So after Joey sees Esperanza at Tijeras de Oro with his gold emsemble, the portrait he drew of Esperanza - and especially her KISS - and her number, he is in a daze for who knows how long? He had left his parent’s house much earlier in the morning...

   I don’t know what I do for the next few hours. I have no memory of it, but by the time I finally get home, it’s almost 6 o’clock. My whole family’s gathered at the dinner table, eating supper.

“Oooh- you are in troubllle!” cries out my sister Karen.

“Where the hell were you all day?” screams my mother.

We called around everywhere! Your cousins didn’t know, Daniel Webb hadn’t seen you, we even called The Fox Hole, to see if you were working. And what is that in your ear?”

Shit! I had completely forgotten about the hoop earring again.  

“Nothing.” I mutter as I pull it off and put it in my pocket.

“So? Where were you?” We worried all day!”

“I- I- went to (I stammer) -

“And what the hell kind of get up is that? Who are you supposed to be? Liberace, for crissakes? rants my father.

“Joey thinks he’s black, Daddy!” cries out Maryanne

“Yeah, he wants to be Shaft.” Chimes in Karen.

“No-Superfly!” Maryanne continues.

“I don’t know what the hell is going through that head of yours these days,” my father laments, shaking his head as he scans my outfit.

“You were supposed to clean out the garage and rake the backyard today", my mother continues.

“You better get your ass in gear, my friend. Now sit down and eat your dinner.” my father warns.

 “Yeah! Sit down and eat your dinner!” mocks Karen.

“Shut up - mustachio!” I yell.

“You shut up! Shaft!” she retorts

“All of youse shut up.” growls my father.

“I didn’t say anything- “

A slap to my head comes forth.

“Oww!!”

The dinner table had a way of knocking the momentum out of you.