Maybe I don’t always know what to say, but when I see her destroyed, I know living close to each other is important. On the phone, I could never see the new canas. Or her eyes, each one is like the mouth of a cave.
Why you can’t find me a job where I can work in my apartment?
I still have five years before I can collect the Social Security. Lulú has seven years! It’s impossible to live with only that money. Lulú and I had planned to work until seventy years old—the extra bonus in retirement was going to be for apartments in Miami. Or two small houses in Tampa. Or some other place, hot with beaches. One day, we thought, we could have more space, not on top of the other, to not hear everything through a heating tube. We would own houses across from each other so that we could wave hello from our front patios.
That dream is now far away. Now she’s throwing fajas out windows.
?Ay, Dios mío! We’re gonna lose our apartments! Finish up on the streets! On that bench, in the park, feeding old bread to the pigeons!
We looked out of the window, seeing the night invade the streets, full of people going into the restaurants that sell un café for $4. A hamburger for $16. Pfft!
How am I going to help Adonis if I don’t have any money? she asked.
I said, Let’s drink the wine. I cooked dinner for us. Plátanos the color of the sun.
But like I told you, Mercury is in retrograde. That’s what Alicia the Psychic said. So forget the next four weeks. Right now, Lulú doesn’t want to hear that things will get better. She wants to cry, but she can’t cry. So what does she do? She drinks more wine. She doesn’t get the relief of crying. Ay, Lulú. Be strong, is all I can say.… You’ll see, our next jobs will pay us double.
GENTRIFIED
RENT-STABILIZED BUILDING, INC.
BILLING INVOICE # 452906
Little Dominican Republic
New York, NY 10032
To: Cara Romero
INVOICE
MONTH RENT (MARCH 2009)
$888.00
OPEN BALANCE
$1,678.00
PAYMENT RECEIVED (03/10/2009)
–$250.00
LATE FEE:
$40.00
Remaining Balance:
$2,356.00
Rent is due on the 1st of the month. Please pay rent on time to avoid late charges.
QUISQUEYA DENTAL
Washington Heights, NY
Service and Cost Breakdown
Patient:
Cara Romero
Patient:
654321
Acct. Number:
123456
Date:
04/18/2008
Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing per Quandrant
$182.00
Date:
07/30/2008
Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing per Quandrant
$182.00
Date:
11/18/2008
Periodontal Maint. Proc. (following active therapy)
Amount Due: $474.00
Down Payment (30%): $142.20
Payment Plan Available:
5.9%–12% interest
12–24 month options available upon request.
$110.00
JOB DETAILS
Full-time
Full Job Description:
Position: Security Guard, Middle School Grades 6–9
Location: The New York City Charter Middle School, Inwood, NY
Responsibilities:
Monitor student entry and exit
Deter and detect intruders
Cafeteria duty to monitor and maintain order
Receive and inspect all mail and packages
Attend weekly meetings addressing current issues in the workplace
Work overtime when necessary in order to cover parent-teacher conferences and student activities
Answer and direct phone calls
Encourage and ensure that students adhere to all school policies (uniforms, cell phones, IDs, etc.)
Document unusual occurrences and collect witness statements
Contact Police, Fire Department, or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for emergencies
Qualifications:
Must have security guard certification for both 8-hour and 16-hour class
High school experience preferred but not required
Ability to communicate effectively and often with parents and families
Belief that all students can learn and achieve at high levels
Compensation:
Competitive and commensurate with experience and certification(s) Interested candidates may send resume and cover letter to: NYC Charter Middle School. This is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group for reasons of race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual preferences, or mental or physical disability.
SESSION SEVEN
I have very good news for you today. Finally, Alicia the Psychic wrote to me and is talking about money. She said that in a month I will experience a big fortune. Maybe it’s a job! And who knows what else. Because she said three things will happen. Three! Look, look, I asked ángela to do a print for me in her oficina so you could see that Alicia the Psychic is not a robot.
Dear Carabonita,
I am so excited for you. Destiny has brought me into your life so I can deliver this wonderful news. Your guardians have sent me this message. After taking care of everyone, this is an opportunity to take care of yourself. Your fortune is waiting for you. You deserve a happy life.
Take note of this special date: four weeks from now your life will transform dramatically. Go to a calendar right now and write it down. What occurs on this day will start an irreversible change on your life path. This will be the first fortune. Then there will be two more. You have to believe me. I saw it very clearly in your future. I know we have not met in person, but I cannot stress enough how rare your circumstances are, Carabonita. The stars are working for you!
I believe you could see thousands of dollars during this time. Can you envision a life with financial security and love? I’ve been doing this for a long time, Carabonita. I would not have bothered to write to you if I wasn’t absolutely certain that your life is about to change.
I know you are having financial difficulties, Carabonita, so I’m going to do something unusual. I’m going to ask for less than many of my clients pay, to help you out. Seize this opportunity. All I need is a small fee to cover my essential equipment costs. And it’s completely risk-free!
I know my predictions sound too good to be true, Carabonita, so I’m not asking you to take my word for it. Put me to the test. And if for some reason my visions have misled me, then I don’t want your money. Just let me know and I’ll send you a full refund, no questions asked.
One more thing. Don’t feel guilty for the wonderful things you’re going to receive. Remember that no one deserves this more than you.
Your friend and spiritual guide who loves you,
Alicia the Psychic
Does she sound like a robot to you? She knows that I need the money and that I have sacrificed for others, making sure everybody is OK. It’s a big job. I showed this letter to Lulú, but she said, It’s a scam. It’s a scam!
But the emails to me are very specific! Not just this one, all of them. And even if I don’t send her the money, she continues to write to me. When Walter Mercado was on the TV every day—?ay! it’s terrible he is no longer on TV—he said something to me. OK, yes, to me and everybody watching the TV: that the people who have the vision have the responsibility to share what they see. Even if he wasn’t on TV, Walter would have to go in the street and share the visions. It’s a privilege to have this capacity. So I trust Alicia the Psychic, even if Lulú tells me I am crazy to trust.
But I am careful. I can smell scams.
For example, I received a request from a mother from Nigeria who had lost everything.
Help. Send money immediately, promise I will pay double, she said.
This Nigerian woman was alone with her children. Escaping from a violent man, the son of a king. She moved all the money he inherited from his father into a secret bank account, and she was the only one that knows the number. If you help me, I will share my fortune with you, she said.