Abuelita's Attic
Mom asked questions about school for the rest of the drive. Lupe felt a little guilty for giving her a hard time about these weekend visits. Her mom was a single parent and she worked really hard to support them. Lupe didn't really remember her dad. She was five when he left. Every once in a while, she'd hear a song and remember dancing with him, or see a rerun of El Chavo and hear him laughing in a distant memory, but she forgot what he looked like years ago. And the pain was mostly forgotten now too. Mostly.
As they pulled into Abuelita's steep driveway, she came barreling out onto her porch and down the steps to greet them. Lupe giggled. It was funny to watch her tiny grandma try to run! She was about four and a half feet tall and nearly as wide. Though she was somewhere in her fifties, she dressed older and had the strength of a much younger person. Or an ox. Seriously, she was super strong! Mom and Lupe got out of the car and met Abuelita on the walkway to the porch. She stopped Lupe by grabbing her hands and breathing in sharply as she looked up, at least a foot, into her eyes. "Aye mijita," she started. She rubbed Lupe's arms and looked her up and down, "Que flaca!" Lupe didn't speak much Spanish anymore, but some words stuck, like when her grandma told her she was skinny. That's when mom motioned silently with her head toward Abuelita and made the face that said, "Hug your grandma, young lady!"
As they pulled into Abuelita's steep driveway, she came barreling out onto her porch and down the steps to greet them. Lupe giggled. It was funny to watch her tiny grandma try to run! She was about four and a half feet tall and nearly as wide. Though she was somewhere in her fifties, she dressed older and had the strength of a much younger person. Or an ox. Seriously, she was super strong! Mom and Lupe got out of the car and met Abuelita on the walkway to the porch. She stopped Lupe by grabbing her hands and breathing in sharply as she looked up, at least a foot, into her eyes. "Aye mijita," she started. She rubbed Lupe's arms and looked her up and down, "Que flaca!" Lupe didn't speak much Spanish anymore, but some words stuck, like when her grandma told her she was skinny. That's when mom motioned silently with her head toward Abuelita and made the face that said, "Hug your grandma, young lady!"