How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay

by Julia Alvarez

  * * *

  Their mother has still not made up her mind about letting Miguel and his sister visit their father in New York.

  “Mami, please, before practice starts up,” Miguel pleads. In a few weeks, the team will have daily practice, and Miguel does not want to miss one day of it-

  But his mother is not convinced-Tía Lola is still lost in English-Traveling with her would be traveling with an adult who couldn’t really take care of them if they ran into a problem-Furthermore, the way that Miguel and Juanita are always arguing, they cannot be trusted to go anywhere together-

  “I promise I’ll try,” Miguel offers-He’ll do anything in order to visit his father and friends and see New York City again-Even if it involves getting along with his little sister-

  “I have to see some improvement first,” his mother declares.

  Miguel finds his sister in her bedroom-She is putting her dolls in the cradles their father has made for her-They are cut out of cardboard and colored with bright designs. Every time Papi drives up to visit, he brings a new one along.

  “Truce, Nita!” Miguel holds up his hands. “I mean it. You can have cielo, dinero, carro—all the o words you want.”

  Juanita glances up. A look of suspicion spreads across her face. She can have sky, money, carl

  Miguel nods, but he can see she is not quite sure what to make of her brother’s sudden generosity. He decides to tell his sister the truth. “Mami’s not going to let us go to New York unless she sees us getting along.” And there is one other thing. “We’ve got to get Tía Lola to say just a few things right so Mami feels okay about her English.”

  “How are we going to do that?” Juanita abandons her dolls to work out a plan with her brother. They are quiet a moment, thinking. “I know, I know,” she pipes up. “It’ll be like the crossing lady. We’ll draw some signs on some cards and flash them to Tía Lola when Mami is around.”

  “Great idea!” Miguel says, before he remembers it is his dumb little sister who has come up with it.

  * * *

  They draw a plate beside a red stop sign. They explain to their aunt that when they flash her that card, she should say, “I can’t eat another bite” in English.

  “Lcan’t-eat-another-bite,” Tía Lola practices.

  “Muy bien, Tía Lola,” Miguel says. Very good.

  On another card, Juanita draws a round bowl that looks sort of like a toilet bowl. She colors it pink. When Tía Lola sees that card, she has to say, “Where is the ladies’ room?”

  On still another card, they draw a bright sun with a smiley face, “Have a nice day!” Miguel rehearses for his aunt.

  “Have-a-nice-day!” Tía Lola repeats, smiling at the smiley face, “Where-is-the-ladies’-room-L can’t-eat-another-bite,”

  “No, Tía Lola,” Juanita explains, “Una a la vez<” Just say one at a time, Juanita holds up one finger while Miguel flashes one card. They practice several times.

  Finally, Tía Lola understands what they want. It is gratifying when that happens. Their mother always says that the easiest language to learn but the hardest to speak is mutual understanding. It is easy because you don’t even have to speak it with words, but hard because you never can seem to find the right person to speak it to.

  At Rudy’s Restaurant for brunch that Sunday, their mother praises Miguel and Juanita for getting along so well lately. “I’m really proud of you guys for making an effort-”

  It’s just a plot so you’ll let us go to New York, Miguel feels like saying. But it’s not so bad to be getting along with his little sister.

  Across the table, Tía Lola is hungrily eating forkfuls of Rudy’s sourdough pancakes. It is time for step two of the plan.

  Miguel reaches into his pocket. He is sitting next to his mother so she cannot see his left hand. He holds up the card with the drawing of a plate and stop sign and coughs.

  Tía Lola looks up and smiles at the card. “I can’t eat another bite,” she says in perfect English. But she keeps right on shoveling pancake into her mouth.

  Quickly, Miguel pulls Tía Lola’s plate toward him and offers to finish it. Before Tía Lola can protest, he holds up the drawing of the pink bowl.

  “Where is the ladies’ room?” Tía Lola asks out loud. The waitress, happening by, says, “Just follow me.”

  But Tía Lola remains sitting.

  “Come on, Tía Lola,” Juanita urges, taking her aunt by the hand. “I’ve got to go, too.” Tía Lola looks a bit unsure, but she is game for whatever is going on.

