Alza la Bandera

"Papi?"
"Si mija"
"Why do we have so many flags?'
"Flags?" Usnavi turned around from where he was sweeping and looked at the flags hanging behind the bodega counter.
La bandera dominicana. La bandera cubana. La bandera puertorriqueña. La bandera mexicana.
Claudia pushed her homework away. "Yeah! I mean, I get the D.R and the Mexican flag but what about the other flags. What's their story? Mr. Rosario said all the flags in the barrio have a story."
Usnavi chuckled and looked at his daughter. "He's a smart man Mr. Rosario. And lucky for you he's right. Do you wanna hear our stories?"
"Yes please"
"Alright chica. I'll tell you our stories."

La bandera dominicana
The domican flag had been in the bodega before anything else. When the de la Vega's first unlocked the door they found a small shop with nothing but dust. They looked around and stepped through the aisles, taking it all in. Luis grinned widely as Luz put a hand to her mouth in shock.
"Luis what are we going to do with this?"
"No te preocupes mi amor. It's going to be wonderful. Now close your eyes. Turn around."
Luz did as she was told, while Luis pulled a few things out of his pocket. For a minute there was shuffling then few muttered Spanish curse words. Then silence.
"Open your eyes mi amor."
Luz turned around and was enamored with what she saw. On the previously blank back wall behind the counter was now a simple string that hung a dominican flag. The two stood in silence, Luis watching as his wife took in the sight.
"Yo se que la república dominica will always be our home, pero ahora, this is too. And it will be Usnavi's home tambien, and I just thought...this store will be a part of our family too so why not bring a little piece of the home with us" Luis stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around Luz. It was then that she finally let a tear fall.
As Usnavi grew up, he listened as his parents whispered about home and gazed longingly at their flag. He took pride in their little slice of the D.R and couldn't wait to run and make it home.

La bandera cuban
"Luis, what are we going to do?"
"Mi amor just-"
"No! We can't pay y tu lo sabes! Either we pay the rent and can't get Usnavi his medication or we buy the medicine and have no bodega. No bodega. No trabajas. No dinero. What are we going to-"
The bell at the front door chimed and the two jumped apart as Luis shoved the bills under the counter. "Hola Abuela" they mumbled in sync.
"Hola mijos. ¿Que pasa? ¿Por qué tan frustrado?
"Oh, nothing Abuela no te preocupes."
"Do you want your lottery ticket?" Luis said
"No mijo. I don't 'want my lottery ticket,'" she said mimicking his voice. "Quiero ayudar. Que necesitas?"
"Abuela please don't worry about it, were just in a little tight spot with mo-"
"No. Es nada Claudia. Es nada Luz," he said, narrowing his eyes at his wife.
"Lo siento Claudia, just give us un momento por favor," Luz said as she pulled her husband into the back room. "Luis por favor look at me. Listen to me, Luis. We can't do this we just can't and you know it. Es abuela. It doesn't matter if we tell her. Maybe she can help us maybe she can't pero we can't just hide this from her. Por favor Luis please."
"Luz I just, no she doesn't need to know."
"Please mi amor just-" she sighed as their front bell sounded. "This isn't over." The two left their back room and stepped back behind the counter. They returned to a bodega to see Abuela stepping back in with a checkbook, neither of them having noticed she left.
"¿Cuánto necesitas?"
"Abuela no-"
"Oh don't you Abuela me. How much will Usnavi's medication cost?"
"Abuela how did you even know" Luis sighed.
"Usnavi talks," she replied simply. "Told me what the doctor said. Now. How much do you need."
Luis stood silent, refusing to admit defeat. Luz pulled out a napkin and pen, wrote down a number, and slid it across the counter. Claudia read it and began signing a check. The bodega stood frozen as the world spun around them.
"Here," she set it down and Luis quickly stuffed it in his pocket and stepped out of the store, heading to the bank. Luz stood with glassy eyes as Claudia held her hand. "There's no shame in needing help mija."
"We couldn't pay for both. After his ADHD test we wouldn't be able to get the medication and make rent. No podimos," she covered her mouth with her free hand, letting out a sob. "We'd have to close the bodega down and if we did that, no se, I just don't know what would happen but I know we wouldn't be able to handle it."
"That won't happen mija. I won't let it. You come to me, whatever you need."
Luz shook her head. "You saw Luis."
"And you heard yourself. Este bodega is your home, it's a part of your family, and I won't let you lose it, entiendes?"
Luz stood quietly nodding her head.
And when all was said and all was done. Usnavi had his medication. The de la Vegas had their store. And the bodega had a new flag.