Efrén Divided

Efrén arrives at school but realizes that—for the first time in a year and a half—he neglected his homework assignments. He thinks he can get the math and science assignments done in class without alerting the teachers, but the history assignment is significant, lengthy, and due as soon as he walks in. He considers having David forge a note of excuse from Apá, going as far as to have David produce the document, but in the end, Efrén cannot deceive his parents that way. He takes Mr. Garrett’s parental notification slip and tries to focus on Amá’s return. Apá said she would be home that day, and Efrén looks forward to good kitchen smells and retreating to his bathroom sanctuary.

When he arrives home after school, though, Amá is not there. Doña Chana has the twins again. Efrén and the twins fall asleep while reading stories that evening. He wakes when Apá comes home and gets on a phone call. Efrén discovers as he listens in to the call that Amá’s crossing with the coyote did not go as planned: “[…] Amá’s purse had been stolen along with the money Apá had borrowed” (67). Apá admits to the caller he does not know what to try next.