“I know what you mean,” he said as Deborah and Theresa passed us by like two wild goats. “When I came back from the army I felt it had changed. Everything seemed smaller.”
“I’m glad you will be home,” I said. I clutched my Red Chief tablet and my pencil. I was anxious to see the gang. I wondered how hard the third grade would be.
“Ah, I feel like an old man going to school, but it’s the only way, Tony, the only way—”
At the bridge we met the Kid and Samuel. We raced across and as usual the brown, savage figure of the Kid left us behind. At the end of the bridge Andrew hung behind to catch his breath he said, and Samuel and I went on. We passed Rosie’s house and headed towards the school. I told Samuel I had seen the golden carp that summer and he was very pleased.
“You might become one of us,” he smiled his wise, contented smile.
“What did you do?” I asked. “I went for you, but you were gone.”
“My father and I herded sheep on the Aqua Negra ranch,” he said. “You know, Tony,” he added, “I think I will become a sheepherder.”
“My mother wants me to become a farmer, or a priest,” I said.
“There are rewards in caring for sheep, and there are rewards for tilling the soil, but the greatest calling is to be a priest,” he said. “A priest is a man who cares for his people—”
“Yes.”
“I heard about the evil thing they did to Ultima, the story of Tenorio’s blinding was throughout the camps.” He paused and looked at me. “You must be careful, the kids in town will not understand.”
“I will,” I said.
We reached the tumultuous playground and I told Samuel that I had to see Miss Maestas. He understood. I wanted to see Miss Maestas and deliver my mother’s greetings before I got involved with the gang. Miss Maestas was busy with the first graders and so I did not stay long, but she was happy to see me and I was happy to see her. She hadn’t changed much from last year.
Then I ran out and joined the gang at our spot on the playground. “Hi, Tony!” they called, and Horse threw me a pass. I caught it and passed it to Florence. “¡Chingada!”
Florence missed it and shagged. “¡Ah la veca!” “Butterfingers!”
“Who’s your teacher, Tony?”
“Miss Harris or Miss Violet?”
“Don’ know?”
“Miss Violet!” Bones cried out, “we all got Miss Violet! Chingada, I told you!”
“How do you know?” Lloyd asked.
“They give the dumb kids to Miss Violet—”
“All the dumb yellow birds! Yah, yah,” Lloyd mimicked.
“Tony ain’t dumb, he passed two grades!”
“He has a witch to help him,” Ernie sneered.
Ernie was still after me. I still didn’t know why.
“Miss Violet gives all her kids prunes on Fridays!”
“She gets even with our parents for having to guard us all week!” Everybody laughed.
“I ain’t no dumb yellow bird!” Horse whinnied.
“Hey, Tony!” Ernie called, “is it true your brother’s been whoring with the girls at Rosie’s?”
“¡Ah la veca!” “¡Las putas!”
I did not know what the word whoring meant, but I knew Rosie’s was a bad place. I did not answer.
“Knock it off,” Red said, “why pick on Tony! Everybody in town goes to Rosie’s!”
“Yeah-hhhhhhh,” Bones howled, and his eyeballs rolled loose in their sockets, “including Ernie’s old man!”
“¡Cabrón Bones!” Ernie glared, but he didn’t jump Bones. It was stupid to jump Bones. Bones might kill you and not care.
“Ernie’s old man!” Horse shouted and mounted Bones, and everybody laughed. “Hah, hah, hah!” Horse gasped.
“Very funny!” Ernie spit and swung to face me. “But at least we don’t have a witch around our house!”
“Hey yeah! Tony’s got a witch!” “I heard about it this summer!” “¡Chingada!” “¡Ah la veca!”
“Is that right, Tony?” Florence asked.
“She blinded a man!” Abel nodded vigorously.
“How?”
“Witchcraft—”
“Ah la verga—”
They were around me now, looking at me. The circle was tight and quiet. Around us the playground was one jarring, humming noise, but inside the circle it was quiet.
“Come on you guys!” Red said, “this is Tony’s first year with us! Let’s play ball! Come on, there ain’t no such thing as witches—”