Back in the ‘hood,
things changed drastically when a lovely Puerto Rican divorcee named Nilda and
her daughter Evelyn moved into a house two doors down from the Sosas, namely
James and Belen, and their sons Johnny and Jimmy. It turned out that Nilda was
James’ sister. Shortly after, their divorced sister and her three sons moved in
with Nilda, and it resulted in a friendship that would make an enormous impact
on my life.
The Reyes Brothers
were the sons of Lydia and Vincent, a striking couple like my parents who
weren’t quite as compatible. Lydia was a sensuous Puerto Rican peasant who fell
in love with Casanova, who Dad contemptuously referred to as a ‘pussy man’. The
couple was separated when I first met the family, and the boys were thrilled
when their Dad came back home. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before they had
another fight and Vincent hit the bricks once again. Lydia ruled the boys with
an iron hand, but they were tough kids, and when they hit puberty she lost
control altogether.
In Vincent’s
defense, I think it was another case of Manny’s low-browed intolerance rearing
its head. Though he was a very intelligent man, Dad never spent much time in
introspection, which was a shame because spirituality would have changed his
life profoundly. He tended to stereotype people, which may sound hilarious to
many coming from me, but the difference between us was my common denominator
towards the child of God. Anyway, Manny never considered how many times Vincent
was forced to sleep on the couch, which had to be an indignity to any ladies’
man. Granted, running out for female consolation was no answer, but I doubt
Manny even broached the subject.
Kenny, Georgie and
Mickey became central figures in my life as we developed a powerful
relationship. Kenny and Georgie were much stronger than I, so I resorted to my
intellect and cunning to remain the dominant figure in our friendship. They
were in constant awe of my imagination, and in turn, they backed me with the
physical force I never had. When I barked, they bit, and as puppies, we chewed
up a lot more than we got caught at. I talked my way out of most snafus with my
Mom, but Kenny and Georgie took quite a few ass-whuppings as a result of our
mischief. For those of you who do not believe in corporal punishment, I can
guarantee that the brothers’ lives would have gone in an entirely different
direction had Vincent and his discipline remained an influence.
Mickey was a
peripheral figure who tagged along at times, though Lydia was very protective
of her youngest son and called him in far earlier than his older brothers.
Still, he joined the Butler Street Wrestling Club and became the No. 1
contender for Judo Jesus Figueroa’s junior championship. When Vincent bailed
out, Lydia shipped Mickey back to Puerto Rico to live with relatives rather
than follow in his brothers’ footsteps. Mickey grew up to be a preacher, and I
cannot help but hope that our discussions about Jesus and the Good Life were an
influencing factor.
(To be continued...)
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