Down to the Bone (34 page)

“Me too!”

“You two sure know how to keep a secret!” Soli blasts.

We all get into the groove of the music. Gisela undulates her hips, turns, and moves around me with arms graceful as a butterfly.

I grab Tazer’s arm and pull him to us. Viva joins Soli, Gisela, Tazer and me in a dance by the wall I painted of her and her favorite saint, Santa Barbara. They’re floating in neon-pink lounge chairs on aqua blue ocean waves, wearing small, square tangerine-colored sunglasses, and eating grapes.

While on tippy-toes, Viva wiggles her bootie out of control. “I no tell Soli that it was Giselita you be seeing. I wanted her to be surprised.”

“Sneaks!” Soli laughs.

I tell them in full detail what went down at my mom’s, then pull Tazer closer to me. “I’ll hang with you in the streets now. Sorry I was so dense to not have done that before. Will you ever forgive me?”

“No apologies. I totally get it. Tomorrow, we’re hitting the town!”

An intense emotion takes hold of me as I wrap myself in Viva’s and Soli’s arms. “I love you guys. You’re my family.”

Viva’s smile glistens in the dim light of the living room. “You is my little daughter, Shylita. Your mami will come around. You will see,
mariposita
.”

“Sisters for life,” Soli remarks.

I glance out the window and see the humidity fog begin to lift. I look at all my friends and Gisela’s smile and feel a fog lifting from me, too.

A mild breeze with the smell of rain fills the room. I feel warm and deeply loved. This is where I belong. Finally, I feel understood and loved, right down to the bone.

Glossary of Cuban Pronunciations

Abuela
\ah-boo-eh’-la\ grandmother

Apartamento
\ah-par-tah-men’-to\ apartment

¡Ave María!
\ah-veh mah-ree’-ah\ Cuban exclamation similar to “Holy Mary!”

¡Ave María Purísima!
\ah-veh mah-ree’-ah poo-ree’-see-mah\ Cuban exclamation similar to “Holy mother of God!”

¡Ay!
\i\ oh!

¡Ay, Dios mio!
\i, or ah’-e dee-os’ me’-o\ oh, my God!

Ay, gracias a Dios
\i, or ah’e grah’-see-ahs ah dee-os’\ oh, thank God

¡Ay, madre mía!
\i, or ah’-e’ mah’-dreh mee’-ah’\ Cuban saying similar to “Oh, my goodness!”

Ay, mi madre
\i, or ah’-e’ me mah’-dreh\ Cuban saying similar to “Oh, my goodness ”

¡Ay, Santa María madre de Dios!
\i or ah’-e sahn’-tah mah-ree’-ah mah’-dreh deh de-dee-os’\ oh, holy mother of God!

Balsa
\bahl’-sah\ raft

¡Bárbaro!
\bar’-bah-ro\ Cuban saying similar to “Fantastic!”

Barrio
\bar’-re-o\ Latino neighborhood

Bella
\bel’-lyah\ Beautiful

Bene
fine, in Italian

Besito
\beh-see’-toh\ little kiss

Bocadito
\bo-cah-dee’-toh\ finger-food, appetizers

Bolero
\bo-leh’-ro\ a Spanish dance and musical rhythm

Caca
\cah’-cah\ poop

Cacharro
\cah-char’-ro\ old jalopy

Cafecito
\cah-feh-see’-toh\ Cuban espresso shots

Café-con-leche
\cah-feh’ cone leh’-cheh\ Cuban breakfast drink of espresso, milk, and sugar

Caldo
\cahl’-do\ broth

Caliente
\cah-lee-en’-teh\ hot

Casquito de guayaba
\cas-kee’-to deh goo-ah-ya’-bah\ guava in light caramel

Cebollitas
\seh-boh-yee’-tahs\ fried onions

Cha-cha-cha
sensual Latin dance with complicated rhythms

Chica
\chee’-cah\  Cuban saying for “girl,” literally means “A little girl”

Chorizo
\cho-ree’-soh\ sausage. Cuban slang for “penis”

Churro
\choo’-roh\ long, deep-fried doughnuts with sugar coating

Claves
\clah’-veh\ Latino musical “sticks” that keeps the rhythmic timing in beats for the band

Comemierda!
\co-meh-me-err’-dah\ Cuban slang/obscenity with similar meaning to “Asshole!” literally means, “Shit eater”

Come stai?
Italian for “How are you?”

