THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

It's the day after I've brought Esperanza to my school to show her the mural I've painted of her in the artroom, and after a long kiss from her - I am filled with confidence!

So, today after school, I call Esperanza from The Fox Hole, brimming with confidence. There’s no interference from that annoying Philly this time, and the call flows free and easy. She tells me over and over again how much she loves the mural, and how she’s so touched by it! We’re going to the Liberty Theater in Elizabeth this Saturday, to see this new double feature, she says. She’s going to take care of everything. All I have to do is meet her at the shop.
Saturday arrives, and I realize I have to convince my father to let me go out tonight. Basically, I’m still grounded from the window breaking incident, and he knows I’m off from work today. So we’re out in the backyard raking up leaves, and talking about the Giants-Cowboys game coming up tomorrow. I come up with this story that a couple of the guys are all going to the ‘big dance’ at Girls Catholic tonight, (there really was a dance, too), and they wanted me to come. There was this girl that I really like that’s going to be there, and it’s so important that I go. I’m so thorough in my storytelling that not only does my father consent to let me go, but actually gives me five dollars - and tells me to have a good time!
Holy shit! I really am a master storyteller, I think to myself. But, I would never tell him about Esperanza, it wouldn’t be what he wants to hear.
I change into my gold outfit, and apply some Jheri-Curl into my hair to give it that wild, wet, curly look. Then I gaze at myself in the mirror.
I chuckle, remembering that Kyla had invited me to go to the movies at Park Theater tonight with that whole gang. Briefly, I fantasize about what it would be like, stepping in there with Esperanza. Man, I’d love to see the reactions on their faces. But I don’t think Esperanza would dig seeing Herbie the Love Bug, which is what is playing there.
When I arrive at the usual chaotic busyness that is the Tijeras de Oro, it’s nearly closing time. And Esperanza is finishing up with her last customer. She looks up at me smiling broadly, and I think I detect a different kind of expression this time, almost, like… I’ve graduated. Or something akin to that in her eyes. Sort of like I’ve moved up a notch, become more esteemed.
“Muy guapo, papi…you look cute.”
“Thanks Esperanza.” I beam back.
As she puts on her coat and we get ready to make our exit, one of the ladies yells out –
“Saltacuna!”
Now all the rest of the ladies are joining in with the same thing, whistling and giggling.
“Saltacuna! Saltacuna!”
Esperanza hides her face in her hands, cracking up, and sticks her tongue out at them through her fingers, as we leave.
“What does that mean - saltacuna?” I ask, as we step outside.
“Nothing papi, you don’t want to know,” she’s still laughing.
“C’mon - is it bad? Tell me, c’mon…it’s bad, right?” I persist.
“Ok, ok, calm down baby…it means…like, um, it means - robbing the cradle. Cradle robber.”
“Oh.”
“Satisfied now?” she asks, smiling.
We hop into her MG Midget, as the blustery night wind howls, and this time she keeps the top down. Cruising through some fairly decrepit Elizabeth real estate, we head towards ‘El Barrio’, Spanish for ‘the neighbourhood,’ where she lives. We whiz down a few more blocks, and now it’s like we’ve entered freakin’ Puerto Rico, man! The posters, the signs, and billboards are all in Spanish, one featuring a super sexy Puerto Rican girl in a super sexy bikini, drink in hand, touting the sexiness of, Ronrico Rum. My eyes fixed on that for a while, even though the sexiest girl in the world is sitting right next to me. I wonder why it’s like that? It doesn’t matter if you’re with a beauty queen, you’re still going to look at another chick, almost no matter what she looks like. Strange. The requisite pulsating lights adorn every awning of every bodega on the street, as well as the rear windshields, and license plates of the jacked up Puerto Rican mobiles speeding by, down the strip. Honking their horns to the tune of La Bamba, or whatever it was, and making kissing noises at Esperanza from the windows. I move closer to her now, as close as I could get

SHE LOVES IT!