  Miguel’s mother watches as Tía Lola and Juanita walk toward the back of the restaurant. “Tía Lola’s English sure has improved,” she notes thoughtfully.

  Now is the moment to pop the question. Miguel takes a deep breath. “So, Mami, can we go to New York?”

  Miguel can see the conflicting emotions on his mother’s face. She will miss them if they leave, but she knows that it is important to let them go. She looks at him for a long moment, and then her face relaxes. He understands that means yes.

  “You’ll take good care of them, won’t you, Miguel?” his mother asks, nodding toward Tía Lola and Juanita, who are returning from the bathroom.

  “Of course I will, Mami,” Miguel promises.

  As his sister sits down, Miguel looks straight at her and smiles-She smiles back. They are speaking the language of mutual understanding without having to say a single word! We’re going to New York y his look says.

  Í cant wait! her smile replies.

  Rudy comes out from the kitchen to say hello. He has been swamped with the brunch crowd, and he finally has a minute. He ruffles Miguel’s hair and asks Tía Lola how she likes his pancakes, “By the way, can I get you folks a piece of my summertime specialty, mud pie, compliments of the house?”

  “I can’t eat another bite,” Mami says as she bends over and picks up a couple of cards that have fallen on the floor, “I think these are yours,” she says, winking at Miguel, She lays the cards on the table: a red stop sign and a pink bowl. “By the way,” she asks Juanita, as if she doesn’t already know, “where is the ladies’ room?”

  Chapter Six

  Three Happy Days in Nueva York

  Finally, in late June, Miguel and Juanita travel down to New York City to visit their father They take a train, accompanied by Tía Lola-When they arrive at Pennsylvania Station, their father is waiting for them. They hug and laugh and tell him all about their exciting trip past yellow-ocher hay bales, cadmium-red barns, raw-umber cows, and the Hudson River, When the excitement dies down, their father looks around, “Where did Tía Lola go?”

  “Where did Tía Lola go?” Juanita repeats, as if she were Tía Lola having her English lesson.

  “Yes, where did Tía Lola go? She was standing right here with us,” And there is her suitcase, but no Tía Lola! Their father looks worried. If their mother finds out, she will say it is just like their father to lose their aunt in New York City, Maybe she won’t let Miguel and Juanita come back for a second visit.

  “Tía Lola!” they shout, but the din of the crowd drowns out their voices.

  “Let’s not get upset,” their father says, his voice rising, sounding very upset. “She’s got my address, right?”

  “I’m not sure,” Miguel replies, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the slip of paper on which his mother has written down their father’s address and phone number. “But I think she doesn’t.”

  They walk around and look for her in all the shops. Miguel even tries paging his aunt as he did the day she arrived at the Burlington Airport. But Tía Lola doesn’t show up at the information booth. She is really lost this time.

  When Tía Lola doesn’t come back for an hour, they decide it’s time to do more than just look for her themselves. They fill out a report at the police office at Penn Station. Then they head to their father’s apartment to wait for the police to call them. As they are opening the door of their father’s loft, the phone rings.

  “Oh, hi there, L
inda, how you do in’?” their father says, trying to hide the worry in his voice. He puts his hand over the receiver and mouths, Your mother. As he listens, his eyes close in pain. “I’m really sorry about this-The kids and I—” His father pulls the phone away from his ear as if he doesn’t like what he is hearing. “I’ll get off now so the line can be free when she calls”

  “Tía Lola called your mother in Vermont,” he explains when he gets off the phone. “I guess she knew that number by heart.” Miguel and Juanita nod. “Your mother gave her my number. She’s going to call here. We can ask her to read off the street signs and we can go get her.” He is trying to sound cheerful. “Your mother’s pretty upset.”

  Miguel feels bad. After all, he promised his mother that he would take care of his little sister and aunt. “It wasn’t your fault, Papi.”

  “Tell that to your mother,” their father sighs.

  “We will,” Miguel and Juanita say, almost at the same time. But Miguel wonders if it will really help, or just get them all in bigger trouble.

  The phone rings.

  “Tía Lola!” their father shouts into the phone … “No te preocupes.” She is not to worry. They will come and get her All she has to do is step out of the booth and read the names of the streets. There should be two signs on the corner. His face looks relieved. The worry lines on his forehead have disappeared.

