Week 4 Response


Rosabla was cleaning the kitchen when she heard Juanita creeping to the front door.  “Juanita pa dónde vas,” she asked. 
Her daughter froze, before turning around and smiling innocently. Her daughter was wearing a pink dress her grandmother had made as her last birthday present. Rosabla thought the dress attracted too much attention, but Juanita loved it and wore it every time she had even half a reason.
“Mami, I told you they’re doing a dance tonight at Santa Lucia. I’m going with my primas.”
“At this time? It’s already 8 pm.”
“Pero mami, that’s when it starts!” Juanita was pouting now and that’s when Rosalba noticed her lips and cheeks seemed redder than usual.
Rosalba leaned against the kitchen table, already tired of the argument. “Really? And who is putting on this dance?” 
“The youth group. The nuns are going to be chaperoning.”
“So you’re telling me the nuns are condoning this behavior?” Rosalba thought of the nuns she’d grown up with in Jalisco. They would’ve never allowed something like this.
“Yes! It was their idea for us to have the dance it church’s activity room.”
“Good, they can keep an eye on you. I still don’t understand why you have to be out running the streets at all hours of the night, though.”
“It’s not fair. Tía Lorena never says anything to Marina or Valeria. And Alfredo is out dancing every night! You’ve never given him hard time.”
“He can take care of himself and he’s nineteen now! It’s about time he starts meeting some girls. You’re fifteen. You have no business going out. When I was fifteen—”
“When you were fifteen you lived on a ranch with goats for company. You would’ve been the first one leaving for dance.” 
“Juana Jimena Noriega, you will not speak to me like that!”
“It’s true!”
“Cállate! Go take off that dress and that makeup de loba! You thought I hadn’t noticed!” 
“DAD!”
“Since when do you have a dad? El es tu papá!”
“He said I can call him dad when I’m practicing my English.”
“You should worry about practicing your Spanish! Suenas gringa.”
“I hate you!”
“That’s original,” Rosalba said, watching Juanita run to her room and slam the door. She should’ve stopped having kids after the three boys. Girls were always trouble.

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