtreeandsatonthebacksteps,keepinghisheaddownandsteppingonantsthatcametooclose.
AlfonsoknewbetterthantosayanythingwhenErnielookedmad.Heturnedhisbikeover,balancingitonthehandlebarsandseat,andflossedthespokeswiththesock.Whenhewasfinished,hepressedaknuckletohisteethuntiltheytingled.
Erniegroanedandsaid,“Ah,man.”
Alfonsowaitedafewminutesbeforeasking,“What’sthematter?
”Hepretendednottobetoointerested.Hepickedupawadofsteelwoolandcontinuedcleaningthespokes.
Erniehesitated,notsureifAlfonsowouldlaugh.Butitcameout.“Thosegirlsdidn’tshowup.Andyoubetternotlaugh.”
“Whatgirls?
”
ThenAlfonsorememberedhisbrotherbraggingabouthowheandFrostiemettwogirlsfromKingsCanyonJuniorHighlastweekonHalloweennight.TheyweredressedasGypsies,thecostumeforallpoorChicanas—theyjusthadtoborrowscarvesandgaudyredlipstickfromtheirabuelitas.
Alfonsowalkedovertohisbrother.Hecomparedtheirtwobikes:
Hisgleamedlikeahandfulofdimes,whileErnie’slookeddirty.
“Theysaidweweresupposedtowaitatthecorner.Buttheydidn’tshowup.MeandFrostiewaitedandwaited....Theywereplayinggameswithus.”
Alfonsothoughtthatwasaprettydirtytrickbutsortoffunnytoo.Hewouldhavetotrythatsomeday.
“Weretheycute?
”Alfonsoasked.
“Iguessso.”
“Doyouthinkyoucouldrecognizethem?
”
“Iftheywerewearingredlipstick,maybe.”
Alfonsosatwithhisbrotherinsilence,bothofthemsmearingantswiththeirfloppyhightops.Girlscouldsureactweird,especiallytheonesyoumeetonHalloween.
Laterthatday,Alfonsosatontheporchpressingonhisteeth.Press,relax;press,relax.Hisportableradiowason,butnotloudenoughtomakeMr.Rojascomedownthestepsandwavehiscaneathim.
Alfonso’sfatherdroveup.Alfonsocouldtellbythewayhesatinhistruck,aDatsunwithadifferent-coloredfrontfender,thathisteamhadlosttheirsoftballgame.Alfonsogotofftheporchinahurrybecauseheknewhisfatherwouldbeinabadmood.Hewenttothebackyard,whereheunlockedhisbike,satonitwiththekickstanddown,andpressedonhisteeth.Hepunchedhimselfinthestomach,andgrowled,“Cuts.”Thenhepattedhisbutchandwhispered,“Fresh.”
AfterawhileAlfonsopedaledupthestreet,handsinhispockets,towardFoster’sFreeze,wherehewaschasedbyaratlikeChihuahua.Athisoldschool,JohnBurroughsElementary,hefoundakidhangingupsidedownonthetopofabarbed-wirefencewithagirllookingupathim.Alfonsoskiddedtoastopandhelpedthekiduntanglehispantsfromthebarbedwire.Thekidwasgrateful.Hehadbeenafraidhewouldhavetostayupthereallnight.Hissister,whowasAlfonso’sage,wasalsograteful.IfshehadtogohomeandtellhermotherthatFrankiewasstuckonafenceandcouldn’tgetdown,shewouldgetscolded.
“Thanks,”shesaid.“What’syourname?
”
Alfonsorememberedherfromhisschoolandnoticedthatshewaskindofcute,withponytailsandstraightteeth.“Alfonso.Yougotomyschool,huh?
”
“Yeah.I’veseenyouaround.Youlivenearby?
”
“OveronMadison.”
“Myuncleusedtoliveonthatstreet,buthemovedtoStockton.”
“Stockton’snearSacramento,isn’tit?
”
“Youbeenthere?
”
“No.”Alfonsolookeddownathisshoes.HewantedtosaysomethingcleverthewaypeopledoonTV.ButtheonlythinghecouldthinktosaywasthatthegovernorlivedinSacramento.Assoonashesharedthisobservation,hewincedinside.
Alfonsowalkedwiththegirlandtheboyastheystartedforhome.Theydidn’ttalkmuch.Everyfewsteps,thegirl,whosenamewasSandra,wouldlookathimoutofthecornerofhereye,andAlfonsowouldlookaway.Helearnedthatshewasinseventhgrade,justlikehim,andthatshehadapetterriernamedQueenie.HerfatherwasamechanicatRudy’sSpeedyRepair,andhermotherwasateacher’saideatJeffersonElementary.
Whentheycametothestreet,AlfonsoandSandrastoppedathercorner,butherbrotherranhome.Alfonsowatchedhimstopinthefrontyardtotalktoaladyheguessedwastheirmother.Shewasrakingleavesintoapile.
“Iliveoverthere,”shesaid,pointing.
Alfonsolookedoverhershoulderforalongtime,tryingtomusterenoughnervetoaskherifshe’dliketogobikeridingtomorrow.
Shyly,heasked,“Youwannagobikeriding?
”
“Maybe.”Sheplayedwithaponytailandcrossedoneleginfrontoftheother.“Butmybikehasaflat.”
“Icangetmybrother’sbike.Hewon’tmind.”
Shethoughtamomentbeforeshesaid,“OK.Butnottomorrow.Ihavetogotomyaunt’s.”
“HowaboutafterschoolonMonday?
”
“Ihavetotakecareofmybrotheruntilmymomcomeshomefromwork.How’boutfour-thirty?
”
“OK,”hesaid.“Four-thirty.”Insteadofpartingimmediately,theytalkedforawhile,askingquestionslike“Who’syourfavoritegroup?
”“HaveyoueverbeenontheBigDipperatSantaCruz?
”and“Haveyouevertastedpotstickers?
”Butthequestion-and-answerperiodendedwhenSandra’smothercalledherhome.
Alfonsotookoffasfastashecouldonhisbike,jumpedthecurb,and,coolashecouldbe,racedawaywithhishandsstuffedinhispockets.Butwhenhelookedbackoverhisshoulder,thewindrakingthroughhisbutch,Sandrawasn’tevenlooking.Shewasalreadyonherlawn,headingfortheporch.
Thatnighthetookabath,pamperedhishairintoplace,anddidmorethanhisusualsetofexercises.Inbed,inbetweenthepush-and-restonhisteeth,hepesteredhisbrothertolethimborrowhisbike.
“Comeon,Ernie,”hewhined.“Justforanhour.”
“Chale,Imightwanttouseit.”
“Comeon,man,I’llletyouhavemytrick-or-treatcandy.”
“Whatyougot?
”
“ThreebabyMilkyWaysandsomeSkittles.”
“Who’sgoingtouseit?
”
Alfonsohesitated,thenriskedthetruth.“Imetthisgirl.Shedoesn’tlivetoofar.”
Ernierolledoveronhisstomachandstaredattheoutlineofhisbrother,whoseheadwasrestingonhiselbow.“Yougota
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