  But in a minute, the worry lines are back. “No y no, no, Tía Lola” Papi puts his hand over the receiver. “She tells me she’s at the corner of Stop and One Way!”

  Miguel reaches for the phone. “Maybe I can explain it better. I’ve been teaching her street signs in Vermont.”

  “Hola, Tía Lola” Miguel begins. Very calmly, he explains that the signs she has reported tell drivers how to drive. Does she remember how in Vermont they also practiced reading the names of streets at each corner?

  Before Tía Lola can answer, a mechanical voice comes on, saying to put another dime in the machine or the call will be disconnected. Miguel can hear the coins dropping inside the machine. Tía Lola has understood without his translation! “Yo comprendo “ his aunt is saying. “Un momento, Miguel”

  Miguel waits and his father waits and Juanita waits and their mother in Vermont waits to hear that their aunt has been found-And then Tía Lola is back on the line with the names of the streets. “Estoy en la treinta y cuatro y quinta.” She is on Thirty-fourth and Fifth-She is looking up at a very, very, very tall building whose top floor must be at heaven’s front door!

  “Just stay right there, Tía Lola,” Miguel tells her-“Well come and get you-”

  When they arrive at the Empire State Building, Tía Lola is standing beside a phone booth, waving-Miguel and Juanita run down the street toward her-

  “Mi culpa,” Tía Lola says. It is all her fault-She has never seen such sights-She started to walk and look around, and soon she was lost-

  “What do you say we get something to eat?” Migue's father asks cheerfully-

  “There’s something I have to do first,” Miguel says-He enters the phone booth and picks up the receiver-When his mother answers in Vermont, Miguel speaks in Spanish because he knows that will make her feel happy-“Hola, Mami. Encontramos a Tía Lola. No te preocupes.” We found Tía Lola-Don’t worry-

  And then, very quietly, so no one can overhear him, he whispers, “Te quiero mucho.”

  “What do you want to do today?” their father asks them the next morning-They have all slept very well after the excitement of the previous evening.

  “I want to see my friends and go to a Yankees game,” Miguel pipes up. “José says they’re playing today.”

  “I want to go to the zoo,” Juanita disagrees. “I want to see the penguins.”

  “The zoo is kid stuff,” Miguel tells his sister.

  “I am a kid!” Juanita states. “And you’re a kid, too.”

  “Am not!” Miguel stands up to his full height.

  Their father is sitting on a stool beside one of his paintings. He rolls his eyes and sighs. “I had forgotten,” he announces to no one in particular, “the happy pitter-patter of little feet….”

  From behind the screen that separates her guest “room” from the rest of the loft, Tía Lola emerges. Her moño is lopsided on top of her head and she is rubbing her eyes. “Buenos días,” she says, looking from one to the other. She heard raised voices. What is going on? Are the kids arguing again?

  “Miguel says he is not a kid,” Juanita reports.

  “Miguel es un hombrecito,” Tía Lola agrees with her nephew. He is a little man. Look how he saved the day yesterday.

  “Juanita wants to go to a stupid zoo,” Miguel says, feeling encouraged. “Wouldn’t you rather go to a ball game than to the zoo, Tía Lola?”

  “Let’s go to the zoo, Tía Lola,” Juanita pleads. “Please!”

  Tía Lola considers a moment. Since they have three days in New York, why not have each person choose a day to do a favorite thing. “¿Qué te parece y Daniel?”

  Their father thinks this is a super idea. “We’ll start with Miguel’s choice because I believe there is a Yankees game today; then tomorrow we can spend the day at the zoo for Juanita’s turn. Tía Lola can choose something for the last day before you take the train back in the late afternoon.”

  “¿Y tú?” Tía Lola asks their father. What about his turn?

