The party was good – family trickled in around one in the afternoon, and fell into familiar interactions. The kids ran around in the gigantic backyard, screaming in delight as water balloons hit their marks. Tia Grace and Abuelita sat talking in the living room while a game of football blared in the background on the oversized TV. Usually Miguel and Tio Alejandro would drink beer and whine about the Rams, but now the latter was humoring his wife in the kitchen. I made small talk most of the time with my grandmother’s various other children, killing time until I could eat. I was nursing my fourth cup of coffee, starting to feel the effects of my early morning stakeout.
Alma’s gifts were all piled up on a table outside, but I couldn’t see Miguel’s. Tio Alejandro must have set it aside for later. It was probably a smart call, family as a whole would not take kindly to even that shallow intrusion. I could overhear Abuelita in the back telling Tia Grace for the hundredth time about the fall of Grenada that ended the Moorish reign. Finally, Alejandro’s wife called the family together for food. Francesca was a god-send, the best cook in the family, and this time she had made tamales, although there was pizza too, for the kids.
As family swarmed the kitchen, Alma spoke up and asked where her favorite Tio Miguel was. The room fell silent, and before Tia Grace could start an oratorial crusade I crouched down and told her he wasn’t feeling well. My aunt would disapprove of the lie but if I handled the issue correctly my cousin wouldn’t yet need to know the harsh truth about her uncle. Fortunately Alma handled the news well, and I knew she would be pleased to receive her present later.
The question had upset Tia Grace though, and she was outside fuming on the patio furniture. I brought her a plate of food and sat with her, eating silently until she felt ready to talk. Just as she started to say something, though, Tio Alejandro walked over and made the mistake of defending Miguel.
“Grace, I know you’re mad about Miguel, but Carlos and I have been talking, and we think there must be something more to the story.” Tia Grace swiveled furiously to glare at me and I cringed and looked away.
“It’s probably some drug issue, and he needs our -,” Alejandro was continuing, until he was interrupted sharply by a bark from his adopted sister.
“Don’t even think about it! That man is a lunatic! You may defend him because he spends all his money on your daughter but he finally snapped and this is the last straw!”
“Watch yourself Grace, Miguel was my brother, don’t presume to know my relationship with him. What did you expect was going to happen anyways? The poor man was pushed to his limit!”
“His limit of what? He’s just too immature to handle reality, and then he gets mad when people tell him how life really works. I can’t believe you would defend him, what is wrong with this family? You would let him get away with murder!”
“Attempted murder – he missed!”
“All that matters is that he tried! You wouldn’t like him so much if he actually shot your mom.”
“You’ve just always hated him because he was poor. You’re classist Grace, and you should care more about the people you grew up with. People are more complicated than their career.”
“Classist? I’m the only one with any fucking ethics around here!” Tia Grace threw her plate on the floor, shattering the blue ceramic.
“Okay, Jesus, would you both calm down?” I interjected. Grace’s voice was starting to project too, and I hated it whenever family made a scene.
“Look, our opinions on this don’t matter that much. Abuelita is the one who was attacked, and she is the one who should decide what we do about Miguel. Grace, have you talked with her at all about this? I think she wants to bring him back! No matter what he did, Miguel is her son!”
Alejandro nodded in agreement, but Tia Grace was only getting more frustrated. At least she wasn’t shouting anymore. I told them to wait outside and I went back into the kitchen to collect my grandmother and steer her outside to talk some sense into her daughter. This took longer than I would have preferred, as she was in the middle of lecturing family while they were trapped with their food, but in the end it gave Tia Grace time too cool down. By the time Abuelita made it outside, my aunt and uncle were talking civilly.
“Abuelita,” Tia Grace asked, “Are you sure about this? I just don’t understand why you want him back. What’s so good about him, mama? He doesn’t deserve your love.”
“Grace,” my grandmother sighed and tutted, an oddly loving smile on her face, “You are such a jealous child.” She bent down slowly and cupped Tia Grace’s cheek in her hand.
“You all are my children. No one deserves better treatment, even if some are more deserving. Family is family – no matter how we got here. And family gets special treatment – that is what makes us family in the first place.”
The Scenic Climax 