Sixty Days

by Zoe Glez

  But, my dad has that kind of charm on everyone. He raised Kevin as a single father up until he met and fell in love with my mom. Even after all these years, their love is still palpable. I only wish to have the same success in my love life.

  “Laylah!” my mom shouts out her happiness and pulls me in for an embrace, hugging me tightly as if she never wants to let go. My dad eventually catches up and joins us, turning it into a group hug.

  “I’ve miss you guys,” I tell them, breaking up the hug.

  “We’ve missed you too, baby girl. You make us so proud,” my dad says with an ‘isn’t my daughter amazing’ smile. I just nod and smile back, silently wondering how the hell I’m going to drop these major bombs on them.

  “We should all head inside so you, my dear, can settle in. Mama is going to be so happy to finally see you,” my mom gushes, her beaming smile still on full display. Oh, boy! If she only knew. I nod at her and weakly smile once more.

  Once inside, the first person I see is Arianna. She’s sitting in the family room watching television. As soon as she sees me, she jumps off the couch.

  “Aaaah! Laylah!!! It’s sooooo great to finally see you,” she squeaks out of excitement, She skips her way to me, her long, straight, dark brown hair swaying behind her.

  “Ariii!” I say back to her, mirroring her excitement as I hug her skinny figure.

  “Oh my God, we have so much to talk about. You look even better in person than you do over Skype,” she says to me as we pull away from each other. I can see the excitement written in her big, brown eyes. Ari, unlike her sister, is a sweetheart.

  “Right back at ya, cuz!” I say to her while smiling.

  “This is so exciting!” she finally exclaims clearly showing her excitement. We both giggle.

  “Ok, enough from you…for now. I’m going to check on Mama,” I finally say to her and smile once more.

  “Of course. Mama is in the kitchen, as always,” she says pointing toward the kitchen. Smiling one last time, she heads back to the couch to continue watching the parade.

  When I look back, my mom and dad are gone and so is my luggage. I head to the kitchen and see my grandmother working on the food preparation. She has the radio on, listening to one of her favorite Puerto Rican singers Gilberto Santa Rosa. She’s singing, cooking, and dancing around to his song, “Me Cambiaron Las Preguntas”. I’ve always loved watching her cook. She just enjoys it so much and seems peaceful. I smile at the sight. My mom and Lola are sitting at the dinner area talking about something. Mama turns around and spots me at the kitchen door. She walks towards me, her one and only angelic smile spreading across her face, making her seem vibrant and youthful.

  “Laylah, mi niña. So nice to see you, hope the trip went well,” she says throwing a conspiratorial wink at me.

  “Hola, vieja. How are you?” I say to her, smiling back.

  “Vieja tu madre! I’m great, happy to see you and everyone else is finally here,” she says with an ear to ear grin. I giggle at her words. “There is just Lucas missing, I hope he makes it on time,” Mama says, an expression full of worry taking over her beautiful face.

  “When is he coming?”

  “Oh, he should be here by the beginning of next month. It was the only way he could get the time off from work,” she replies her worries suddenly disappearing.

  My uncle Luke works in a public relations company. He’s all work and no play. Luke rarely missing a day of work. According to him, the only way they let him have the time off was if he left at the beginning of December and took all of his vacation time. For a young thirty-three year old living in Los Angeles to never get a vacation is a shame. But, he’s happy, and that’s all that matters.

  “You should go outside and see your uncles,” Mama says, pulling me out of my line of thought.

  “Sure. Let me just say hello to Lola.” I smile at her and give her a quick, warm, loving hug.

  I head toward the dining room, hugging Lola in greeting. My mom eventually joins in on the conversation. After a few minutes, we decide to go to the backyard together, where my uncles and my dad are.

  In the back yard, I see my uncles, father, and brother are taking out the fences that separate the main house from my parents’ house and the home Mickey and I share. I’m confused and shocked by this.

  “What the— what the hell is going on?” I exclaim.