  “I’m getting my wish by having you all here with me,” he explains-“But one thing, guys. Your grandparents really want to see you-”

  “What are you going to choose for your turn, Tía Lola?” Juanita wants to know-

  Tía Lola shakes her head-She doesn’t need a turn-No matter what they do, she is going to have fun-She smiles at Juanita-She winks at Miguel-

  Sometimes you can’t really tell whose side Tía Lola is on-

  The afternoon clouds up-By the time they set out, it is raining lightly-“!Sin gatos, sin perros!” Tía Lola says, laughing-Without cats or dogs! Tía Lola is really catching on to English-

  They take the subway out to Yankee Stadium, where they meet up with Miguel’s friend José and his big brother, Leonel-Even with the rain, the crowd stretches out to the parking lot-When they finally get their tickets, their seats are way up high in the grandstand-They might as well be on a small plane staring down at the diamond.

  But when the Yankees run out to play ball.

  Miguel and José stand up on their seats, fingers at their lips, and whistle-Every time a pinstriped blob comes up to bat, Tía Lola hugs the boys, spilling the popcorn they have bought, until there is hardly any left in the bucket. Everyone seems to be having a great time. Even Juanita. She jumps up and down hollering whenever the Yankees get a hit. She has decided she really loves baseball after all.

  On the way back to Papi’s place, they stop for pizza. Miguel has to admit that it is not as good as Tía Lola’s pizza, but he doesn’t care. He is sitting opposite one of his best friends in the world and the Yankees have won.

  When they get home that night, the phone is ringing. “Why don’t you get that?” Miguel’s father says, nodding. “It’s probably your mother. She’ll want to know what trouble I’ve gotten you into today.”

  Miguel answers the phone. His father is a mind reader. “Hola, Mami,” he says brightly. “We went to a Yankees game. José carne, too. It was real exciting.” But then, just because her voice sounds lonely on the other end, he adds, “The popcorn was stale. No, no, that’s not all we had for dinner. Juanita got laryngitis from screaming so much. It rained.”

  ***

  That evening, before going to bed, their father unveils his latest painting-

  The background is painted a pale gray, but you almost can’t see the gray, because of all the bursts of red and gold and purple strokes, like fireworks on the Fourth of July-Miguel is sure his father will start quizzing them on the names of the colors -

  But instead, Papi asks, “So what d’you think?”

  “What is it?” Miguel wants to know-


  “Use your imagination-Right, Papi?” Juanita says-

  “I mean, what’s it called?” Miguel says, narrowing his eyes at his sister-

  “Actually, tiguerito, it’s called Untitled” their father says, smiling-“But maybe you or Juanita would like to title it-Why don’t we have a contest, eh? For the next day or so, think about what we might name it-”

  “What does the winner get?” Miguel asks-

  “Let’s see,” their father considers-“An all-expenses-paid trip to New York with a brother or sister of your choice-”

  “If I win, can I substitute a friend?” Miguel asks.

  * * *

  The next day is sunshiny and warm. The perfect day for going to the zoo. Juanita gets to invite Ming, her special friend from first grade, to come along, too.

  They visit the penguins, Juanita pointing excitedly at some baby ones who are learning to waddle single file behind their mother and father. Miguel has to admit it is kind of fun to watch them in their little tuxedo suits, looking like waiters in a fancy restaurant. “Ill have a well-done cheeseburger and fries and a Coke,” he says, tapping at the glass wall. Ming thinks Miguel’s remark is so funny, she repeats it at the snake house.

  After lunch, they visit the dolphins, Miguel’s favorite animal. He hangs over the rail and watches a dolphin leap through a hoop the trainer holds up. Someday, when he gets tired of being a major league baseball player, Miguel is going to be a trainer of dolphins.

  When the dolphin show is over, Miguel says, “Let’s go see the tigers, my other favorite animal.” After all, his father’s nickname for him is tigueritOy which means “little tiger.”

  “Hey, what d’you say your sister gets to pick? Remember, this is her day-”

  “It’s okay, Papi,” Juanita says. “The zoo is kid stuff. Let Miguel enjoy himself”

  “The zoo is kid stuff!” Ming repeats, giggling, as the two girls link hands and skip all the way to the tigers.

  The next morning, they hop on a subway to see Abuelito and Abuelita. Papi and his parents came to the United States when Papi was only seven years old, Juanita’s age. For twenty-nine years, his parents have lived in Brooklyn, where they still own a bodega filled with lots of things from the Dominican Republic.