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Yuccas
Jenny looked up at the tall yuccas behind her house. The warm wind touched her face the way Luis would have, with his warm hands, if he were here. His lateness would not help the opposition her parents had to her dating him. Dan and Theresa, her father and mother, were inside the house now, in front of the television, probably wondering if she would really go against their wishes. There was no doubt in her mind.
II The Argument
Jenny had been eager to leave home for college, yet she’d felt homesick for the desert and missed her friends, especially her best friend Sally. She had also missed Steam, her dog. But mostly, she’d missed her older brother, Michael. As it turned out, Michael had not arrived. He’d been delayed, but had called and promised he’d be there soon. Jenny had explained to Michael that her boyfriend Luis was Mexican and Michael had promised to support her against what he knew would be his parents' extreme opposition to Luis. Steam, the dog, had died while she was away during her first semester at school, and her parents had ordered another dog which was supposed to have been delivered just before she arrived but did not come until the day after because the driver had gotten lost and ended up near Holtville. Which was good because she wouldn’t have wanted the dog towitness the fight with her parents that day.
"You guys remember Sally?"
"Yes," her father said, picking up the TV Guide, "what about her?"
"She was my best friend all through high school."
"How is she?" Her mother asked, looking at her daughter’s hair and saying, "honey, you’ve let your hair go. First thing tomorrow we’ll go to Donna’s and she can fix it up for you real nice, okay?"
"Mom, I don’t want to talk about my hair."
"Okay, honey, you were saying about Sally. Have you talked to her since you got back?"
"No, I haven’t had a chance."
"Well, we haven’t seen her since you left. You two were always so
secretive about everything. Your father and I don’t even know where she
lives."
"She lives on the Southside."
"Oh," her mother said absent-mindedly, "did Donna also do her hair. I remember her beautiful blonde hair. Was she a natural blonde, dear?"
"Yes, mom, she was—is, but—"
"Of course it was natural," Jenny’s father said, "that girl was as red-
blooded, all-American as they come. Anyone could see that."
"Dad, she wasn’t—"
"Wasn’t what?"
"I mean she isn’t what you think."
"Whatever do you mean, dear," her mother looked at her with interest.
"I mean Sally’s Mexican."
Her parents were silent for a long while. Then they both laughed. Jenny felt relief which turned out to be short-lived. "That’s a good one, Jenny," her father said.
"Yes, honey, that was good," her mother agreed, "Mexican? Really now."
"Mom, it’s true. She wasn’t even born in the United States. She was born across the border, down in Mexicali."
"You mother’s right Jenny. Anybody who looks like Sally can’t be Mexican."
"Yes," her mother said nodding, "even if she was born down there, she’s white, deep down in her bones. People can’t help what they are, you know."
"I just wanted to tell you about Sally, that she’s Mexican, knowing that you like her, so you could see that Mexicans aren’t as bad as you’ve always told me and maybe you’ll like my new friend."
"New friend?" They asked in unison.
"Yeah, he’s coming for a visit tomorrow."
"He?" Her father asked.
"Daddy, I’m a grown-up now."
"Eighteen is not exactly grown-up, dear," her mother put in.
"Almost nineteen," Jenny corrected.
"Nineteen or forty," her father said angrily, "no daughter of mine is going to be with no Mexican! Have you forgotten that one of those dirty bastards that illegally cross the border raped your mother?"
"One person doesn’t represent a whole culture," Jenny argued.
"Oh honey, what culture?" her mother said, "in Mexicans?"
"But mom, you just said you liked Sally, that Sally was good."
"Sally’s white, honey," her mother answered.
III Yuccas Revisited
Jenny had slept out on the porch all night, the way she had on warm summer nights as a girl. She now opened her eyes and looked up at the sun-tinged blades of the tall Yuccas before her. It was in front of the same Yuccas that the rape of her mother was supposed to have taken place many years ago, before Jenny or her brother were born.
IV Family History
They came in shadows, dirty and hungry, a never ending flow of illegal aliens crossing the desert, looking for what they couldn’t find back home, hungry for what they could find in America, men, women, and children. One of those hungry, dirty men had mercilessly raped Theresa, Jenny’s mother, on her own front lawn while Dan, Jenny’s father was away at work. This is the story Jenny and Michael had always been told.
V Mother’s History
Theresa, newly married, sat on the porch, looking out into the distance as she waited for Dan to come back from the local bar where he’d gone with his best friend. Later, she’d find out that the reason he didn’t return until the next day was because he and George had picked up prostitutes at the bar and gone to a hotel to spend the night with them. She’d been wanting Dan to come home so that she could make up with him after having yelled at him over his lack of sexual attention toward her since their wedding. Only on their wedding night had they enjoyed sex, and now, months later, Theresa longed for Dan to resume his husbandly duties. As she waited into dusk, she noticed a group of about five people slowly walking from the desert, first onto the road in front of her house, then onto her front yard.