Joey finally makes it to the school to show Esperanza his mural of her - when -

My blood goes frigid, my heart surges up, and nearly jumps out of my freaking throat. The good feeling, the pleasant trance, is smashed to pieces. God. I’ll look like a total asshole if I bring her all the way down here for nothing!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Frantically, desperately, I pound the door.
“Somebody open the door!! Somebody open the door!! It’s not four o’clock yet!! It’s not four o’clock yet!!” I shriek, in a sustained blood curdling mania.
I keep banging like that for about a minute, until the bound of heavy footsteps come thumping down the stairs inside. The door crashes open, and the burly figure of Hoss, the security guard, fills up the doorway. His eyes flash with rage.
“What the hell is wrong with you boy?! Are you crazy?!” He rants in his deep southern drawl.
“Hoss – Hoss – listen - I gotta get in, man - please! It’s real important!”
“I said the damn school is closed!!
“But – but –“
“I don’t want to have to tell you again!”
Now, Esperanza appears before him, sashaying sexily up the steps.
Hoss’s eyes light way the fuck up. His attitude does an instant and complete 180, as he just gawks at Esperanza. He’s totally mesmerized.
After about thirty seconds, he regains his composure.
“Well, well now! Why didn’t you just say you had such a beautiful young lady with you, son? Now, that’s a horse of a different color.” he coos in his best Southern gentleman manner, opening the door, and practically bowing.
A horse of a different color? What? Had Hoss just watched The Wizard of Oz, or something?
“Come in, come in - watch your step there now, Miss.”
He takes her hand as he leads her in.
“Archibald Dawkins at your service, ma’am, but you can call me Hoss.” He kisses her hand, as Esperanza steps into the building.
“Hi Hoss, I’m Esperanza,” she giggles flirtatiously.
“Miss Esperanza, if you don’t mind me saying so, may I declare that you are the finest young lady I have ever had the pleasure to lay my eyes upon.” Esperanza titters. I can’t believe she’s tittering at this bullshit.
“Oh, thank you, Hoss, that’s very nice of you.”
“Mmm-mmm, yes indeed”.
I have never heard Hoss say much of anything before, let alone get all fluffy like this.
“We need to go up to the art room, Hoss, OK?” I cut into the hypnosis.
“Sure! Sure, not a problem, young man. Not a problem at all! Come on up.”
His eyes are laser-focused on Esperanza. We bounce up the stairs, Hoss following. His gaze is cemented on her ass, as he is whistling softly to himself.
As we approach the art room, he detaches the ring of keys from his belt loop. Searching for the correct one, he never averts his eyes from Esperanza, a permanent smile creasing his face.
All my hopes, aspirations, and intentions are locked up in my breath, right before we enter. This is the proverbial moment of truth. He opens the door, we glide in, and he turns on the lights.
“Um…there it is, Esperanza,” I choke, as I point to the mural in the back. She looks up at it and stares, her face going completely blank. I’m panting, trying to figure out what she’s thinking.
“Do…do you like it?” I question hesitantly.
“Boy’s a fine artist, Miss Esperanza, a fine artist, yes indeed.” Hoss cuts in.
Suddenly, she just breaks out crying! I mean, really bawling, as she puts her hands up to her face. I stand there paralyzed. Confused, not knowing how to react, and not understanding anything.
“There, there, now, Miss Esperanza, it’s alright, it’s alright.” Hoss offers her the handkerchief from his pocket, and puts his arm around her, comforting her! She melts into his chest, burying her head, weeping, as he continues to console her.
What the fuck?! What the hell is going on here?!
“Es – Esperanza…what’s the matter?”
“Oh papi!” She pries herself away from Hoss’s arms, and now hugs me tightly, sniffling as she talks.
“Oh my God…nobody…nobody ever done anything like this for me before,” she sighs deeply, and begins kissing me all over my face.
“Oh, Dios mio, you are the sweetest thing…”
“You…you like it then?”
“Oh baby, I love it!”
Now she kisses me right on the lips! Sticks her tongue in there, and we are frenching away, for, like, I don’t know, maybe five minutes! I feel like I’m going to faint, and have to make a tremendous effort to steady myself. She recognizes it, and holds me tightly.
Hoss stands there in the background, probably stunned, definitely wishing he was me right now! Now this is the best moment of my life.
“It is so beautiful, baby…thank you, thank you, thank you…”
She alternates from kissing me, to wiping her tears away with the handkerchief.
“I gotta give you another trim, papi,” she says as she gazes at me, running her fingers through my curls

A FANTASY?

