Maria

(continued)

By Marilyn Whitehorse

We walk all night. Rest in desierto in day. I so hot and no agua. One day see serpient mucho grande. I afraid. One hombre laugh and pull out big knife from boot. Cut off casacabel. Him say, "Casacabel mucho luck." If he not die, then I think he luck.

We walk dos noches no luna. Sun come. Coyote say, "Run!"

I no know nothing. I run long time. I stop. No more hombres. I alone. I afraid serpient. I afraid polica. I hungry. No agua. I walk. I cry.

I see casa and behind, casita. I go. I sleep. I wake up with perro. She nice dog. She warm. When hombre bring food for perro I hide in casita. Perro no eat everything. I eat. I rest tres dias. Perro es mi amiga but I no can stay. I go at night. I hug mi amiga. I say, "Gracias, perro." I think America mucho cuioso. Mi first amiga, dog.

I walk along road, then road grande. I afraid. Muy automovil, go fast. Hombres stop. "Ride muchacha?" I think they look like hombres at la Senora's. I afraid. I say, "No. I like walk." They laugh, but they go.

I come to cuidad. See train. Get on train. Senora ask for ticket.

I say, "I no ticket."

She say, "You buy ticket."

I say, "I only pesos."

She say, "Next cuidad you go."

Train stop. I go. I know nothing.

I walk more. Night. Find Mexican restaurante. I hide in bush. I watch. All hombres go, I take food from garbage. Eat. I miss mi amiga perro. I sleep under bush. Sun come up. See polica. I hide. I wait. He go. I put on clothes, leave meleta de la Senora in bush, then I look like all other Mexicanas, I think. I walk.

I see muchos casas. Maybe mucho dinero. I think so because casas muy grande. I walk road. See door. Think maybe I work. I sit. Wait all day. No one come. In afternoon jardineros come. Mexicanos! We talk. They take me to casa, to la familia. Amigas! I happy. I stay. They help me.

One hombre he like me. I muy happy. I say him, "We bebe." He no more like Maria. Say he no like bebe. I say him, "Ay! Dos mios! Otra ves hombre Mexico." He go. Amigas help me. Go see lady. Get welfare. Lady say, "No want bebe? Give away?" I say, "No. I no give. Give un bebe aduelito. Mi bebe." Me amigas help me. Mi bebe muy bonita, muy bien.

Mis amigas say, "You need English, Get better job." I go school con mis amigas. I only little school Mexico, hard learn English but I learn mas or menos. Mis amigas help Maria get first job. Work in kitchen restaurante de Mexicana. I know. I eat garbage first night. I no tell. I work with other Mexicanas. No need speak English.

America curioso I think. Now I amigas. I job. Mi job? I get mucho dinero to throw food in garbage. But I no can throw away. I take home. I eat.

Patron see me. He say, "No take home. Throw away!"

I say patron, "Loco! Maria no like throw away!"

Patron say, "Go."

I go. No job. Get other job Italian restaurante. Work Mexicanas. No need English.

Throw out garbage.

Patron say." Throw out."

I say, "Maria no throw out. Usted loco! Loco in cabeza!"

He say, "Go."

I say amigas, "Otra ves?"

Amigas say me, "Si. Maria no take home. Throw away."

I think America curiosio. Mucho food. No take home. Get dinero to make garbage. Too much everything: muchos cars…everything go fast.

Mi amigas work hard but no save dinero. They like buy shopping. Every day like buy shopping. "Come Maria."

I say, "Maria no go. I save dinero."

They laugh me. "Come Maria."

I go. I see too many things. Me tango dolor en mi cabeza.

Again amigas say, "Come Maria."

I go. I buy shopping. No mucho dinero, pero poquito.

Mi amiga no more job Miss Gloria. I no know why she no more work Miss Gloria. She no tell me. She say, "You go school. You English now. You work Miss Gloria." Now Miss Gloria mi job.

Mis amigas say me, "Miss Gloria mucho dinero." I look in Miss Gloria purse when sleep. Miss Gloria mucho dinero. I tell mis amigas. They say, "Look more. Look for no cheap things."

I look. Mucho dinero in bedroom, in ropa. "Miss Gloria dinero and no cheap things everywhere," I say mis amigas. "Miss Gloria buy shopping muchisimo things on eBay at night. UPS man mi amigo. I see every day. Why she so mucho things and she sleep all time? No stay awake love things. No comprendo."

They say, "Mucho Americana curiosia. You take Miss Gloria things. She have many things. She not see. Maria get mucho dinero. We help."

I say, "No! Maria no take things. I no robar!"

Every night on bus I think I no like take things, but I no have dinero. Miss Gloria mucho dinero. America mucho things, mucho dinero. I think and think.

Mis amigas say, "Take things, Maria. We help. Miss Gloria buy shopping new things." Tango la dolor en mi cabaza I thinking so much.

Every night daughter come home. She like things. She say Maria, "Buy shopping!" She like buy shopping con amigas.

Yesterday very bad alcohol Miss Gloria. Miss Gloria sleep all day. I clean casa. Very bad dirty. Maria work hard, I think. I angry. I think Miss Gloria mucho dinero no work, only alcohol. Maria no mucho dinero, but work hard.

I hear mis amigas talking in ear, "Take dinero! Take things. We sell pawn shop. Miss Gloria not know."

I take poquito. I put in coat. I ride bus. Go home. Have dream.

Mi abuelito say me, "Abuleito no robar. La familia no robar. I sorry you. Bad Maria. You tell Padre."

I angry abduelito. I argumento him, "Usted no America! Usted no comprende. Usted Mexicano. Usted and little gray burro. Usted poor. Usted no have dinero."

"No need dinero," abuleito say.

I wake up. I cry. I tengo dolar in mi cabaza. I miss abuleito. How I can tell Padre I robo un poquito? I verguenza. I shame. I no more Mexicana. I Americana.