Merci Suárez Changes Gears

The job site is at the Lake Worth Casino. The property sits next to the beach. In the casino’s ballroom, Merci finds an old wedding favor. It reminds her of Tía Inés’s wedding to Marco—“even though their wedding was in [Merci’s] backyard” (142). Marco and Inés have since divorced: “He stopped loving me” is Tía Inés’s explanation, and Merci wonders if the problem was that Marco “maybe loved” Tía Inés (142). Later, Merci takes a picture of the ocean with her phone. A casino worker eyes her suspiciously and asks her if she’s lost: “This happens sometimes on our jobs,” Merci says (144). She continues: “Some customers watch us, as if we might take things when they’re not looking. Maybe I don’t look serious enough? I put away my phone and slide past her to find Papi” (144).

Once Merci finds her father, she realizes that Lolo is missing. He’s not on the veranda where Enrique last left him. As Merci combs the beach looking for her grandfather, she recalls the way he used to take her out into deeper ocean waters on his back. She finds his shoe with his socks stuffed in it as it washes up with the tide, but he is still nowhere to be found. She remembers that the last time Abuela and Lolo took her and Roli to this beach, Lolo got lost on his way to the restroom, and that those trips stopped thereafter. She looks to the lifeguards and reassures herself that they have been watching.

Finally, Merci finds her grandfather among a group of men fishing. He’s talking excitedly to them. She notices that his toes are red and irritated, and he has sunburn blisters on his ears. She guiltily hears Abuela’s voice in her head. The men haul a barracuda out of the water, and the sight of it asphyxiating saddens Merci. She also becomes angry at Lolo, asking him what they will tell Abuela. Then she gives her grandfather his wet socks and shoe, as they are better than nothing: “Gracias, Inés […] You’re a good daughter,” Lolo says (150). Merci corrects him. Merci texts her father and then tells her grandfather that he scared her; her eyes fill with tears. However, he is oblivious to her mood: “You’ll never believe it […] Fico caught a barracuda in the river!” he says (151). Merci recognizes the name of Lolo’s older brother—the one who drowned during their childhood in Cuba. This time, she does not correct her grandfather.

Enrique is strangely quiet when he reunites with Merci and Lolo. When they all arrive back home, he has a hushed, contentious conversation with Ana and Inés. They stop talking whenever Merci walks by. When she tries to get Roli to tell her what they are talking about, he hushes her. She then angrily tells him that she will not miss him at all when he leaves for college.

The next day, Ana drops Merci off at school. The school’s LED display says that sixth grade soccer tryouts are to take place that day, and Merci has packed the still-unsigned permission slip. As she prepares to exit the car, she asks her mother to sign it. Ana then confesses that it is not forgetfulness that is the cause of the lack of her signature on the form: “I know how much you enjoy soccer Merci […] But you’re going to have to stick to playing with your dad’s team for now. There’s just too much else going on. We need you home after school. Abuela can’t manage the twins by herself every day” (155). She also tells her that Roli cannot come to pick her up after practice, as he is busy working on his college applications. When Merci tells her that none of this is fair, Ana agrees but tells her that many things are not fair, and that they cannot discuss the matter anymore today. However, she promises that Merci can try out next year. The traffic attendant hurries Ana along, as Merci goes to school, feeling as though she hates everything.

Merci’s entire week is miserable; to add insult to injury, the boys have begun stealing the girls’ food as a prank during lunchtime. One day, Chase steals the remainder of Merci’s lunch when she goes to get milk. Merci reflects on her PE uniform, which is a new addition to her middle-school life, as is changing in the locker room. She feels some anxiety about her breasts, which she currently keeps “pressed close to [her] body with a sports bra for now” (160).

During PE period, Merci disobeys school rules and takes a bat to a ball prior to the teacher arriving on the field. She bets Michael that she can hit one of his pitches. If she wins, he will owe her five dollars and the boys can no longer steal her lunch. Michael throws her a mean pitch and then she accidentally hits the ball into Michael’s face. He goes down, bleeding. Merci immediately runs to him, apologizing profusely. Edna and the other girls immediately jump on Merci, with Edna telling Mr. Patchett, who rushes to the scene, that Merci tried to kill Michael. Michael is taken away by Nurse Harris on a golf cart, and Merci is told to report to Miss McDaniels to help her fill out an accident report and to speak to her about detention. She is also notified that her mother will be called.