"Cristina?" "Oh, baby." "My mother wishes for me to represent exactly what she says..." " nothing else." " What?" " May I talk to you?" " You mean your mother?" "Yeah." "Sure." "You can talk to me." "I don't have to sleep first?" "What's wrong?" "Come on, sit down." "I'm sorry." "Did you give this money to my daughter?" "I made a deal with the kids." "All the kids." "Oh, no!" "Please." "You don't tell or ask the mother when you give a child a fortune... for looking on the beach for stones?" " What is the word for this?" " Sea glass." "No, not a name for the stones." "A name for the action, what you did." "Oh, boy, engreído is gonna be rough." "Smug." "I had no idea it was going to amount to that much money." "I thought, sort of tops, $50." "But $50 is a lot of money." "I know." "Oh, shit!" "I'm sorry." "Come on." "I get what you're upset about." "Excuse me." "It might not look it, but I am good at getting things." "I know what it's like when you feel your kid's being messed with." "It won't happen again." "It won't." " All right." " Okay." "It's late." "You guys get some sleep." "Sleep?" "No." "If this was small enough to be helped by some little apology..." "I would be a fool to bring it up." "But I need to say, no matter what the result..." "I need to be impolite." "You leave someone else's child alone." "It is simple, no?" "It is too easy for children to feel contradictions... and it encourages questioning their parents." "And that makes them feel less safe." "Look." "Your wife takes her for little tours." "And she changes her hair." "And you give her money." "Here, take back the money." "I didn't really mean to be angry to you." "Only emotional, for me." "What about hypocritical?" "Yes, you heard me!" "It's not like you didn't do the same thing." "Yes, you did." "So why don't you go lecture yourself?" "You won't need a translator for that one." "What am I lately, a recycling bin?" "Anybody dump in your garbage and hope I make something useful out of it?" "Yes, you did the same thing." "You think I don't know about you altering those outfits for Bernie?" "She tells me her stuff." "So am I missing something?" "Is there really a difference between that and what you're complaining about?" "Excuse me." "There's no difference." "I interfered." "You're kidding me?" "It's just pretty wild to say something to somebody... and have the other person just concede the point." "I'm dazed here." "I feel really embarrassed." "And you were very right." "Hypocrisy, yes." "Okay, that doesn't happen very often." "She said we'll leave whenever it is good for you." "No!" "Come on, man." "But how can I keep working for you after we talked like this?" "You can't quit the job." "Even if you wanted to." "And you know why." "No." "Yes, you do." "You know." "Why?" "Because if you do..." "Cristina will blame herself for costing you the job." "And that guilt..." "I don't know if you know about guilt." "Guilt, we know." "We're Catholics." "We know." "You can't do that to her." "Welcome back." "Good night." "Good night." "You can't be translating for me all the time." "I need to learn English now." "I really wasn't supposed to translate that." "Listen to your mother." "She knows it all." "Learning English would cost $599 down... and 12 monthly payments of $86... which represents 22% interest." "Assimilation gets expensive." "But not a penny was wasted." "Food." "Food." " I am just learning English." " I am just learning English." " Please repeat." " Please repeat." " Neck." " Neck." " Nose." " Nose." "Go!" "It is summer winter..." "...winter spring." "...spring." "Sun." " Sunny." " Sunny." " No." " Several." " Several." " Several." " Again." " Several." "Good." "Several." " Too many." " Too many." "Right." "Too many." "How about a movie tonight?" "Have you any particular one in mind?" "I really enjoyed the Star Wars trilogy... by Mr. George Lucas." "Congratulations, John." "Chef, it just keeps building." "Sorry." "Should we stop answering the phone?" "We're booked for four months solid." "No." "I want to keep some walk-in business." "I want this to stay neighborhood." " The trick is stay the same." " Impossible, John." "There'd be riots." "You should hear the desperation in their voices." "This is the best time of your life." "Yes, that includes our 5:30 seating as well." "I know." "Could you hold for one minute?" "We'll serve the full menu at the bar." "Where will I put people waiting for a table?" "It won't work, John." " Do this for me." " There's no way." "Do this for me or I'll set my hair on fire and start punching myself in the face!" "Yeah, you're right." "That was an unusual way for me to make myself understood." "Phone!" " It's Mike." " Great." "Yeah, I'm just walking out the door." "Okey-dokey." "Okay, thanks." "Great." "Thank you." "Thank you for the ride home... but it was not necessary." "All right, yes." "Four stars and I've never been more unhappy." "Up." "Yes." "He's got this." "Incredible obstacle." "I don't know what to wear to the party." "I'm wearing jeans." "Do you