TRACY
Beto Rocha
On the following summer, David returned to
the fields, and worked doing stoop labor, lifting up the wandering vines of the
cantaloupe plant out of the surcos [furrows], and being careful not to damage
the young green melons; placing the vines and melons on the wide, flat earth
strips between the furrows on which they had been planted, as straightly as he
could.
An aeroplane, a shiny, overhead winged
aircraft, a Cessna, painted a spiffy white and maroon, appeared flying low
above the working crew, and landed in an unplanted part of the field nearby. A
man, perhaps the landowner or his son, stepped out of the craft, and the
overseer walked over to the pilot who waited by the plane. The man was wearing
a spotless, short- sleeved khaki shirt and trousers, and as David could make
out, looked well fed, and like he didnÕt lack a thing. He spent a short time
talking to the boss, got back into the airplane, and took off, leaving a
swirling cloud of dust blowing about and around the workers.
Hours had gone by, and after a good long
spell without a drink of water, DavidÕs throat and lips felt thick, and his
mouth dry. He thirsted for a long time, because the water for the braceros to
drink was in short supply. Luckily, the work begun at daybreak only lasted to
quitting time, which was shortly after the noon hour.
The previous year David had worked picking
peaches, pero ahora, nuevamente le acompa–aban tres hombres, jovenes e
ilegales. Ellos eran Alejandro, Rigo, y el Chiqui, le decian haci porque era
bajo de estatura. All four had started out from DavidÕs parents home in L.A.,
which had become known as sort
[ 15.]
of an underground railway, a safe house
para hombres y mujeres, todos mas o menos conocidos, y como es natural, tambien
venian parientes. Todos eran personas procedentes del pueblo de su papa, y
todos indocumentados, pues, no traian papeles. Y el, naturalmente, los invitaba
a que se quedaran mientras encontraban trabajo.
After straightening the cantaloupe vines bent over all
morning, los quatro found themselves in the bunk-house exhausted and feeling
sore, their limbs beginning to ache, especially their backs. The quartet spent
an uncomfortable night, and in the morning were physically unable to straighten
up, and go back to work. Se habian venido a un trabajo completamente
desconocido por ellos y siendo pueblerinos de una region aislado del norte de
Mexico, con la exepcion de David, se puede decir que Ôlos habian bajado de la
sierra a tamborazosÕ. Habian conocido trabajo del campo en su pais, despacioso
y no de mucho cansansio, pero muy mal pagado. Pero en los Estados Unidos de
America del norte, para los que ambicionan, ay trabajos de largas horas y a
darle duro, pero encontraran que por su valioso labor, el pago sera mucho menos
de lo que se espera. Y de este jale en el melon, de un dia pal otro, se
quedaron esos pobres vatos todos, Ôchin-que-chadosÕ [an invented word, used
here to replace a coarse and common word that every Mexicano has heard, speaks
or has spoken in itÕs various forms, and used as an expletive or an insult*], Y
al dia siguiente, no podian seguir trabajando, amane- ciendo con el cuerpo
doblado, porque estubieron levantando las guias del melon el dia pasado y haci
en cruel mimica de las guias, se les quedaron los cuerpos entorpecidos. A pie,
con dolor caminaban y no se podian enderesar para andar recta- mente hasta mas
aya de una semana. Que friega!
Y quien sabe por qual crimen les toco ese
miserable castigo
[ 16.]
a los demas? But David received his
punishment from God, which he richly deserved for his disobedience to his
mother who was against his going north for the second time, telling him
adamantly, ÒNo quiero que te vayas! Though Isaac had, in acquiescence deferred
to his sonÕs expressed desire to return to the fields, ÒPues ve, si quieresÓ,
diciendole eso a su hijo enfren- te de Chia, su esposa, para contrarearla. And
taking this as a sign of his fatherÕs permission he left. But later paying the
consequence for breaking the Commandment of God who is Jesus Christ, which
says, ÒHonor your father and your motherÓ . . . [Exodus 20:12].
Working out of Tracy California, a small
town south of Stockton in the Sacramento Valley, they stayed at a Christian
womanÕs boarding place on the Mexican side of town, es que los traques [rieles]
del ferrocaril dividia el pueblo; los Mexicanos viviendo a un lado y los
Americanos al otro. Stationed there that summer, they had landed their first
job; having been transported by auto to the cantaloupe field by a labor
contractor, but only to return three days later to the Christian ladyÕs place.
Resting their bones, the four recuperated from the melon field backbreak caused
by those long hours in a crouched position that the muscles of a city bred
human being like DavidÕs had never been exercised before.
