New Jersey – Page 2 – Another Day at the Point

Something Awful is Cooking

“Maruja, Maruja! What happened here!?” my mother yells out.

She is pounding on the counter & hollering, but I think it’s all a waste of energy. Mom knows Maruja is deaf and she is in her room – No way will she hear mom’s yelling!

But I guess this is one way to vent-out her frustrations.

I go get Maruja from her room while mom keeps yelling. “You’ve burned another dinner. How many times do I have to tell you! Don’t leave the stove on and unattended.”

Maruja has got to be in her late 40’s. She is very timid, deaf and talks w/a bad lisp.

She has black straggly hair, a bulbous nose, rough complexion and in my eyes, the only thing missing is a big hairy, wart on the chin to complete the image I have created of her.

Its obvious why we all call her ‘Maruja la Bruja’ (Maruja the Witch)

Needless to say that I don’t very much like her and her cooking…

AGHH – I hate it!

I get Maruja to follow me into the kitchen & then I run off to the living room to watch Bugs Bunny. Maruja enter the kitchen, sees the smoke & runs over to the range to see what has happened. She gasps as she realizes what mom is yelling about.

I turn up the volume on the TV as I know what’s gonna come next…

I love this re-run! It’s Broom-stick Bunny.

Witch Hazel is preparing “pretty potion” tea for Bugs, who showed up – trick or treating – as a witch (in Halloween costume) & starts doing Bug’s hair. I love this line from Witch Hazel :

“Tell me, who undoes your hair? Why, it’s absolutely hideous!”

But the laughter & jokes do not drown out mom’s yelling.

I guess mom has just about had it! Mom works long days & does not have time to cook or clean house and look after us kids. That’s why she hired Maruja in the first place!

But her cooking is eating up lots more time then mom expected. Maruja’s cooking is burned about 70% of the time anyway, but what difference does it make – it tastes awful to begin with and only dad & Danny seem to like it.

I don’t even thinks its edible!

I guess that it does not help that we kids don’t like her much and play tricks on her. Mom sure is pissed!

Not sure who turned up the temperature on the stove, but I think this time, it did the trick. Maybe the trick was just too good…

See, now Nancy is having to cook lunch & dinners; Patty gets to sweep & set the table; Danny has to mop the floors & do dishes; and I have to clean my room…

This summer, it looks like we are going to have to take care of ourselves.

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I’ll Drive You Home…

It’s going to be another long night at the factory. Today two ladies called in sick & the other two could not stay and work overtime.

My mother is a bit upset because she needs to finish this order! We have over 300 garments that need to be completed this weekend and some more that are still on the cutting table and have not even been counted yet!

Marga is feeling sick today. She was throwing up and today is not a good pregnant day for her. Daniel is out making deliveries and I’ve been at this machine since 3:00, when I got out of school.

Marga starts complaining “mom, I’m not feeling well & I think I’m gonna go home.” Sure enough Marga goes to the bathroom & throws up again.

“Go home and lay down, hopefully that would help.” my mother tells her.

Marga heads out the door & a few minutes later comes back in.

“What happened?” mom asks.

“I can’t even fit behind the steering wheel to drive myself home!” Marga replies.

“Well there is nobody here to drive you home!” Mom suggests “Can you stay & lay down on the sofa?”

“No mom, I am really sick & need to go home.” Marga replies.

Well… I’m sitting here listening to the whole conversation. And in my 14 year old mind everything is possible! I come up with this bright idea!

“I’ll drive you home!”

See I can’t stand being in the factory & sewing all evening is not what I want for myself tonight. So I will do whatever it takes to get out of here!

“But you don’t even have a license” Marga replies.

“so what! I’ve watch Danny drive the bug. I’m sure I can do it! It’s only three blocks anyway & you can’t very well walk home in your condition.”

See this was a good argument & I think I got both Mom & Marga convinced. Marga did not have a comeback. So off we go! I put it into gear & let go of the clutch. Bam! the car jerks as it stalls. Again I turn it on and Marga instructs me to let go of the clutch slowly. I drove down the street at 10MPH – the car hopping and tires chirping, but I’m heading out.

I don’t think I even made it up into third gear, but we were on our way.

I can see our street from here, so how much trouble can I get into in three short blocks. Sure enough, I turn onto Dawson St & head down towards our house in the middle of the street. I took the turn a little too quick & by this point I’m up to 20MPH.

“slow down, the driveway is coming up…” Marga tells me.

