Barrio Boy

Gustavo leaves for Tepic to find work and housing for the family. They don’t hear from him for several weeks. Finally, word reaches the family that Gustavo has found work and they are to join him in Tepic. Ernesto observes adults talking in hushed tones, but he isn’t privy to their discussions. Ernesto tells all his friends he is moving but is disappointed that they cannot take the animals to Tepic. The family leaves early in the morning when it is still dark, and they make the journey by horseback. They reach Tepic, where Ernesto immediately notices the paved streets and the large cathedral. They reach their new home and unpack their belongings. Gustavo rented two rooms, and Ernesto shares one with his mother. The rooms are very simple: The floor is dirt, and the walls are adobe. Very quickly, their lives change as they no longer rely on farming to support themselves and they have to earn wages. Gustavo gets a job in a sugar mill north of the city, and he comes to see them on Sundays, while José looks for odd jobs, or chanzas. His mother picks up work sewing and mending using the sewing machine she received in her divorce settlement.