Wednesday, El Paso, Texas
The house Paco led them to was set back and a little off the road, almost as if the neighborhood had sprung up around it and then forgot it was even there. It was tidy, though. The lawn well cared for and the bricks very clean and bright in the El Paso sun. Paco happily took credit for the flowers lining the walk, though he admitted that Brenda had helped pick them out.
As soon as they approached the door, Paco's step slowed and he reached out to clasp Jaime's shoulder. "Okay, ladies. Here is where we must part ways."
"Hey!" Momoko protested as he started to walk down the lane again. "You need to introduce us! We can't just show up."
"No way." Paco waved and kept walking, pulling Jaime along with him. "Come on, man. I want to show you the new colours I got for the pinstriping on my -"
The front door opened and a voice came from inside the house. "Paco Testas!"
Paco jerked to a sudden stop as if his collar had been tugged. "Oh man." And he turned around. "Yeah?"
An elderly woman walked out onto the front step, leaning slightly on a cane. She didn't say anything, just stared through her glasses at Paco. It took a moment and then he shook as if realizing something, swiped his hat off his head and straightened his posture. "I mean, yes ma'am, Mrs Wilson?"
The elderly woman nodded slightly. "You left so quickly yesterday. I assume the back lawn got finished?"
"Uhm. I'm sorry. But, Dinah was coming into town"
"Oh no, you don't drag me into this," Dinah snickered under her breath.
"His name is 'Testas?' I never knew that!" Momoko mused back, totally amused.
Paco was still explaining. "And she's from outta town and I haven't seen her in a while so..." But it wasn't making the elderly woman's expression change and he sighed. "I was just going back to finish it ma'am."
"I see. And your friend?" She looked to Jaime. "You're not one of those Possum gang hoodlums Paco used to hang out with, are you?"
"No ma'm. I'm Jaime Reyes."
Paco pulled Jaime into a bro-shoulder hug. "We're best buds! He's going to help me. Right?"
"No."
The elderly woman nodded. "Fine. But if he makes a mess of my yard, I'm holding you responsible, Paco." The woman looked to Momoko and Dinah and smiled broadly. "Ladies. If you'd like to wait inside? I'm sure the boys will only take a moment. It's not a very big yard. Do you like lemonade?"
Momoko looked back at her. "You're inviting us in? You don't even know us!"
"Oh. You're friends of Paco's," the woman waved that off and walked into the house. "He's a good boy. Now that he's not with that gang anymore. Hoodlums."
She turned abruptly to look back at Momoko and Dinah. "Well? Are you coming in; you're wasting the air conditioning."
As soon as they approached the door, Paco's step slowed and he reached out to clasp Jaime's shoulder. "Okay, ladies. Here is where we must part ways."
"Hey!" Momoko protested as he started to walk down the lane again. "You need to introduce us! We can't just show up."
"No way." Paco waved and kept walking, pulling Jaime along with him. "Come on, man. I want to show you the new colours I got for the pinstriping on my -"
The front door opened and a voice came from inside the house. "Paco Testas!"
Paco jerked to a sudden stop as if his collar had been tugged. "Oh man." And he turned around. "Yeah?"
An elderly woman walked out onto the front step, leaning slightly on a cane. She didn't say anything, just stared through her glasses at Paco. It took a moment and then he shook as if realizing something, swiped his hat off his head and straightened his posture. "I mean, yes ma'am, Mrs Wilson?"
The elderly woman nodded slightly. "You left so quickly yesterday. I assume the back lawn got finished?"
"Uhm. I'm sorry. But, Dinah was coming into town"
"Oh no, you don't drag me into this," Dinah snickered under her breath.
"His name is 'Testas?' I never knew that!" Momoko mused back, totally amused.
Paco was still explaining. "And she's from outta town and I haven't seen her in a while so..." But it wasn't making the elderly woman's expression change and he sighed. "I was just going back to finish it ma'am."
"I see. And your friend?" She looked to Jaime. "You're not one of those Possum gang hoodlums Paco used to hang out with, are you?"
"No ma'm. I'm Jaime Reyes."
Paco pulled Jaime into a bro-shoulder hug. "We're best buds! He's going to help me. Right?"
"No."
The elderly woman nodded. "Fine. But if he makes a mess of my yard, I'm holding you responsible, Paco." The woman looked to Momoko and Dinah and smiled broadly. "Ladies. If you'd like to wait inside? I'm sure the boys will only take a moment. It's not a very big yard. Do you like lemonade?"
Momoko looked back at her. "You're inviting us in? You don't even know us!"
"Oh. You're friends of Paco's," the woman waved that off and walked into the house. "He's a good boy. Now that he's not with that gang anymore. Hoodlums."
She turned abruptly to look back at Momoko and Dinah. "Well? Are you coming in; you're wasting the air conditioning."