  “Laylah, sweetie, so nice to see that you’ve made it well. We are joining the backyards so the entire family can be together and connected,” Uncle Angel calls from where he is, waving at me while keeping up with his work.

  “I see that. But, what about the owners of the house that used to be Lola’s? Won’t they be mad?” I ask, still feeling confused.

  “No, they definitely won’t. My mom decided to inform everyone that I bought the house not that long ago,” Mickey says. I didn’t even notice him sitting at the picnic table next to the door. I take him in, noticing the serious look he is giving Lola.

  “I see…” I say to him, hoping that nothing else was said about his living situation.

  “Can you believe this guy? He saved the house he grew up in, the house his mother loved so much. So, what are you going to do with it now?” my dad asks as he and my uncle finish with the last piece of wood. He actually looks impressed and proud of Mickey’s actions. This gives me hope; hope that it will all work out.

  “I still don’t know, sir. I’m probably going to wait until I find the perfect girl to share it with before I do anything drastic. Until then, it’s just me. I’m thinking about getting a puppy so it won’t be so lonely,” he says, giving me our secretive smile.

  “That sounds good. So nice to hear that a man your age has big hopes and expectations for his future,” my dad says while frowning toward where my brother and Uncle Junior are finishing their portion of work.

  “Gosh, Dad! It’s so nice to know I have your support,” Kevin sarcastically says to him.

  “There she is…the sweetest niece in the whole wide world,” Uncle Junior exclaims, interrupting what could have been an awkward father-son argument.

  “Tío, how are you?” I say to him, smiling. He walks over and gives me a hug and typical cheek to cheek kiss. I can tell he’s already started drinking. Either that, or it’s some sort of new perfume that was specially manufactured for him. My uncle is five-foot-six with dyed light brown hair, tanned skin, and greenish-brown eyes. He has a brilliant smile that is genetic in the Gonzalez family and a beer belly.

  “I’m good,” he says coolly.

  “You give this old drunk a hug and a kiss and you left your amazing and brilliant Tío hanging?” Uncle Angel jokes.

  I giggle. “Hey, amazing, brilliant uncle of mine. How are you?” I joke back as I give him a hug.

  “I’m great! Happy to be here and see you all,” he whispers at me. I love this man. He is always positive, finding the good side in even the worst situations. Angel is five-foot-eight with a dark olive complexion, brown eyes, and a mustache with a goatee.

  “Good to know,” I say, smiling at him.

  I walk toward the picnic table where my mom, Lola, Mickey, Chino, and Mario are sitting. The only seat available is the one next to Mickey. I awkwardly sit next to him. He turns his head toward me and I can’t help but catch his eyes with my own. I smile.

  “You can’t help but admire the job they did. Now the whole family can share everything in this big backyard. I only wish for you all to be little kids again, so I can see you all running around it. You all grew up way too fast on me,” my mom exclaims looking at our, now, huge backyard.

  “Where are Mary and Carla?” I ask interrupting her before she gets all mushy.

  “Maricita and Carla went get a few things from the market,” my mom answers, coming out of her fantasy world.

  “That’s…interesting,” I hesitantly say.

  “Yeah, interesting. It’s like the end of the world!” Mario exclaims jokingly. We all laugh at the thought of those two together.
It’s not as if they hate each other, but, Mary has a issue with accepting Carla as part of the family. While Mary tries to push her away, Carla tries harder to be accepted by Mary.

  It’s nice to see them all here. Carla and Mary still haven’t arrived, so it may be a while before dinner is ready. We are joined at the picnic table by my dad, my uncles, and my brother. Arianna joins us a few seconds later, apparently bored by the parade. Everyone is catching up, talking about what they’ve been doing these past few months. I totally need to avoid this.

  “So, how are the sleeping arrangements going to be? Will I be moving back in with you guys?” I asks my parents, quickly changing the subject.

  “Well, sweetie, now that you mentioned it…your tío Angel and clan are going to stay at Mickey’s. Your dad and I are staying at our place along with your tío Junior, Mario, and Luke,” mom informs.

