New Falls, Washington/Home and school
Tuesday, October 23, 1962/7-8 AM
The alarm went off and Sofia sighed. She always woke up before the alarm and stared at the ceiling, dreading starting the day. She slapped the alarm off and tossed aside her blankets, heading for the bathroom.
After morning business, Sofia went across the hall and banged on the next door. “ALEJANDRA! Get up! Right now! Or I’m eating your cereal!” She didn’t wait for a response, but opened the door and tugged the sheets off her ten-year-old sister and gave her a swat on the butt. “Up!”
There was mumbled protesting, but Sofia finally dragged her little sister out to the bathroom and went down to the kitchen. She put out two bowls and a box of cereal -- that was the last of it; she would have to pick up more on the way home from school --, then made some toast, putting down a jar of honey.
“Alice’s mom makes her eggs and bacon for breakfast,” Alejandra said as she entered, her hair not even combed as she plopped down in the seat.
Sofia finished filling glasses of orange juice. “Well, when you get a mother that doesn’t have to be at work before you get up, Mama will make you huevos rancheros y chorizo,” she said, grabbing a brush and starting to work at Alejandra’s hair.
“Ouch! Don’t pull so hard, puta!”
Sofia gave her a thwack on the head with the brush. “You want some soap with that orange juice, hermanita?” she warned.
Once the hair was brushed, Sofia finally sat down to scarf down her own cereal. “Go get dressed,” she told her sister when she was done eating. “Clothes are on the chair. Get your stuff ready. And brush your teeth!” she called after the girl.
Sofia rested her head on her hand and sipped some coffee left in the pot from her mother’s breakfast. She cleared the table into the sink then hurried into the bathroom once her sister had cleared out. She brushed her hair and put on some light makeup, then went to her room to dress for school. She rolled the skirt up so that it was two inches higher than regulation length and slipped on her blazer. Most importantly, she slipped her cigarettes into her purse.
“C’mon! Bus will be here soon!” Sofia banged on Alejandra’s door, and she came out. “Grab your bag. Go! Andale!”
With Alejandra safely on time for the bus, Sofia headed on foot for the high school. She arrived with a bit of time, and moved behind the field house to have a morning smoke. She blew into the air as she leaned against the wall. She heard some passing students talking about the big upcoming dance. Well, it wasn’t something Sofia needed to worry about. None of the white boys were going to ask her to the dance, and she wasn’t going to go and hold up a wall. Dios! She missed Miami and her friends.
Crushing out her cigarette, Sofia nodded to the others that had congregated out of sight beneath the bleachers for a cigarette. She popped in a mint and headed inside.
“Miss Ibarra!” came the strict voice. “Your skirt!”
Sofia sighed. She did a little wriggle as she pulled it down and headed for homeroom.