My Chicano Heart by Daniel A. Olivas

Author:Daniel A. Olivas [Olivas, Daniel A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781647791353
Publisher: University of Nevada Press

REAL TIME

CAMERA ONE

Diana saw it. So did her two roommates, Avram and Raquel. And it saw them. For but a second, maybe two, their six human eyes widened and locked onto its wild but somehow controlled eyes. The gray sky muted the colors of the trees, grass, birds—everything—so that they weren’t quite certain they were seeing what they were seeing. The three humans squinted in unison. It seemed to squint back at them.

“Oh, my God,” said Diana. She held the platter of steaming Spanish rice in front of her like a mispositioned shield. Her nose itched but she dared not put the platter down.

“Let’s get closer to it,” said Raquel.

Without moving his head, Avram shifted his gaze over to Raquel. “No,” he whispered.

Realizing what they were looking at, Diana said, almost as an apology, “I thought it was a possum or raccoon or something.”

With this last utterance, its ears perked, and its taut golden body froze in mid-stride. The family of quail that only a moment ago scurried nearby was nowhere to be found. Raquel shifted her left foot toward the low metal fence that separated nature from their trimmed conquered backyard, but Avram grabbed her shoulder before she could move her other foot. He could feel Raquel’s toned muscles through her thick Gap Oxford shirt. Before Avram could offer a verbal warning, it turned its head from them and, with nonchalance so palatable that it seemed to mock the humans, the creature disappeared into the hilly shrub. Within moments it was out of sight. A fat noisy crow dove down from their roof and perched on the fence, feeling brave now that the predator had moved on.

“A mountain lion,” whispered Avram, still holding Raquel’s shoulder.

“Let go,” growled Raquel, but he didn’t.

“In Los Angeles?” Diana murmured. “How can that be?”

“West Valley,” corrected Raquel. They all kept their eyes locked onto the spot where the animal had stood. “People haven’t completely destroyed the natural habitat up in these hills.”

“Well, you’re enjoying this beautiful house so how can you complain?” laughed Avram.

“I’m only renting, like you,” said Raquel as she shrugged Avram’s hand off her shoulder. They all finally looked at each other.

Avram laughed again and reached for the large, blue plastic bowl of Doritos that sat on the overburdened card table. Popping a crispy triangle of fried fake tortilla into his mouth with a crunch, he said, “Oh, that makes a difference. I must have missed that class taught by your favorite Commie professor. Velasco? Right? Professor Jaime Velasco?”

“No se hizo la miel para la boca del asno,” whispered Raquel. She turned quickly and went into the house. The crow let out an impossibly loud squawk and flew off into the gray sky.

“Nice job,” said Diana.

“What did she say to me?”

Diana sighed. “She said that you were the biggest jerk to get into UCLA Law School.” She put the platter down for emphasis. The plastic forks and knives rattled, and the lemonade in the perspiring pitcher rocked back and forth in little waves.

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