  “Where does that leave me?” I ask her quizzically, obviously already knowing the answer.

  “It means you’re keeping us old ladies company. As the house will be full of these three bandoleros,” Lola says, smiling and winking at me. She and Mama had most definitely planned this ahead in order to keep Mickey and I close to each other.

  “Oh!.” I say past her to Mickey. Out of the corner of his eye, I can see that he is looking at me, too.

  “It’s not exactly my favorite piece of cake, but someone has to save these ladies from these three idiots,” my dad says with a serious face. A second later he grins, letting it be known that it was one of his lame jokes.

  “Jeez, dad! Please, keep the compliments to a minimum, people may actually get jealous,” Kevin says to my dad, sarcastically. These two are always like this. My dad has always wanted his kids to follow in his footsteps and be successful. My brother was the first one to break this dream of his. He left business school to pursue his dreams of photography. He has been very successful in his career so far, has even had a few galleries showings, but, in my dad’s eyes, this isn’t a real job. It’s just a hobby. This is the sort of thinking that has me terrified of telling him that I also left business school and still haven’t really found a steady job. It’s been two years since I’ve moved here and I’ve worked in half of the stores nearby.

  Needless to say, I still haven’t exactly figured out what it is I want to do with my life. Just like my brother, I’m very artistic. I love painting. Mama says that my paintings are amazing and has hung a few of them up in her house on display. Some of my paintings have even been sold through local galleries, but I still doubt that it’s something I could really make career out of.

  I also like the idea of playing my old guitar. She may be old, but she still sounds beautiful. I enjoy singing while I play, but not so much as to make a living out of it. The only thing I seem to be one hundred percent sure on my life is Mickey.

  It’s confusing seeing everyone around you completely sure of what they are doing with their lives and then to look at yourself and have no clue. Mama has always said that I can do anything I put my mind to, but, I just can’t seem to make up my mind. So far, painting and expressing the beauty that I see in things through a canvas is what really grabs my attention. But, how can I when I continuously doubt myself?

  After a few seconds of silence, Lola exclaims how proud she is of Mickey who is set to graduate this summer. This allows for a new conversation to start. Mickey starts talking about how he plans to open his own mechanic shop as soon as he graduates. With odd jobs and side work, he’s been saving for quite a while now. He sounds really excited about it, his face lighting up in enthusiasm. Even he knows what he wants to do with his life. I glance at my dad and he looks pretty impressed. I think Mickey noticed it, too.

  Mickey continues on, excitedly talking about his plans for the shop once everything is set up. Everyone seems to be listening intently, enthralled by his every word. My uncles and my dad take turns asking him all sorts of questions. He answers them with reassurance and confidence, proving that he is one hundred percent set on his plan and showing everyone that this is what he really wants.

  That’s my guy!

  He may be working this to gain advantage over my dad, but it’s not a lie. He’s passionate in his conviction; sure of himself and the plans he has set.

  Argumentative chatter breaks through the conversation. I turn my head toward the noise and notice that Carla and Mary have returned.

  “Carla!” I wave as I see her come through the door, heading our way. I get up and walk to greet her.

  “Laylah…you look muy caliente,” she says as I give her a quick hug.

  “Right back at ya,” I say, meaning every word. Of course she looks gorgeous, the woman looks like a fucking Victoria’s Secret model. Her light olive skin tone mixed with her long, wavy, dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and curvy Latina body sets her apart from many. However, her Colombian accent makes her stand out more than anything. She’s been living here for only eighteen years. She and Angel have been together for two years now, and, ever since they’ve met, she’s been trying really hard to get on Arianna and Mary’s good side. Arianna’s seems to get along with her a lot better now than at first, but it’s Mary who makes it hard for them.

  “Hey, Laylah,” Mary says with a bored tone as she heads outside.