"Please," one of them, an older woman, said, "Agua, water."
Theresa stood up and looked at them. They looked dusty and exhausted. Two women, the older one who had asked for the water and a younger one, and three men, one older and two younger. One of the younger men caught her eye because he looked like a boy she’d gone out with before marrying Dan. He had deep blue eyes and bright strands of gold for hair. His complexion had also been made golden by the harsh sun. He smiled at her, noticing her stare. She ran into the house and came back out with a big pitcher of water and glasses for everyone.
"We no speak English," the older woman, who seemed to be the spokesperson for the group said.
"Yes," Theresa said, "It’s okay, drink up. Sit down," she asked them to sit on the porch with her. After they finished the water, she fixed sandwiches for them and asked them if they wanted to take baths before continuing their journey. They agreed only after she insisted, but would not go inside the house, except one at a time, to take the bath. She ran around bringing them towels and soap. When the young man she’d stared at earlier entered the bathroom for his bath, was stood in the hallway, outside the bathroom, frozen. She watched him undress from the crack in the door, which she’d left ajar. Then, after seeing him go into the bathtub, slowly walked in and stood in front of the tub looking down at him.
The man smiled at her. "Hello," he said in a thick Spanish accent.
"Hi," she said, taking a deep breath.
"Please, your name?" He asked her.
"Theresa. Yours?"
"Pablo."
She did not move until he finished his bath, then when he stood up, she helped dry him with a soft towel. When they finished drying his still undressed body, she leaned forward and kissed his lips lightly. Then, she took him by the hand and led him to the bedroom. She made love to him again and again until she heard the voices of his companions calling to him from the porch. She ran to the bathroom to retrieve his clothing which he put on and then left with the others disappearing quickly into the desert, the way they had come.
VI Jenny’s Dog
The dog arrived before Luis. It was a Doberman Pinscher, big as a car. Jenny had made the mistake of asking her parents why they’d picked this dog.
"On account of Luis, or any other Mexicans that try to come near you," her father said. "We were going to get another small dog, like Steam, but in an emergency, one takes drastic steps."
Jenny’s eyes looked up at the ceiling. "Dad, what are you talking about?" She turned toward Theresa, "Mom, what’s dad talking about?"
"Listen to him honey, it’s for your own good."
"My buddy George," her father said, "put me in contact with this organization that defends the rights of white people, up North in Orange County that breeds these special dogs. This one can sniff out a wetback and attack him. They have some dogs that can sniff out Blacks, Indians,
Asians, etc. One for every need."
"Luis was born in the U.S.," Jenny explained, "he’s not Mexican, he’s a Chicano."
"It don’t matter, they’re all the same."
"But his mother is not Mexican," Jenny added.
"So what? His father is, and that’s enough."
"This is crazy," Jenny threw her arms up in the air, "if either of you hurt Luis in any way you will never see me or hear from me again!"
VII The Arrival
The next morning, Michael called to say he’d be arriving by bus because it’d be a while before his car would be fixed. Jenny agreed to pick him up. In the early afternoon, she got in her car and drove to the bus station. Michael was there, bright blue eyes, smiling.
"Hi, sis," he said, hugging Jenny.
"Hi Mike. You’ll never believe it!"
"Whoa, Jenny, at least wait until I get in the car first."
"Sorry, Mike, it’s just that it’s been crazy. You won’t believe what our
crazy parents are up to."
They were in the car now, and driving home.
"What are they up to now."
"Well, they bought this dog, supposedly for me, to protect me."
"Protect you from who or what?"
"From my boyfriend Luis and from all other Mexicans."
"What?"
"Yeah, this dog is supposed sniff out Mexicans and attack them."
"Attack them?"
"And kill them?" Mike asked.
"I don’t know if it kills them or is just supposed to run them off. I don’t know."
"Calm down. Didn’t you say Luis’ father was born here and his mother's not Mexican at all."
"Yeah. I said that to Daddy, but he says it doesn’t matter."
"Well, just relax. Your big brother is here to help you. I’ll talk to mom and dad about it. It’ll be okay, you’ll see. Besides, how can you believe such nonsense!"
VIII The Attack
Two days later at Chuy’s Café, in town, the Herrera brothers looked up from the paper each had been reading and up at the stranger standing next to their table.
"Excuse me," the young man said, "sorry to disturb you. My name’s Luis. I’m looking for the Hatcher place. Jenny Hatcher’s my girlfriend."
"Well, we can show you where it is, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to go there now. It’s really a bad time now."
"I was supposed be here days ago, but I ran into a lot of problems, and… anyway, what do you mean about it being a bad time now?"
"I guess you haven’t heard. Jenny’s older brother was brutally attacked by the family dog day before yesterday. He’s been in the hospital, but they don’t know if he’s going to make it."
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