want to wear jeans?" "What are you wearing to the party?" "Who's always there for you at 2:30 in the morning?" "You'd better do something about Chum." "You're gonna throw your arm out." "Don't you sleep anymore?" "The more you do it, the more you learn." "Flor, you're doing fantastic." " No." " Yes." "Now I am like a 2-year-old." "I finish." "No, keep going." "No, not until you finish it." "Your wife go out." " Did she say where?" " No." "Sorry." "Listen, she's..." "I forgot she was going out." "Don't be a smart-ass." "I'm sorry." "You and I... we communicate in apologies anyway... so I'm sorry." "I should be whipped." "I should be stoned." "It's been a while." "I meant to say don't be smart... not a smart-ass." "Don't be kind." "Don't be sensitive." "Don't be wonderful." "I'm way too close." "I'm sorry again." "I meant to say, "Hi, Flor."" "Good night, Flor." "That show you're watching is gonna be a hit." "Hey, pal, you want to..." "Go, Chum." "No!" "Go to him." "Go!" "Man, you do love me." "I was wondering." "What about the point I'm making?" "It's good, right?" "Cristina has already read, on her own... every book on Bernice's summer reading list." "And she's two grades behind her." "Can you imagine if she went to Bernice's school?" "I think I could probably get her a scholarship." "God knows they owe me." "Talk to Flor." "Yeah." "She's so open to new things." "Where're you going?" "I'm going out." "It's this whole..." "Anyway, I'm probably actually gonna be..." "The cell will be bad, so I'll just check in with you later." "I just can't find my keys." "Good morning, Ms. Folsom." " Deborah." " Arlene, what a surprise." "This is Cristina, the girl I am always raving to you about." "This is Arlene Folsom, she's the School Director." " Hi." " Hello, a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Folsom." " Would you like a little tour?" " Really?" "Great." "She's gorgeous, isn't she?" "Hispanic." "We ran into the head of the school and Cristina knocked her out." "I had nothing to do with it." "Incidentally, the scholarship... is worth $20,000 and early registration is tomorrow." "It's too far from my home." "You could move in to town with us." "Never, thank you." "Fine, then don't." "By the way, the phrase is "no, thank you."" "Mom was caught in a vise of manipulation." "Please, dear God... this is the most important prayer of my life." "It's about my education." "The health of my brain." "Please, dear God, enter my mother's heart." "Make her understand what this school means." " Hi, Flor." " Hi." "Want some port?" "No, thank you, Evelyn." " How you doing?" " Hi." "I was just leaving." "What?" "Okay." " Poor guy." " What?" "Nobody noticed." "Flor?" "Thanks for never judging me." "I love you." "I love everybody." "That's what's killing me." "May I talk with you?" "Me?" "I just spoke to Deborah." "She'll be back soon if you need to go over something." "I need to really talk." "Is okay?" " No." " No!" "Sure." "Sure." "I'm sorry." " Outside?" " Okay." "You have me a little nervous here." "Are we ever gonna stop?" "Just asking." "You know about Cristina and your private school?" "Oh, that." " They did it." " I don't know what to do." "Don't ask me." "I'm worried about my own kid going there." "They keep sending her home anxiety-ridden, mostly over geometry." "I mean, you get Bernice." "In a decent world... her school should let her know how great she is, right?" "You don't have to worry about Bernice." "Nothing is going to change that heart." "Yeah, thanks." "It's just... great to hear someone else say that out loud." "Hard to explain." "I'm sorry." "I take you here and..." " I make too much of this, right?" " No!" "You have a right to worry about this." "This is the job." "These are the decisions." "Worrying about your children is sanity." "And being that sane, the way you are, can drive you nuts." "Someone like you, I'm sorry." "If you think you're at some crossroads, you are." "You are." "Hey, I wish I could help you more." "I never know a man who can put himself in my place like you do." "How did you become that man?" "I don't know." "Would you get out of the damn wind?" "Sit down!" "I didn't mean to..." "I want to be helpful." "It must be hard being a widow, doing it on your own." "Why do you think I am a widow?" "I guess I thought... that would be the only way a guy would leave you." "So, okay... are you gonna send her?" "I don't know." "I think if I do, one of two things happens." "Either she will be odd?" "Odd, yes." "Or she will make herself the same as them." "I felt the same way about my kid going there." "So between odd and the same, you gotta be rooting for odd, don't you?" "Yes, you gotta." "Thank you." "Good night." "I go to sleep." "You speaking English, it's..." " What?" " Nothing." "It's nice meeting you." "Here they are." "Hey, you guys just made it." "I was getting worried." "I picked up your books yesterday." "I put them in one of Bernie's old, ancient backpacks." "Thank you." "This is gonna be a great school." "I can tell by the