  “Mary! Hi,” I say to her and give her a quick hug. I see her quickly glancing at Mickey and I can’t help but smile. Mary is special. She can be so cold at times and friendly at others, it’s always hard to tell with her. She has straight hair with bangs, the same skin tone as her sister, and brown eyes. What makes her stand out is her Frida Kahlo like, but trimmed, eyebrows.

  It’s one thirty in the afternoon and I’m starving. I’m pretty sure everyone else is starving as well, but the constant conversation has kept their minds occupied.

  “Bueno mi gente a comer se ha dicho!” Mama says, clasping her hands together.

  Like a pack of wild animals, the whole family heads inside to the dining area. You can tell how hungry they are by how quickly they are moving. Mickey and I are the last ones to claim a seat, allowing us a few moment to talk.

  “Hi,” he whispers, winking at me.

  “Hi,” I whisper back, smiling. It’s amazing how only one word sends my heart fluttering while butterflies bloom in my stomach.

  Once we are all inside, we take a seat at the enormous table and grab our food, ready to eat.

  “No, no, no, no, no…primero a dar gracias. This is, after all, Thanksgiving Day. First we pray, then we eat,” Mama says frowning at all of us.

  Mama says grace, thanking everyone for being here and taking the time to spend the entire holiday season at home. Once she’s done, she signals for us all to start eating. Like the wild pack of hungry animals they are, everyone attacks on the food as if they haven’t eaten in months. I can’t blame them. The food looks divine; arroz con gandules, turkey, pasteles, caesar salad, and mashed potatoes. A typical Boricua Thanksgiving meal.

  Mama sits at one end of the table, Uncle Junior on her left, followed by Mario, Angel, Carla, mom, dad and an empty seat for Luke. On the other end, is Lola followed by Chino, Mickey, Kevin, myself, Arianna, and Mary. The table is huge. I remember when Mama, Lola, Mickey and I headed to the local furniture store planning to buy a new table for our home. As soon as Mama saw the table, she just had to have it. She always had the hope that someday the entire family would all sit together at it. I’m just glad everyone was able to make her dream come true.

  It’s been quite some time since we’ve done this and I know Mama hopes to make this a tradition again, like it used to be before everyone moved away. A really big part of me wishes this really works out for her. After all, she has always been there for us through the good and bad times, doing everything in her power to see us happy. She’s our rock and she deserves it.

  Like her, I’m also really excited to see all of them. Uncle Junior always ends up drunk at our family get-togethers, making jokes and talking about what he calls ‘the good days back at la Isl
a’. Out of all of them, he’s the one that has been there the most and the one that remembers how it feels to grow up there.

  Then, there is Angel, my strong uncle, the voice of reason. He always finds a way to make everyone feel at ease, especially if he has his guitar with him. I’m excited to see Carla, too. They’ve been together for quite some time now. I barely know her but she seems very cool and down to earth. Between Mary and Arianna, I’m most excited to see Arianna. I could spend hours talking to her and never get bored.

  To be honest, Mary gets on my nerves. She has certain ways of belittling you, as if she’s above you. My uncle Luke, he’s more like a brother, my best friend. We share so many secrets and so many stories together. I love him dearly. He’s always been there for me without any judgment. I can’t wait for him to get here already, I’ve been itching for that day to come. And of course, how can I forget about Mario, the best cousin in the whole wide world? Ironically he’s a year older than Luke. Just like his dad, Junior, Mario is the life of the party and always finds a way to make you smile. Part of me has always compared him to Mama. They are so much alike, it’s kind of freaky at times.

  “Saben, this turkey would have been better if it were made a la varita como solo lo hacen alla en la Isla,” Mama exclaims in reference on how they cook the turkey in Puerto Rico as she starts digging into her food, breaking through my thoughts. We all smile at her and begin to eat.

  Chapter three

  L

  ike always, we’ve spent the entire dinner in silence. There is something about this family and food. For us, a good party is one where there is great food and lots of it. Food just also happens to be the perfect way to shut them up if they start talking too much. It has always been like this, there is no such thing as family dinner table conversations. Dinner time is for eating and nothing else. Conversation is usually saved for when dessert is served.