When Stuff Happens

Chapter Five

She was not enjoying the channel he had chosen as it was the epitome of dullness and bland in one channel. Yes, that's right it was the House and Lawn channel the home of great hits like 'Pimp that Flip' or what they were watching 'Mow or Save'

"Come on save." Ezra egged on the couple on screen who had chosen an amateur gardener to redo their backyard in just one day. They had to choose whether they loved it and save it or mow the lawn and effectively ruin the art this young man created. Ezra was absolutely enamored with this concept, but Amor wanted to change the channel to nearest botched surgery or trashy reality television. You know the cream del la crop of television.

Instead she was sitting in Ezra's living which was decorated with Sue Ellen's paintings. Apparently, the woman considered herself an artist but Amor wanted to argue that thought. The paintings weren't art they were just canvas splattered with different colors of paint. It reminded of Amor the time she went to an art museum in Los Angeles as a child and was readily confused that naked were considered artistic. As her mother warned her against showing her body to strangers yet here were these women showing all their rolls and dimples for the world to see. The living room's décor wasn't the only oddity.

The couch and recliner seats near the fireplace were all wrapped with cellophane. He explained that Sue Ellen wanted to keep the seats looking new just in case she wanted to sell them or preserve them for life.

Finally, the couple stopped touring their new lawn and turned to the cameras ready to announce their decision, the husband spoke.

With his arms wrapped his wife and smiles plastered on their faces he said, "We have decided to..." he dragged on the suspense which surprisingly kept Ezra on his toes.

"Come on kept it. Love it." He told the couple on screen.

At least they spoke, "We are going to mow it." Which earned a loud 'No' from Ezra.

He nearly tore out his hair, "How could they mow that, it's practically a work of art." Amor looked around the walls deciding that Ezra did not have a good influence of an artist's touch.

A loud beep broke the sound barrier and captured their attention. He got up from his seat.

"That's the food sounding off. I'll go check on it." He told her as he disappeared to the kitchen. Once she was sure he was out of sight she reached for the remote.

As if by magic he spoke to her, "Please don't change the channel my favorite show 'Mexico Solitude' is going to be on right after this." She dropped the remote as if it had burned her. Mexico her Mexico. A place she visited as a child with her mother and father. As her own mother's family refused to acknowledge their marriage her parents exposed to her to her father's family. A majority resided in Mexico. Scattered across the country. It had been so long since her travels disappointingly forget the names of the cities she visited and now she had to watch a show about her second home. Mexico was home to her favorite candies, dulces, baked goods, pan dulces and some of most fantastic malls. To her any mall with even two levels was amazing since the nearest mall only had one level and the only stand out feature was the Macy and movie theatre.

She remembered eating in the parks across the streets from her tia and tios home where she and her primos would play on the jungle gym until each one got enough blisters then they would compare who had the best. The smells of Mexico are what stayed the most with her: the sweet aroma of pan dulce warm from the oven, carne sizzling in oil and spices and the leather of the purses and shoes that were made by hand sold in swamp meets. The memories all mixed together in her mind blurred as if it all those years happened in one day. But that was probably due to her young age and the distant time between her last trip and the present. When she was child, she had no idea how special or unique it was for her family to go to Mexico every winter and summer. She assumed, as most children, her trips where the same as others but it was when she returned from her last trip the first of day of middle school. When she tried to talk to other students, they looked at her funny. Not realizing she had mixed her Spanish and English together. Her classmates with their pink faces and bleached hair stepped away from her calling her a foreigner.

After that day she regretted vigorously her Mexico. She demanded that her family ceased going to trips to there even throwing tantrums for months on end. Her parents reluctantly gave in, and she's regretted it ever since. Not going to Mexico didn't change her brown skin, eyes and hair, she was the same. It didn't change the fact that a Spanish tongue was in her mouth throbbing every moment to be released but she bite it down. She stopped wearing the jewelry and clothes her grandma and aunts made for her because they weren't in fashion. She bought all the right brands and even dyed her hair blonde at one point. Insert cringe face. She was just trying to be accepted and loved by people who were as young and foolish as she was. Now sitting on a plastic wrapped couch watching a show where people drooled over Mexico and marveled at its gargantuan beaches she knew she had made a mistake at one point she had people call her 'Amy' instead of Amor because it sounded like all the names the other girls had.

"Amor" Ezra called from the kitchen. "Food's ready. Come to the dining room so we can eat." By the sounds of plates and silverware falling it sounded as if he was setting the table.

"Coming." She removed herself off the couch taking one last look of those clear, white Mexican beach almost instantly the salty, sweet smell of the ocean hit her nose.

"Amor?" He called her again and this time she walked to him.