E: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Senora Yanez comes into her own

The return of the Yanez family to Tlecua was met by one high-pitched
scream and a background of confused murmurs. Granted, the scream came
from Senora Yanez's own mother, but it was not prompted by her
daughter's return. Rather, in her senility, the aged and somewhat
infirm Senora Hernandez had mistaken a fruit fly for a wasp, and
vocalized accordingly.

The confused murmurs were prompted by the strange car carrying the
Yanez family. Since the car had been stolen at night, Senor Yanez had
failed to notice its bright orange color, or the blue and green flowers
decorating its surface. "Is it the bookmobile?" asked one young
observer, who would not be surprised if it were, considering the
sex-charged novel she'd found hidden behind the encyclopedias the last
time a bookmobile had arrived in Tlecua.

Senor Yanez was already aware of the stolen car's appearance; after
all, he was carrying a family, which required frequent breaks. The car
had not required gas, however, a fact which perplexed Senor Yanez until
the car sputtered to a stop in the town square. He tried cranking the
engine, a smoky whir sounding from underneath the hood. The gas gauge
was broken, he guessed, a guess supported by the marijuana cigarettes
and package of condoms he'd found in the car's glove box.

"Tourists," he muttered, then ordered his family out of the car. All
six of them piled out, prompting another question from the young
observer.

"Is it the circus?" she asked. A knock on the head told her it was
not.

Senora Yanez immediately began walking towards her mother's house. The
boys followed, Alberto in the lead. Jose walked backwards, watching his
father, who was leaning against the car and lighting a cigarette. Jose
wondered about his father's endless supply of cigarettes before turning
and catching up with his mother, the baby, and two brothers.

Senora Yanez reached her mother's house, a stuccoed shack with a TV
antenna on the roof, and kicked open the door. Her mother was laying on
the couch and rubbing her elbow, and did not look up until Senora Yanez
was standing over her.

"Mama?" she said, bending at the waist and dangling Female over the
reclining old woman.

"Rosario?" the old woman asked. Senora Yanez felt pleased until her
mother took Female from her arms and repeated "Rosario" over and over
while staring into the baby's face.

"No, Mama. I am Rosario. This is Female, the girl baby." When her
mother continued stroking the baby's face and saying "Rosario," Senora
Yanez turned and told the boys to get the bags from the car.

"Fast!" she said, "Otherwise nothing will be left!"

While the boys were gone, Senora Yanez lifted her mother's legs and sat
her upright on the couch. She pushed the old woman's hair behind her
ears, and smoothed the skirt of her dress. "Try to be good," she
whispered to her mother, and waited for Senor Yanez to arrive.

When he did, he walked into the house and stamped the dust from his
boots. He stood smoking his cigarette before saying, "The same old
dump. Are you happy?"

Senora Yanez sat down next to her mother and did not answer. Her mother
didn't notice Senor Yanez, or at least pretended she didn't. He walked
through the front room and disappeared, inspecting the long hallway of
rooms in the house. "Not a goddamned thing has changed" she heard him
say. She agreed.

The boys returned with the luggage and pillow cases, as well as a tape
deck that Jose had tucked beneath his armpit. Senora Yanez decided not
to say anything about it; she knew her husband would hide the stolen
car later, anyway. What difference would a stolen tape deck make?

Already Senora Yanez was beginning to take stock. Her mother would come
first, or, rather, her mother's room would come first. Senora Yanez
would need it for herself and her husband, and the baby if necessary.
Next would come the boys, who should have rooms of their own. The old
house had plenty of rooms. Her mother could stay in the summer kitchen,
which after all had no plumbing and would be dry.

Senora Yanez sighed contently. She looked down at Female, who nuzzled
against her breast. "Time for feeding, Mama," she said, more to herself
than her mother.

Senor Yanez continued crashing around in the house, his curses making
their way to his wife and mother-in-law, both of whom smiled for
different reasons.