weight." "I got her just a little first-day-at-a-new-school present." "Just a little something from me and Bernie." "It's okay, right?" "Come on, it's a big day." "What did we get her?" "Wait." " Here it comes." " Hold on." "It's from all of us." "Your mom, too." "It's not from me." "Let's get going." "Don't be late." "Come on." "Thank you so much for this opportunity." "And everything." "Have a great year, girls." "This is so great." "Left." "No left." "You're fast." "Better pace yourself." "You know, I ran college track." "Watch out." "Look, they're delivering my table." "See you." "I love you for trying!" "When people exist under one roof, a tiny society forms... the stuff of novellas... masters and servants unconsciously dancing in lock step... so that when things go wrong... traumas converge." "At Mrs. Clasky's urging, I had invited two of my friends to her house... though I was expected at home." "Monica had finally managed to get her mother here from Mexico... and my mother was making a party." "Flor?" "Deb." "Sorry to call you so late." "But the girls are still studying and I gotta go out." "I know I promised to get her back... so if you want me to cut off the schoolwork... that's fine, whatever you want." "Let me think." "Okay, you think about it." "Hey, listen, Flor, if you're tired... or you want to play, just... let her sleep here tonight." "I'll get her back to you in the morning." "You think about it." "Call me back." "Bye." "Wait." "I need to talk to you privately, honey." ""Honey"?" "No, Mother." "I can't right now." "I'm really late." "I've been looking all over for you." "Will you keep an eye on the kids?" "You've my secret cell number." "Just give me a moment to talk here." " What is it, are you buzzed?" " No." "I gave up drinking weeks ago." "Yes." "Nobody noticed." "Which shows I probably conducted myself pretty well as a drunk." "But duty called, and I'm sober... so, may I say just one thing?" " Yes, Mother, one thing." "Go ahead." " Thank you." "Deborah, you are going to lose your husband... if you don't stop what you are doing." "And you will never find someone as good." "There'll only be men who you know are cheap and shallow... and have no real warmth in their souls." "You may have gotten by on those surfaces once but now... you have been spoiled by a good man." "If you do not act quickly... you will soon cement an awful fate for yourself... a life with no hope of repair... which has already begun to turn desperate and dumb." "That's it." "Drive carefully." "Out of coffee." "It's over for me." "You've done it again, Mother." "Made me hate myself." "One of the things that I can count on." "Honey, lately your low self-esteem is just good common sense." "Better wait a minute." " What the hell is wrong?" " Nothing." "Can I urge you, in all hopelessness, not to go in there?" " Where are you?" " Over here." "Baby, what?" "Just stay there, John." "What?" "I suddenly get what I gotta do, but I just gotta get up the guts." "Is it absolutely necessary to make it this scary?" "Can you just say it?" "It's not so easy." "Yeah." "Come on, it's me." "We can talk." " Do I ever hope so." " All right." "Don't cry." "Or cry." "I'm sorry." "Come on." "What is it?" "I've been seeing another man for the last 11 weeks." "It was nothing and I ended it tonight." "At first it was just keeping an eye on the real estate market, and then it was... me being insecure and searching for some ridiculous validation." "Hold on." "I'm missing what you're saying." "You can't keep talking... and expect me to follow it when you start the way you did." "Just what did you hear?" "There was a crack in the planet." "That was noisy." "There's an actual noise in my head." "No kidding." "I met him..." "If you talk that fast, I'm not gonna hear you." "There's a lot going through my mind right now." "Have you said, yet, whether you slept with him?" "No, so far I've just been talking about a flirtation." "It's really..." "Have you said whether you had sex with another person?" "Because I really am missing your words, so help me out here." "I've been trying to explain that for the first ten weeks..." "You still haven't said yet, right?" " Is this your way..." " Yes." "This is my way!" "This is my way of asking you whether or not you..." "Once I ask it..." "Just give me a second." "I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to avoid knowing." "No." "Damn it." "There's not." "Okay, you're on." " Real short answer." "Have you had..." " Yes." "Really?" "I made up my mind that I was gonna answer every question you had." "I'll answer everything, and anything, and more." "What other questions could there be?" "Are you really that much nicer than me?" "You don't set the bar real high." "John, just wait, please." "I think that if you listen to exactly what happened... and then you could do whatever you need to." "Just please let me tell you everything." "It's just Flor." "Flor, what are you doing here?" "I want my daughter." "I want to talk to Mrs. Clasky." "I want to quit." "I don't