“Nectarine. Turkey sandwich. Mars bar.”
He adjusted his bottom upon the wall, trying not to let the rough stone jag his rear end.
“Turkey sandawitch agene, Brian?”
Brian looked up to see Gustavo towering above him just before he sat down. In the bright sunshine Brian could only make out parts of Gustavo’s face; the thick five o’clock shadow tucked around the broad, black mustache, long black hair and the searching eyes. With a low grumble he gracefully collapsed next to Brian. The laborer opened up his brown bag and displayed two cold fish tacos, an apple, some carrots and a sugar cookie. As Gustavo’s brothers, Gilberto and Gabriele, showed up, the workers began to trade with each other until Brian had one fish taco, half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the sugar cookie. He felt it not to be a bad deal. Brian used the Mars bar as the heaviest bargaining chip because he really wanted the fish taco. Gustavo’s wife, Maribel, made the best tacos. Even when cold. Brian melodically rocked back and forth as he slowly devoured the treat, sucking up bits of halibut from the paper napkin.
“Gustavo, this is soooooo good, bro! Really man, I’ll pay your wife to make me some tacos! These are so damn good!”
All of the Hernandez brothers nodded in solemn approval, not surprised in hearing praise for Maribel’s food. Brian didn’t know that all of the Hernandez wives could cook like Maribel yet she was the only one in the United States. So unless he traveled south of the border this would be all he would know.
“Shit, I hope I can find a wife that can cook like this.”
“When you gonna get a mujer, Brian?”
“You got one in mind for me?”
The brother’s laughed but all agreed that they could easily find him a wife if he wanted one. Brian knew that they were joking but he also knew they were serious. Plenty of women from Mexico would love to be able to live in the United States. Brian listened as the Hernandez brothers continued to ramble on about things that he could barely understand even after three years of high school Spanish. He sat back against the sandstone wall that he and the brothers had laid just a week before.
For three weeks they had been working on the Henderson estate, laying a variety of stone and brick. Brian had been working for Johnson Stone Company for only five months and the Hernandez brothers invited him into their work force as if he were one of them. Although they all treated him well it was Gustavo who paid more attention to the young man, trying to assist him as best he could.
“When are you going to marry, Brian?”
“Not sure, man. I gotta find someone who’s worth it.”
Gustavo started to laugh as he shook his head.
“Dere are plenty of good women out dere. You know dat!”
“You think so? I don’t know about that one?’
A slight tone of anger and resentment slipped through his speech, though he tried to keep it under wrap. Gustavo raised an eye brow at Brian’s response. Then he smirked.
“Que paso, Brian? A girl do you bad?”
Brian’s face grew slightly white. He had finished his lunch and now turned away to lightly pound a piece of sand stone onto the patio.
“Brian, I tell you something. Pinocha! Pinocha iz life.”
With his back still turned to his friend, Brian began to laugh. Gustavo smiled. But he wasn’t joking.
“Listen to me; It’s life. You get strength from a woman. How many girls you been with?”
Brian was on his knees, facing Gustavo. He shed a childish and nervous smile. The mallet shifted in his hand as he looked toward a row of red roses in a distant garden.
“Uh… I’ve slept with two girls… but you know I’ve done other stuff with a lot more.”
Gustavo grinned and nodded his head. Brian wasn’t sure if Gustavo was just putting him on. He wanted the older man to believe him but most of all he wanted his trust.
“I’m being honest by the way. Altogether, two girls.”
“You feel pretty good afterwards, huh?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“No, I don’t mean when you cum, I mean you feel stronger because she iz witch you. Her body, sua alma, it gives strength, no?”
Brian stopped thinking for a second. When Gustavo said “because she is with you” images of Katherine appeared. It had been nearly two years since he had seen her but her memory still came back to him at random moments. With the noise of Gilberto’s skill saw sounding off and the smell of stone dust and heat, Brian was able to remember her asking him to stay on their last night together. He did feel strong.
-Why?
He never had given it much thought until now. She had gone off to college after that and they didn’t keep in contact. Since Katherine, Brian hadn’t been too active with women. He always figured that there were plenty of other men to fill his place.
“See, Brian. It’s the same for her too. She needs your strength, tambien. Don’t forget dat! Dere is a… come se llama… dere is an ex-change. Ex-change, no? She needs you like you need her.”
“Ha, ha, ha! Half the time I hear you guys bitching about your women! Now you speak of them as if they are your great equals!”
Brian wasn’t sure if Gustavo would understand “great equals” but he used it anyways. He liked the sound. Gustavo had since picked up a piece of flag stone and set it down. Silence took over. Brian suddenly worried that he had upset the older man. Just as he thought to check and see if Gustavo was mad, the seasoned mason began to speak, keeping Brian from having to say a word.
“You’re right Brian. Ha, ha, ha! We say things about our women but I love my wife. She gives me three children and she keeps me warm.”
“She keeps you warm?”
Returning to his work the older man pounded the stone into place and then looked up. He was grinning again.
“Did your woman keep you warm, Brian?’
Feeling frustrated and at the same time humored by Gustavo, Brian threw his hands into the air.
“I don’t know what the hell that means, Gustavo! Keep me warm!?! Did I get stronger!?! I’m so damn confused; I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! Are you talking about pinocha again?”
Gustavo laughed aloud. Gilberto had since quit using the skill saw and looked over to his brother. The Hernandez’s exchanged words until all three were laughing. Brian watched them and then dismissed them with his hand.
“Mierda. Todos estan pien di mierda!”
The brothers continued to laugh at Brian’s retort until Gustavo spoke.
“No, here, Brian. Place da stone up a little. It’s too low on dat angle. Push dis way.”
The two men worked side by side for a few moments until Gustavo patted Brian on the shoulder.
“Your woman keeps you warm and you keep your woman warm with more than touching. I don’t know what to say than that.”
Time delay was something unique to Gustavo. Brian was trying to gather his friend’s words while adjusting some of the sandstone. After Gustavo and his conversation, Brian was unable to get Katherine out of his mind. He had always been impressed with Katherine’s wearing of a silk nightgown with fancy frills. Brian didn’t imagine that most eighteen year old girls wore things of that quality. She seemed very grown up standing in front of him with her jet black hair draped over the purple silk. As Brian slowly reached out to bring Katherine toward him, he humored himself.
-This is something out of the “Red Shoe Diaries”.
As the recollection worked its way through Brian's mind, he sat upon the sandstone. The slicing sound of Gilberto’s skill saw brought Brian out of his memory and back to the Henderson estate. He looked around for a while at the long expanses of grass and listened to the crickets that chirped strongly in ceaseless anthem.
“Hey, where are you Brian?”
The young man looked over to Gabriele who was playfully motioning him to get back to work. Brian rose and went over to where the sandstone lay. With his hammer and chisels he began to break and form the slabs according to the layout that was in front of him. But he still didn’t release Katherine from his mind. He couldn't release Katherine from his mind. Even the rough edges of the sandstone felt softer against his palms as the stone took on her ghost. But in reality they were nothing but pale images of bygone years; a lost memory that came back to haunt.
The End
No comments:
Post a Comment