It’s second period in Silverstein’s art class now, the next morning, and my heart is heavy. I’m suddenly dissatisfied, disillusioned with my mural. I’m staring up at it. Noticing every imperfection, every mistake I made.

This is shit! She’s gonna hate this! I can’t show her this!  It takes all the strength I have to avoid a full-scale breakdown. I tell Silverstein I have to go to the bathroom, and then pace the halls frantically the next fifteen minutes, trying to breath.

       Three o’clock finally arrives, and I dash out of the school to catch the #59 up to Broad Street. We gotta get back here before 4 o’clock, when they lock the doors. On the ride up I’m anxious, wondering if she’ll even remember I was up there yesterday. If she even knew what was going on at all. I’m supposed to be at work at The Fox Hole by around 4. I’m really putting this whole job in jeopardy. I don’t even know what kind of a state she’s going to be in today.  I hop off on Broad Street at 3:22. We can still make it if everything goes right!

I burst into the shop, trying unsuccessfully to make it look like I’m laid back, ready for anything…

Now, she’s the old Esperanza again! The light is back in her eyes - she has life again! And she is so beautiful. I gaze at her hopefully. She smiles at me, and a glow comes up from my heart. It’s radiating onto my face, and now I’m tingling with anticipation.

“Gimme a minute, baby, and we’ll get out of here, OK?”

The other ladies beam at me, calling out greetings as I smile back, and wave. Esperanza slips on her short-waisted white leather jacket, delicately places her shades on top of her head, and grabs her purse. Every move is graceful again.

“Hasta manyaaana, chicas” she draws it out playfully.

We stride outside together, and I head towards the bus stop. She inexplicably sashays to the other corner.

Where is she going?

Then I realize - the parking lot. Uh-oh. I think that she thinks I have a car. Great. I sprint over to catch up to her, ready to apologize and grovel, and feel like a fool, but she keeps going.

“Esperanza – Esperanza - I don’t-”

We’re in the parking lot now, and she abruptly stops right in front of this white MG Midget Convertible. Brand new. Whoa.

It glistens in the fading sunlight, among all the beat up Dodge Darts and Chevy Impalas. She pulls keys out from her purse.

“This is your car?”

“You know there’s no way I be taking that damn bus, honey, mmm-mmm” -

“Oh my God.”

I mean, I’m definitely not one of those trade-school car freaks, or anything, but this ride is jamming.  Could I be any more in awe of her?

She offers me a stick of Dentyne.  

“You want a Chiclet?”

I don’t know why, but Puerto Ricans always call every kind of gum Chiclets, no matter if it’s Trident, Juicy Fruit, or indeed, Chiclets. I stuff it in my mouth, mainly to keep my jaw from being permanently dropped.

She lights up her ever present Virginia Slim, opens the door, pushes a button that brings the top down, and hops in.

“What are you waiting for, honey?”

She pulls her shades down over her eyes. It’s a nice sunny day for November 3rd.

        It’s a two seater with no other room - the Midget is. She grabs the clutch, peels out of the parking lot, and goes screeching down East Grand Avenue, like Mario Andretti. She’s messing with the radio knob, rifling through all these R&B and Spanish stations, until she hits on this acoustic guitar solo that plays on for, like, ten seconds.

“Oh shit! I love this song!” she cries out happily, cranking up the volume now.                        

“Whoa! That’s the Eagles new jam, I think.”

“I don’t know who this be, papi, I just love it!  Aaaay!”

I grin to myself, because, secretly, I really like the Eagles, also. We have something in common now, too. Yeah. The words break in now, and she starts singing along, but she’s getting all the words wrong, which usually really annoys me, but in this situation…

“There she stood in the doorway

With the mission bell

And I was thinking to myself

This could be heaven or this could be hell…”

“Yeah, Hotel California!” Woo! I cry out gleefully.