think you can do any of that right now." "I gotta." "The reason I took this chance in telling is that I want us to be good." "I want us to be close." "I want to feel like you're not nuts to be in love with me." "So what I think we should do is that I think we should just talk." "Talk until we pass out." "Talk until we are so sick of each other that there's nothing left to do... but take that first step out of hell." "So let's not leave this room until you've heard... and said everything, okay?" "Please say okay." "I'm sorry." "What?" "John?" "You didn't hear me?" "I gotta get out of here and you keep talking." "Stay put." "I don't think you want to wake her up... when you're feeling this upset and the others are right there, too." "What're you doing?" "Where're you going?" "I am leaving." "I have finally..." "Me, too." "I'll drive you." " No." " It's okay." "I don't mind." "If you truly don't know why I say no..." " let me at last say the reason." " Don't worry about it." "Have you no idea that I..." "I've really gotta get out of here." "Right now." "Go." "Goodbye, Chum." " Goodbye." " Wait." "I'm taking you." "No." "Why?" "Because, if I don't, I'll worry about you all night long." "I can't handle that now." "Come on." "Get in the car." "John!" " I quit this job." " I quit this job!" "I think I meant that for someone else." "I'm sorry." " Sorry." "Very sorry." " There is the bus stop." " Bye." " Wait, don't go!" "Would you be willing to hang out with me for a while?" " You want to hang out with me?" " Yes." " Then I have to ask you..." " What?" "What does "hang out" mean?" "It means... visit." "Okay." "I've never seen your place." "Very perfect." "I'm gonna cook for you." "Please." "I am glad to visit with you." "If I just left the job... and never spoke with you... it would have been... sin." "You understand?" "Yeah." "My hand is the only sane part of my body." "Every other part wants to jump off a cliff." "That's it for now." "I already broke my record for smooth." " I don't understand." " It's me." "I'm not making any sense." "But I can get you fed." " You want a drink?" " No." "Wait." "I don't think you should, either." "Then, excuse me, because... if I had the equipment, I think I'd inject the vodka." "I just think it is important we are each clear-headed." "It's very good." "You didn't ask why." "Keep things real, right?" "I wouldn't have put it so well." "Let's get this going here." "Beautiful." "So, tell me again why I can't call him on his cell again?" "Besides that he turned it off?" " Yeah." " Forty messages start to look needy." " Mother, you're enjoying this." " No." "Not in the way you think." "You are enjoying it?" "Jesus, Mother." "I am enjoying actually being of use to my daughter." "I'm enjoying the fact that I really know how to advise you... and the miracle that you are so deeply disoriented... that you are gobbling up everything I say." "What?" "There's something I want to say to you about you and me." " You don't have to." " No, I want to." " Okay?" " Thank you." "You were an alcoholic and wildly promiscuous woman... during my formative years, so I'm in this fix because of you." "It is your fault." "I just needed that moment for us to build on." "You have a solid point, dear." "But right now, the lessons of my life are coming in handy for you." "That's it." "That's it for you." "I keep thinking I should tell you what happened to me tonight." "But I don't want to spoil this." "I will remember every taste forever." "I'm very glad you liked it." "It's something, watching you." "If it's anything at your end, imagine over here." "Scratch that." "The last thing you want to hear is somebody going off on your looks." "Don't be crazy." "Tell me every detail." "Okay, I will." "They should name a gender after you." "Looking at you doesn't do it." "Staring is the only way that makes any sense." "And trying not to blink, so you don't miss anything." "And all of that, and you're you." "I mean..." "Look, forgive me." "It's just you are drop-dead, crazy gorgeous." "So much so that I'm actually considering looking at you again... before we finish up here." "Soon, please." " I can't." "We can't." " I know." "We can't do anything that brings us any kind of satisfaction or release." "But I'm still having a great time." "My mother has often referred to that evening at the restaurant... as the conversation of her life." "Ever since that night at the beach... if I knew you were in a room, I just wouldn't go in there." "When I hear you coming, I leave." "That's why we haven't seen each other a lot lately." "Why is everything so damn confusing?" "Is your mind racing, too?" "I'd say my mind has evaporated." "Feels pretty good." "Like happy?" "Like happy." "You think that will last?" " I was just kidding around." " I understand what you mean." "I don't understand what I mean." "That it's getting late." "The responsibilities... have entered your brain." "Don't hide that from me." " Please." " Yeah." "Thank you." "You're right." "I won't." "You're great." "You're