We reach the middle of the block. I slow down & start to turn into our driveway. I step on the break and…

And nothing!!! – the car isn’t stopping!!!

“Stop the car!” Marga yells

“I’m trying & nothing is happening! What do I do!!!”

Again Marga yells “Stop the caaaaar!”

We are heading right towards the chain link fence & I can see what is next…

My life flashed before my eyes! I don’t want to think about it, but I get the image of the bug parked on top of mom’s garden, the car with it’s ass sticking out of the front wall of the house.

I don’t think mom is gonna like this mess! I closed my eyes, braced for impact and prayed for the best. Suddenly, I hear the car screech and jolt to a halt! In an instant, Marga had reached for the emergency break & yanked it – 1″ from the edge of the fence!!!

PHEW! that was close. We look at each other with this face of amazement. Marga’s face is pale white & she starts doing her Lamaze breathing technique & me… I think I’m shitting in my pants in total disbelief.

We laughed so hard that my gut was hurting till the next day.

We never spoke of this to mom or anybody, but once in a while mom yells at Danny: “Why did you leave wild skid marks on the driveway.”

She smacks him in the head while he counters with “Mom, I didn’t do that!”

Anyway the secret is out now! and I’m sure glad I learned that, when stopping a car, it is important to apply pressure on the clutch as well…

Otherwise you will hit the fence!

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Sweat You Ass Off, Mi’jo

Joe came over today. He has a really bad cold – coughing like crazy – and his voice hoarse and scratchy. I think it’s at the verge of being a pneumonia, but he disagrees.

After being in the house for only 5 minutes, mom yells at Joe. “What are you doing out in the cold with that pneumonia? Oh my God! your voice is ready to go!!”

“It’s not a pneumonia! It’s only a cold. Don’t worry” Joe replies.

But he does not know my mom. She left the room and we went back to hanging out. We’re watching TV and just talking but we are having a good time hanging out with Joe.

I don’t know why all the neighbors don’t like Joe. He is a good guy with a bad reputation – no matter that it’s unearned. My dad does not like him, but my mom does. She says that she sees the kindness in his heart.

“Knock, Knock” my mother says as she opens the door of my room. “Take your shirt off!” She demands of Joe, in her broken English.

“What?” Joe replies with a puzzled look.

“Don’t even try to stop her Joe. When she has her mind set, nothing will stop her.” Danny tells Joe. “Just surrender, It’ll be easier!”
Menthol Chino MY mom showed up with a container of ‘Mentol Chino‘ & a stack of newspapers. She rubs the mentol chino on his chest and on his back. She lays it on thick so that the newspaper will be able to stick to it.

The room has a strong Menthol smell and Joe is complaining of the smell and that the fumes are stinging his eyes.

“Dile que no joda!” My mom yells out.

“What did she say?” Joe asks.

“Stop complaining and let her continue…” Danny replies, leaving out the curse word.

Now my mother grabs the newspaper. She plasters it on his chest like if she was hanging wallpaper. She rubs it in – almost as if she was trying to rub the newsprint off onto his chest.

She continues with more of the same on his back.

“Now put your shit back on!” She instructs Joe.

Sure enough, Joe is now doing whatever my mother instructs.

She now leaves the room & Joe is just standing there like an overstuffed scarecrow. He has newspaper spilling out the neck & arms of the T-shirt.

My mother walks back in, this time with a thick wool blanket that we brought over from Ecuador. This blanket is made of Llama wool and is made by the local Indians. I have many memories of how it kept me warm during those cold winter nights in the Bronx. We used to have nights when the heat would not work & this blanket was the only thing that kept us from freezing our ass of. The whole family would sit under this blanket to stay warm & watch TV.

My mother wraps the blanket tightly around Joe. The only thing hanging out the side is his hands and off the top is his head. Joe is now stiff as a scarecrow.

“Now leave!” My mother instructs Joe! “Mi’jo, Go home & sleep wrapped in the blanket. Don’t take the blanket off no matter how hot you get.”

My mother treated Joe just like she would her sons. She was truly concerned for him. Joe does not question nor says anything but gives Danny a look, as if to ask “What should I do now!?”

My Brother replies “GO & sweat your ass off!

The next morning Joe returns the wool blanket & thanks my mother for taking care of him. He does not have a mother & mom has made him feel as if she was his mother.

“Thank you” is all he says – his voice no longer hoarse or broken. “I feel much better.”

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