We’re cruising down East Grand Avenue in Elizabeth, the late day sun setting in our eyes, the cancerous breeze from the nearby Exxon Bayway refineries blowing through our hair - and it’s all perfect.

Suddenly, she’s Ali McGraw, and I’m Ryan O’Neal, and it’s Love Story, and we’re cruising down the Boulevard in Hollywood, the salty breeze off the Pacific Ocean cooling us off.  This is it. The defining moment of my life.

That whole ride to the school is magic, timeless…

I’ve never felt so - free!  The only thing I have to be conscious of, is to catch myself from permanently fawning over her, as I’m taking it all in.

When we get to the Roselle High parking lot, I leap out of the car, practically prancing my way up the stairs to the green door. Like that freaking leprechaun from those Lucky Charms, commercials. I peer up at the clock in one of the classrooms - it’s only 3:50. Excellent! We still got time. I excitedly go to pull open the door - LOCKED!  What the fuck?!  It can’t be, it’s not four o’clock yet!!

OPERATION RESCUE ESPERANZA

Joey is saddened and distraught to see Esperanza’s appearance when he visits her at Tijeras de Oro, but is determined to get through to her

She gazes at me blankly, lazily.
“Hey baby,” she drawls emotionlessly, at last.
An awkward silent pause follows.
“Uh…do you know who I am?” I feel stupid, exposed, like an eight-year old schoolboy at a MAMBLA (Man-Boy Love Association) convention.
“Yeah, papi…I know who you be” she giggles slightly.
“Um-Esperanza, (I smile brightly now), I got something to…real important… to tell you... to show you”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think we could, like, go outside or something for a minute?”
She smiles laconically.
“Let me finish with this lady here, OK?”
“Te gusta, mami?” She asks her customer.
“Si, pero un poco mas por este lado, ok?” She directs.
Esperanza finishes up in a few more minutes and kind of robotically dusts the chair off with a whisk broom.
“Mi voy a fumar!” she calls out to nobody in particular.
“C’mon, honey – let’s go.”
We’re both outside now, in the little alleyway next to the store, and she’s trying to light her cigarette, but in kind of this absent-minded way, with no particular focus. She’s fumbling with it, making attempt after attempt. I’m cringing now. It’s actually painful to watch. I mean, usually, I could watch her go through that motion all day, she’s so smooth and fluid and sexy. But now… it’s kind of just breaking my heart. Finally, she succeeds in lighting it, and exhaling, watches the rings of smoke become one with the grey polluted air.
She starts giggling.
Frustrations seethes through my chest, building up like a broken pipe ready to blow steam! I want - I need - to get through to her, to connect on some level. I want to bawl at the same time, a bewildering torrent of emotions rocks me. I’m in awe of her, still.
“What do you want to tell me, baby?”
I try to carefully measure my words, an attempt to reach out.
“Esperanza, remember when I made that drawing of you?”
She nods, exhaling skyward.
“Well – um - you liked that, right?”
She nods again.
“Yeah, of course, papi.”
“Ok, check this out…I made something for you that’s way better. Way bigger! It’s like - a monument…
I search her face for any type of reaction.
“The only thing is…it’s at my school…
Do…you…think…you can…um…come to the school? With me?” She giggles, her eyes drooping. I command myself to stay cool, stay focused.
“I’ll pick you up here… and we can go, ok?”
“Yeah baby, of course.” She finally responds.
“When do you want me to come up?”
“Come up…like, tomorrow, ok?”
“Tomorrow…you sure?”
“Yeah”
“Ok, I’m gonna come up tomorrow, right after school, alright? Do you think you can get off around, like, 3:30?”
“Baby, I can do what I want.”
She flicks the butt of her smoked-up cigarette onto the concrete.
“I gotta get back now, papi, I see you tomorrow.”
She drifts away, like the smoke rings from her Virginia Slims, and back into the shop. I half-step down the street, a growing feeling of emptiness, pervading my soul