great, too." "No." "There are some mistakes you cannot risk when you have children." "Please." " Are you ready to go?" " No!" "I'm not." "Stay put for a sec." "Stay there." "Once our feet touch that floor, I'm gonna get too many brain cells back." "Don't be in such a hurry." "That floor, it's going to eat us alive." " I love you." " What?" "'Cause I've been..." "Oh, God, it's him." "He's gotta tell me everything." " No." " Oh, yes." "No, wait." "Do you know that right now... you are your own worst enemy?" "That you can't trust one thought in your brain?" "Then trust me... and only allow yourself to say one thing to him." "One thing." ""I am so glad you're back."" " What?" " Yes." "But I have to know whether he touched her." "And where he touched her, and how he touched her... and how he felt afterwards, whether they held hands... when they left." "Just those words, if you want to have a prayer of coming out of this." " So now I..." " Go to him." " Jesus, do I need a little makeup?" " You need a hose." "But you don't have the time." "It's fine that you look like that." "It's genuine." "You can use genuine." " Thank you, Mom." " Oh, honey." "It's not the worst thing in the world to find out that you love your husband." "It's late, Deborah." "I just wanted to say..." "I can't sleep upstairs with you." "I just can't for now." "I'm just so glad you're back." " I am." " Yeah, okay." "Mom?" "I'm done tonight, Deb." "I don't think we can jam anything else in." "It's me, Dad." "What's wrong, honey?" "I just wanted to check that you were back and okay." "I'm okay." "Because?" "Mom was crying for six hours straight, and Grandma was in with her... all that time, mostly saying, "He'll be back."" "I just hate that you had that kind of night." "It's good for me to worry about something that really matters... instead of the stupid stuff that's usually on my mind." "Like?" "Surviving?" "What?" "How did you come up with this?" "You are fantastic, Bernie." "I love you." " I love you." " I know." "I mean, not about me being fantastic." "But just..." " Sleep well." " Wait." "What?" "Sweetheart." "Me, too." "Sing it for Grandma." "Hey, Mom." "Is it okay if we don't leave right away, please?" "No." "Just let me explain, please." "No." "We must say goodbye." "Bernice is going to let me use her computer." "This is for school." " For school." "Just listen to me." " I don't work here anymore." "No, that's not fair." "You can't do this to me." " Do I have to get out?" " No, Georgie." "Stay." "I think you are a wonderful boy." "Be good, like you are." "Thanks." "Thanks a lot." " I can't believe you didn't get out." " Flor said." "I don't want to get you wet." " Get me wet." " Thanks." " You are a trip." "You are." " Thank you." "You are a beauty." "Come on." "Last chance to have some of you rub off on me." "Listen, I'm sorry that you're sad, but this could have been so much worse." "Why don't you run upstairs and say goodbye to Deborah?" "I'm coming." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "I live my life for myself." "You live your life for your daughter." "None of it works." "Thank you, Evelyn." " We're leaving for good." " It's okay." " We're not coming back!" " It's okay." "We're still gonna see each other at school." "Come on." "I'm gonna keep my eye on you." "Come on." "No, no." "I got some great things for you." "Want a computer?" "I was waiting out here." "Can't give you guys a lift, huh?" "God bless the guy who gets you." " Let her keep them." "Party favors." " No." "Goodbye, Mr. Clasky." "I'm very sorry we won't be seeing each other as frequently." "Yes." "Can I sleep at the Claskys' when I stay late at school?" "Shortly after we left... my mother told me of another decision she had reached." "I would no longer go to the private school." "No!" "You can't do that to me!" "You ruined everything." "This ruins my life!" "You've ruined everything!" "I will never forgive you." "No, it'll never be all right." "You're wrong." "This is exactly what I was worried about." "I will never be able to forgive you!" "I have a scholarship!" "And nobody gives this up!" "The 1.3 miles from the Clasky house to our bus stop... was the longest walk I'll ever know." "I had publicly scorned my mother." "And yet she had not reacted." "What did spark our climactic moment... was my use of a common American phrase." "Not right now." "I need some space." "Not a space between us." "In the midst of confrontation, she found clarity." "She expressed regret that she had to ask me... to deal with the basic question of my life at such a young age." "And then she asked it." ""Is what you want for yourself..." ""to become someone very different..." ""than me?"" "I have been overwhelmed... by your encouragement to apply to your university... and your list of scholarships available to me." "Though, as I hope this essay shows... your acceptance, while it would thrill me... will not define me." "My identity rests firmly... and happily on one fact:" "I am my mother's daughter." "Thank you." "Cristina Moreno."