The landlady, middle aged, and living
alone in her small, well kept, home, took pity on her inquilinos [lodgers], com-
forted them in her quiet way. She enjoyed the company of the young men, like
sons she never had. She laundered their clothes, and rented the space they
occupied for a very modest fee. She would cook and serve them two meals a day,
an early breakfast, and lunch at mid afternoon, after which, the men expressing
their gratitude with profuse appreciation for her kindly attention, each saying
to her, ÒMuchas gracias se–ora,
[ 17.]
gracias,Ó as they got up from the kitchen
table; opening the squeaky screen door, and stepping down onto the hard bare
earth to head for their rooms, she would respond to each one after his turn, in
sing-song saying repetitiously, ÒDale gracias a Dios, dale gracias a Dios,Ó
like as if to say, give thanks to God, and not to me.
David and his companions would get up
before dawn in hopes of getting a job. They would go to a location in an empty
field nearby, where, if chosen by the contratista, los pocos escojidos [the few
chosen] would be transported to the field by bus or truck. Most of the time
David, because of his youth was not picked to go, and David had to stay behind
on many occasions. The contractor knowing the U.S. child labor laws, chose to
exclude him, but when many hands were needed the law was ignored.
Tracy is a small farming town west of
Highway 99. David recalls that mostly Mexicanos, and some African Americans
[they were spoken of as colored then] lived on one side of the railroad tracks,
and the white Americans on the other. The Americans, universally, spoke English
only, and if any among them spoke another language, hid the foreign tongue they
knew. They all spoke to non-English speaking Mexicans through an interpreter,
if they talked to each other at all.
David era muy andariegas [a wanderer], pero poco fueron
las veses que se cruzaba los traques para irse a caminar las calles del otro
lado del pueblo, se sentia prohibido andar en el lado Americano. Traia muy poco
dinero, pero en rara ocasion se le antojaba comerse un chuchuluco [golosina,
i.e., candy bar] y se iba para ya al otro lado del pueblo. Encontraba que las
calles estaban muy limpias y la tiendita, a donde de vez en cuando iba, siempre
estaba ordenado y repleto de todo tipo de
mercancia comestible. Hacia su pedido en
Ingles y se lo daban.
[ 18.]
Pero no le hablaban. [Scripture . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . ]
Se le hacian muy callados y serios los
Americanos de alli. El, en Los Angeles tenia amistades Europeos y Anglo Sajones
que se juntaban con los Mexicanos nacidos en Los y se portaban mas o menos
genialmente unos con otros. Pero aqui en este pueblito eran de una disposicion
enteramente diferente y David, por primera vez en su corta vida, y aunque era
U.S. citizen, se sentia muy aislado y solo entre los Americanos del pueblo de
Tracy.
David, fond of the movies, had scraped up
enough coins to
Go see the ÒRobeÓ, a flick playing at the
local movie house, and on another day of non-employment, crossed the tracks and
headed for the theater. It must have been a Saturday for there were youngsters
of both sexes going in the same direction in small groups, and as he walked
along silently by himself, a stranger among those other young persons, and he a
blosso- ming young man, now full of almost innocent, romantic desire [y le
gustaba mucho las hueritas], incomprehensive, at that time, of the strongly
held attitudes of those of the dominating society, historically hostile toward
those of his own culture. He imagined the impossible to be possible: the
unreality of meeting up with a local girl, a fair daughter of that Anglo town,
and he a son of those her ancestors had invaded and con- quered and made their
servants, sitting together in the dim, flickering light of the silver screen,
holding hands. Que locura!
He paid for his seat, and was handed a
ticket at the booth, and although he entered the movie-show along with the
others his age, no one spoke to him or looked his way, un-like Mexican people
who generally jostle one another and yak, even though they donÕt know each
other, yet treat each other with cordial familiarity, depending on the
situation, and appearance of the
[ 19.]
other person, of course. David found a seat
in the balcony, no one occupied a seat near him, and seeing no other Mexicanos
besides himself, loneliness set in, and for the first time in his life
experienced alienation, and felt like a ghost.
David meandered about much more often on
the Mexican side of Tracy, feeling greatly at ease among those folk, but there
wasnÕt much of it, there was only half a dozen streets or so that a street
sweeping machine never saw. Se le hacia raro esa falta de limpieza, ÒQue no pagan
taxes los de aqui, igual que los de alla?Ó le vino esa pregunta a la mente. He
thought it odd that the streets were un-swept, ÒDidnÕt those of this side pay
taxes, as well as those of the other side?Ó was a question he asked himself as
he ambled along. The Spanish speaking community resided in a barrio located on
the outskirts of town just across the tracks, and he often walked the wind
swept, broken side-walks passing by wood-framed houses, well set back in fenced
yards decorated with plants and flowers, but no lawns, un-like the neatly
trimmed, and generously watered greenery of the lawns, and gardens on the other
side.
En las yardas del lado Mexicano, stuff
that chilpayates leave around could be seen strewn about on the dry earth
packed down by childrenÕs bare feet; an esquincleÕs abandoned milk bottle with
the rubber nipple still attached, as were bits and pieces of broken toys. There
were also half buried marbles stuck in the earth. Habian catotas [siendo
tambien canicas] casi enterradas en la tierra, and candy wrappers scattered
here and there.