Croqueta de pollo
\cro-keh’-tah deh poh’-yo\ chicken croquettes

Croquetica
\cro-keh-tee’-ca\ little croquette

Degenerada
\deh-heh-neh-rah’-da\ degenerate

Descargamos
\des-car-gah’-mohs\ we jam (as in a “jam” session with a band)

¡Dios mío!
\de-os’ mee’-o\ my God!

Elefantico
\eh-leh-fan-tee’-co\ little elephant

El hijo de puta
\el ee’-ho deh-poo’-tah\ the son of a bitch

El mes que viene
\el mess’ keh ve-eh’-ne\ next month

Empanada de carne
\em-pa-nah’-dah deh car’-neh\ meat pies

Enamorada
\eh-nah-mo-rah’-dah\ in love

Espiritu y santo
\es-pee’-re-to ee sanh’-toh\ spirits and saints

¿Estàs loca?
\es-tah’s lo’-cah\ are you crazy?

Fabuloso
\fah-boo-loh’-so\ fabulous

Factoría
\fac-to-ree’-ah\ Cuban slang for “factory”

¡Fantástico!
\fan-tahs’-tee-coh\ fantastic!

¡Feliz Cumpleanos!
\feh-lees’ coom-pleh-ah’-nyos\ happy birthday!

Flan
\flahn\ a custard-like dessert

Fricasé
\free-cah-seh’\ fricassee

Fricasé de pollo
\free-cah-seh’-deh-po’-yo\ chicken fricassee

Frijoles
\free-hoh’-les\ beans

Fuiqui-fuiqui
Cuban slang for sounds bed springs make when a couple is having sex

Gracias
\grah’-see-ahs\ thank you

¡Gracias, Dios!
\grah’-see-ahs dee-os’\ thank you, God!

Guarapo
\goo-ah-ra’-po\ cane juice

Guayabera
\goo-ah-yah-beh’-rah\ a man’s shirt popular in Cuba and Latin America. It has four front pockets and two vertical lines of alforzas (ten vertical pleats that pass from above the top pockets down to the bottom of the shirt)

Hasta luego
\ahs’-tah-loo-eh’-go\ goodbye

Hola
\oh’-lah\ hello

Hola, mariposita
\oh’-lah mah-re-po’-see-tah\ hello little butterfly

Invertida
\in-ver-tee’-dah\ inverted, twisted, a derogatory slang Cuban word meaning “dyke” (
tortillera
)

Jamon y queso
\hah-mohn’ ee keh’-soh\ ham and cheese

Jesucristo
\heh-soo-crees’-toh\ Jesus Christ

Jugo de melocotón
\hoo’-go deh meh-lo-co-tohn’\ peach juice

Jugo de naranja
\hoo’-go deh nah-rahn’-hah\ orange juice

La chiquitica más linda del mundo
\lah chee-kee-tee’-cah mahs leen’-dah dehl moon’-doh\ The prettiest little girl in the whole world

La familia
\lah fah-mee’-le-ah\ the family

La jungla cubana
\lah hoon’-glah coo-bah’-nah\ the Cuban jungle

La luna
\lah loo’-nah\ the moon

La semana que viene
\lah seh-mah’-nah keh vee-eh’-neh\ next week

La Virgencita María
\lah veer’-hen-see’-tah mah-ree’-ah\ the Virgin Mary

Limonada
\lee-mo-nah’-dah\ lemonade

Machaso
\mah-chah’-soh\ macho man

Malta
\mahl’-tah\ non-alcoholic malt drink

Mamey
\mah-may’\ reddish orange sweet custard-tasting fruit in the shape of a small football with thick brown skin

¡Mami, por favor, por favor!
\mah-mee’ por fah-vohr’\ mami, please, please!

Mandarina
\man-dah-ree’-nah\ mandarin

Mañana
\mah-nyah’-nah\ tomorrow

Mano
\mah’-no\ literally means “hand,” Cuban slang for “man.” Example “No man! Hey man!”

¡Maravilloso!
\mah-ra-vee-yo’soh\ marvelous!

