West Side Story by Irving Shulman
Author:Irving Shulman [Shulman, Irving]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 2021-05-24T00:00:00+00:00
* * *
Although she had wanted to stay awake, to remember everything over and over again, sleep enveloped her in a matter of minutes, and she murmured drowsily that she was sleepy and whoever was bothering her, would they please go away?
âWake up, Maria. Itâs Anita,â she heard the whispering in her ear. âWake up!â
She sat erect with a start, as a cold hand of fear fastened itself at her throat. âMy God, what is the matter?â
âNothing,â Anita continued to whisper. âBernardo wants you to come up on the roof. We are all thereâChino, Pepe, Indio. All the girls too. There is nothing the matter; we are having a party there. Suddenly you donât like parties?â
Maria yawned with relief, stretched, and ran fingers through her loose hair. âI was sleeping,â she complained because she longed to return to her dreams. âAnd Iâm not dressed.â
âNowadays it doesnât take a girl more than a minute to get dressed.â Anita giggled. âHurry, and Iâll wait for you.â
âBernardo is angry?â Maria asked.
Anita pursed her lips as she raised a shoulder. âWhen isnât he angry? Maria, hurry, please. There are other girls who would like to be Bernardoâs. Donât worry about shoes and stockings. An old pair of flats will be all right.â
Chino had placed his small transistor radio on an empty egg crate and several of the boys and girls had removed their shoes to dance in their stocking feet. But Bernardo, his elbow on a parapet, puffed hard at a cigarette, and stared with cold, dead eyes at the city all around him.
It was so large, so vast, but refused to make even a little place for him. What sort of life could he make for himself in this city? Nothing he cared for, nothing he was proud of. He would fail, but others, damn them, would suffer for his failure.
âItâs about time,â he replied to his sisterâs greeting. âIâll bet if it was that Polack, youâd have been here on the double.â
âShe was asleep, âNardo,â Anita said, defending his sister. âAnd it seems to me you like everything on the double.â
Bernardo reached out as if to pinch Anitaâs breast. âSince when are you complaining?â Suddenly confused, because his sister was present, Bernardo snapped his fingers. âI want to talk to you, Maria. Not like a brother, like an uncle.â
Anita covered her breast by crossing her arms. âSome uncle! Lucky she has a father and a mother!â
âWho donât know this country any better than she does.â
âSince when are you such an expert?â Anita challenged him.
Pepe paused in his dancing with Consuelo. âYou leave it to âNardo,â he said. âHe knows the score.â
âSo why doesnât he write a book about America?â Anita said. âNone of you is so smart. In this country girls have as much right as boys to have fun. Girls can dance with anyone they please in America.â
âReally?â Bernardo bowed. âYou talk as if Puerto Rico isnât part of America.â
âNot for you it isnât, you immigrant,â Anita flung at him. âAnd
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