Cafe Hitch-hike

2004-09-12

Welcome Home (Pt. I)

"Auntie Hitch-hike, tell us another story about when you and Mama were kids."

"Okay, here's a story. When I was 11, I was making some tortillas without my mom's permission. I mixed the flour, water, Crisco, a little baking powder, and then salt-- one cup of salt. I pinched little balls of dough off the bigger one I made, rolled them flat and round, and warmed them on a hot flat pan...

The tortillas looked perfect. They were soft, white, with little bubbles of brown. Then, I bit into it. Ugh! Salty! I knew I'd be in trouble."

"Oh, 'cause you didn't ask Gramma Chayo to make them?"

"Yes, that's right, and she wouldda been mad at me for throwing away food! So I decided to hide what I did..."

"Hide what you did?"

"Yes, that wasn't very good of me. I decided to feed the tortillas to the the next-door neighbor's dog. The dog ate all but 4 of them, and then it was hot out. I then didn't see the dog for a few days. I asked the neighbor what happened to the dog, and she said they had to take the dog away because it got really sick."

(**Kids gasp**)

"You never told the neighbor?" asked Kia?

"You never told Gramma?" asked Khadijah.

"If we do something wrong and tell Dad, then we don't get time out or grounded or put in the corner. We have to say our sorry and promise we never do it again," brightly said Keion.

"Yes," I said, guiltily. "I never told my mom or the neighbor what I did. I am still sorry for it, too."

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