Maricón
\mah-ree-con’\ “Fag” or “Queer”

¡Maricónes de mierda!
\mah-ree-co’-nes day me-err’-dah\ full of shit faggots!

Mariposita
\mah-ree-po’-see’-tah\ little butterfly

Mariquita
\mah-ree-kee’-tah\ literally means “plantain chips,” Cuban slang for, “sissy”

Medianoche
\meh’dee-ah-no’-cheh\ literally means “midnight.” Cuban sandwich made with sweet Cuban bread, spread with mayonnaise and mustard to which ham, pork, Swiss cheese, and dill pickle slices are added

Mercado
\mer-cah’-do\ market

Merengue
\meh-ren’-geh\ the joyful, lively music and dance from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic

Merenguito
\meh-ren’-gee-toh\ a confection of sugar and egg whites

Mijita
\mee’-hee-tah\ term of endearment meaning “My little girl”

Mijito
\mee’-hee-to\ term of endearment meaning “My little boy”

Mis santos
\mees-sahn’-tohs\ my saints

Moi
French for “me”

Muchachita
\moo-chah’-chee’-tah\ term of endearment meaning “Young girl”

Mucho
\moo’-choh\ a lot, a great deal

Muy caliente
\moo’-e cah-lee-en’-teh\ very hot

¡Niña!
\nee’-nyah\ literally means “Girl!” An exclamation of horror, “oh, my God, young girl!”

No hablo ingles
\no ah’-bloh een-gles’\ I don’t speak English

¿
Oigo?
\oy’-go\ Hello

Orisha
\o-ree’-shah\ a spirit that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Yoruba religion

Oye
\o’-yeh\ Hey

Oye, chica
(o’yeh chee’-ca) hey girl!

Papa rellena
\pah’-pah reh-yeh’-nah\ stuffed potatoes

Papi
\pah’-pee\ dad

Pastelitos
\pas-teh-leel’tohs\ puffed pastries

Pastelitos de guayaba
\pas-teh-lee’tohs deh goo-ah-yah’-bah\ guava pastries

Pastelitos de queso
\pas-teh-lee’tohs deh keh’-so\ cheese pastries

Pendeja
\pen-deh’-ha\ pendejo literally means “pubic hair,” Cuban slang for “chicken,” or wimp

Pero
\peh’-ro\ but

Pero mijita
\peh’-ro mee’-he-tah\ but girl . . .

Piñata
\peen-nyah’-tah\ jar or pot ornamented with fancy paper and filled with candy, hung from ceiling. Children pull its string to break it and get the candies

Pipi
\pee-pee’\ pee

Plástica
\plahs’-tee-cah\ plastic

Platanito maduro
\plah’-tah-nee’-toh mah-doo’-ro\ fried sweet plantains

Promesa
\pro-meh’-sah\ promise

Pulpo
\pool’-po\ octopus

Por favor
\por fah-vor’\ please

Puerco asado
\poo-err’-co a-sah’-do\ Pork

Qué bueno
\keh boo-eh’-no\ that’s great

¡Qué cosa más grande la vida
\keh co’-sah mahs grahn’deh lah vee’-dah\ Cuban saying for, “unbelievable!”

Qué delicioso
\keh deh-lee-see-oh’-so\ how delicious

Qué horrible
\keh or-ree’-bleh) how horrible

Qué loca
\keh lo’-cah\ what a nutcase

Qué pasa, calabaza
\keh pah’sah cah-lah-bah’-sah\ what’s up pumpkin?

Qué rico
\keh ree’-co\ how delicious

Quince
\Keen’-seh\ coming of age party given to a Latina girl when she turns fifteen

Rumba
\room’-bah\ Cuban percussive song and dance

Salsa
\sahl’-sah\ a diverse and predominantly Caribbean dance and latin music

Salsita
\sahl-see’-tah\ sauce

Santa Barbara, por favor, por favor
\sahn’-tah bar’-bah-rah por-fah-vor’\ Saint Barbara, please, please

Santería
\sahn-teh-ree’-ah\ religion combining African and Catholic elements

Santero
\sahn-teh’-roh\ a person who’s been initiated as an Orisha priest and is entitled to work with spirits and Orishas