"So, ese muchacho..." Her mother began. Ella kept her eyes on the television. They were watching An Affair to Remember,one of her grandmother's favorites. Aba sat silent, but smiling softly, as she watched the film. Ella had about an hour before she had to head to the airport and she'd been hoping "ese muchacho" wouldn't come up in conversation. Obviously, her hopes had been in vain.
"Dan?" Ella shoveled food in her mouth.
"No, el rubio," Her mother specified. Right. The blonde one. The one Ella didn't want to talk about right now... or ever.
"What about him?" She held back a sigh.
"He's cute..."
"He's my boss, mom," Ella laughed tightly.
"Ah! I thought that's who he was... You guys seem close," Her mom remarked.
"We do?" Ella frowned. She shrugged. "He's nice, we're friends."
"Ella!" Her father got her attention, coming in from the patio. The smell of cigarette smoke and booze followed him in. Ella pursed her lips. Her father pretended he didn't see this. "Why didn't you introduce us to Elena?"
"Elena?" She asked confusedly.
"El enamorado?" He posed the question and then cackled with laughter. Ella couldn't help but chuckle. God damn it, he always got her with that one.
"I have no idea who you're talking about, Dad."
"El rubio, obviously," He came and sat next to her. He turned to Aba and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek. "Bella!"
Ella's grandmother had been in a catatonic state for a couple of years now, but nonetheless managed to purse her mouth at him. Cesar chuckled. His mother in law had never been a fan of him.
"So, qué está pasando con el rubio, eh?" He returned his focus to Ella.
"Nothing, Dad!"
"Liar."
"Papi, I'm telling the truth!"
"The truth?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "You can't handle the truth!"
Ella narrowed her eyes at him. "You think you're funny, huh?"
"Yesenia, am I funny?" He turned to his wife.
"Hilarious, mi amor," She replied, not taking her eyes off the TV. Cesar turned back to Ella with a smug smile.
"See? Listen, m'ija..." He looked her in the eyes and paused. "Are you listening?"
"Yes, Dad!" She exclaimed. Fuck's sake, always with the preamble...
"No te metas con el rubio."
Ella stared at him. Her father was very serious as he delivered the warning.
"I won't," She said quickly. "Can I watch the movie now?"
"Good. He can only bring you problems, mi amor," He gave her a kiss on the cheek and stood again. He ambled to the kitchen.
"You should be nicer to your father," Her mother said quietly. Ella shot her a look.
"I'm nicer to him than he deserves."
"Mima... I think he's sick," Yesenia forced the words out. Her daughter turned to her, frowning.
"What do you mean?" She asked slowly.
"They found something in his blood cuando fuimos hacer analises," She whispered, hearing her husband rattling around in the kitchen. "It might be cancer. We have an appointment this week to do more tests."
Ella looked shocked for a moment. Yesenia could have sworn she saw a flash of fear in her eyes, but then her nostrils flared.
"I've been telling you for years that he has to stop smoking!" She hissed. "God damn it, Mom, you never listen to me--."
"Ella Maria, watch your mouth!" Her mother wasn't playing anymore. "You think that this is my fault? Eh?"
"You've always enabled him--," Ella shot back. Her mother raised her eyebrows.
"You think he listens to me? Do you remember what happened when I tried to throw away his cigarettes? Let's not even talk about when I tried to keep him sober for a month-- Por favor! Have some compassion! He did this to himself--que te vale to start assigning blame now?" She raised her hands and brought them down on her legs with a smack. Cesar was coming back, beer in hand. Ella couldn't take that stupid, shit-eating grin on his face.
"I'm going to go make sure my bags are in order," She announced and stormed past him. Better to hide out with Thalia in the room. Suddenly, she couldn't wait to go back to New York.
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1. Yesenia Vazquez: "So, ese muchacho..."
Translation: "So, that guy..."
"El rubio"
Translation: "The blonde guy."
2. Cesar Vazquez: "El enamorado."
Translation: "The man who's in love." Or "The man who's in love with you." (The second one fits better for this context. The whole "Who's Elena?" "El enamorado!" is a pun that Cuban parents love torturing their kids with.)
"So, qué está pasando con el rubio, eh?"
Translation: "So, what's happening with the blond guy, huh?"
"No te metas con el rubio."
"Don't get involved with the blond guy."
3. Yesenia Vazquez: "Mima..."
Translation: "Honey..." or "Sweetie" (Abbreviation/ diminutive endearment derived from "M'ija" or "Mi amor.")
"They found something in his blood cuando fuimos hacer analises."
Translation: "They found something in his blood when we went to go do blood tests."
"Por favor!"
Translation: "Please!"
"Que te vale to start assigning blame now?"
Translation: "Of what value is it to you to start assigning blame now?"
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The Spectator
FanfictionWhat if our knight in shining Armani fell for a plebe? The last thing Ella Vazquez wanted when she pursued a career in journalism was to be one of those writers churning out crappy Lifestyle articles about the lives of the socially elite. But this...
