Alashie walks up to a run down brick house with little sprouts of grass poking up in the yard. She made a mental note of the outdated and barely functioning solar panels in the barren yard. Children's toys lay scattered about and almost toppled Alashie twice on her way to the door. Alashie chuckled at the doorbell. Instead of the traditional Chinese gong, most houses have Xalissa and Xavier's house greeted you with a techno version of "Como La Flor" . Alashie had no particular love for classic music but the bell never ceased to tickle her. A young Puerto Rican girl of about 8 answers the door.
"Hi Lashie, " The little girl says with a sigh
"What up doe Gina? You Ok?"
Gina shakes her head as she walks down the front hallway looking in the direction of the dining room. Xelissa and her mom stand on opposing sides of the table like warring military factions. The absolute silence was eerie. Without announcing herself Alashie takes the quick left into the living room and sat down on the oversized couch. Then the storm hit. The silence was broken by a barrage of Spanish, Chinese, and bits of English. Alashie was fluent at neither Chinese nor Spanish but if she was it wouldn't have made a difference. The two languages were so intertwined it was hard to pick out one from the other. Xelissa and her mom sounded just alike so it sounded like someone arguing with themselves. Alashie lost track of how long this seemingly breathless argument went on but by the time Xelissa was storming into the living room screaming "Wǒ cónglái méiyǒu shàng suǒ la puerta. Que nunca quiso Wǒ fǎnzhèng". Alashie had already replaced the batteries in a remote control, fixed 3 crooked pictures and reprogrammed the sleep cycle on the running lights filled with bioluminescent algae. Xalissa bounced right past Alashie without a word.
"Don't you walk away from me Mija!" Says a beautiful women following seconds behind Xalissa. "As long as you live under this techo....Oh. Hi, Alashie. Perdon the mierda. Como?" The transformation from nasty to nice happened in milliseconds.
"What up d.....I mean hey Ms. Ornolio. I'm good. How are you?
"Just trying to keep your idiota friend from Tā mā de qǐlái. Oh sorry. Keeping her from ruining her life."
Alashie chuckles and looks at her shoes. "I speak a little Mandarin now," she said in a low voice.
"Oh, ju learning? Good púrpurita. Just don't learn anything else from that irrespetuoso excuse for a daughter." Those last four words brought back the venom in her voice. " How's your mama?" Back to nice
"She good. Still at Detroit Edison."
"Claro. Well, give her my Ài ok?"
Xalissa bounces back in from her room while pulling on her black leather coat. "You ready mami?"
Alashie gets up. "Who said we were done." Ms. Ornolio says with the venom creeping back in. Alashie quickly sat back down.
"Bésame el trasero mama" Xalissa growls "Come the fuck on Lash"
Alashie looks from Xalissa who makes for the front hall to her mother standing there watching her go. She hurriedly gets up and follows her friend saying " Bye Ms. Ornolio" with averted eyes.
"Chao." Ms. Ornolio says with a shrug.
Outside Alashie looks at Xalissa with wide eyes. "When you look at me like that your eyes kinda look like purple prisms. Stop it. It's kinda sexy." Xalissa remarks
"What the hell was that? I heard ya'll go at it but you said some pretty fucked shit Xa. I mean the closet?"
"You understood that?" Xalissa says suprised.
"Bits and pieces"
"Well, she should stay out of my business."
"What did she do?"
"Well, she was asking about where I be getting all the credits from. She never seems to complain when I pay all the fucking bills. Or buy school stuff for 4 little hermanas. Or get food. Or..."
"Xa, She's just concerned. She not the only one." Alashie cuts in
"Na. she don't care. Wouldn't have even been an issue if she didn't catch me with Devon before our little corazón to corazón" Xalissa says with her signature devilish smile.