Behind la vecindad Mexicana were small
huertas [orchards], and a larger field of dried corn stalks bordered one side
of la vecindad. Shady cotton wood trees lined the main street that led to the American
side they were probably as old as cotton- woods get, bountiful with leaves
which were beginning to turn
[20.]
yellow and brown. The roots had lifted up
the once flat cement sidewalk under most of the trees, which was cracked and
lightly capped with fallen leaves. Lizards climbing on the trunks stopped to
peer at him, or scrambled around the tree to hide from view as he passed by.
There was a strange little shack, most
likely it had been a food stand, jutting out from a yard next to the sidewalk
close by the graveled embankment of the train tracks, one narrow end of the
shack was up against the walkway. David had heard that a prostitute lived and
worked there at her trade. He was curious, but he never saw anyone near the
place, and he never walked about the town at night. . . .ÓCome here and I will show you the judgment of the
infamous whoreÓ. . .with whom all the kings of the earth have committed fornication,
and who has made all the population of the world drunk with the wine of her
adultery.Ó . . .ÓShe was holding a gold wine cup filled with the disgusting filth of her
fornication; on her forehead was written a name,Ó. . .ÓBabylon the Great, the
mother of all the filthy practices on the earth.Ó Revelation 17:1-2, 4-5.
Rigo had not been among those lucky to go
to work one day, and it was another day of unemployment for David as usual, and
he found himself alone in RigoÕs company. They shared a room together, as did
Alex y el Chiquilin who roomed in an other, but those two were at work that
day. David enjoyed reading, he had brought a few classical and historical
novels with him from L.A. to pass the time, but being in a disinter- ested
mood, and doing little else, lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling,
which had been painted many times over with washed out colors of seafoam green,
pale pink, beige, and with other tints equally as dull. This could be seen
because the paint was peeling in places showing multi-layers of previous
applications of colors. Hanging from the ceiling was an
[ 21.]
electric cord, which had a single light
bulb connected to it; un-lit during the day. His bed was up against the wall,
which had a tall, double paned, vertically sliding window, with a thick wood
frame around each pane of glass, open at the top and bottom allowing the hot
air in on that late summer morning. The dusty glass let in the sunlight; the
window had no screen, but it did have an olive drab paper shade that was pulled
down by a string attached to a fifty cent size plastic ring, and when yanked,
would climb upward in a hurry into a tight roll. The window looked out onto a
large backyard of hard packed earth, dry and almost barren of any growing
thing, except, in about the middle of that bit of desert was a singular,
scrawny almond tree that was cared for by the landlady, evidenced by a worn
rubber tire, which encircled the tree at the roots to form a rese- voir for the
water. Y es que la se–ora lo regaba. The backyard was next to a street, que era
un polvoderon cuando hacia viento, and to the right of the rooms was an
alleyway, and on the other side of it was a small, non-descript house.
Rigo was an impulsive and unpredictable
person, and David being self-centered in his youth, paid no mind to. David,
also a dreamer, and lost in his imagination, was suddenly brought back to
reality, when Rigo, out of the sky blue, proposed to him that they should do
such and such a thing together; suggesting to David that he be his partner in
an act of sodomy. And David not having any inclination to regard an invitation
of that sort with any favor, he had never suspected Rigo of having homo- sexual
tendencies, found the criminal solicitation exceedingly repulsive, and began to
yell, not so much at Rigo, but to make a clamor so that anyone else who might
be nearby, would take notice that all was not right with whoever was shouting.
Rigo,taken aback and alarmed, had no
moment to persist, but tried to calm David saying, ÒTe voy a conseguir una
mujer,
[ 22.]
ahorita vengoÓ, [IÕm going to find you a
woman, IÕll soon be back], and he immediately went outside, crossed the
alleyway and disappeared into the small house. Some while later, he returned, and said to David, ÒEs que le
ofreci tres, pero ella quiere mas, no traes dinero?Ó pero David no tenia, ÒI
offered her three Dollars to take you on, but she wanted more. Have you any money?Ó
but David had none.
. . . Òfor those who are immoral with
women or with boys or with menÓ and have not repented of it, . . . That is why
God has abandoned them to degrading passions: why their women have turned from
natural intercourse to unnatural practices, [lesbianism] and why their menfolk
have given up natural intercourse to be consumed with passion with each other,
men doing shameless things with men and getting an appropriate reward for their
perversion.
In other words, since they refused it was
rational to acknowledge God, God has left them to their own irrational ideas
and to their monstrous behavior. And so they are steeped in all sorts of
depravity, rottenness, greed and malice, and addicted to envy, murder,
wrangling, treachery and spite. Libelers, slanderers, enemies of God, arrogant
and boastful, enterprising in crime, rude, rebellious to parents, without
brains, honor, love or pity. They know what GodÕs verdict is: that those who
behave like this deserve to die – and yet they do it; and what is worse,
encourage others to do the same.Ó
1 Timothy 1:10, Romans 1:26-32.
[ 23.]