“You and Mario put the beer in the big cooler out back,” Yolanda said to me. “Vernon went to his boat for some smoked fish. He’s been gone an hour, so I sent Juney to find him.”
The Nosenada Social Club was holding the monthly barbecue and all of the wives and children were there. Since the barbecue was at Vernon’s house even his in-laws were there.
Ten-year-old Vernon Junior returned from his errand and said, “Ma, I found Pa.”
“What was he doing?”
“He gave me fifty dollars to not tell you.”
“I’ll lash you fifty times if you don’t.”
Juney said, “Him and that lady from the taco place was down on the passenger’s seats. She was sitting on his lap and they. . . .”
Mario’s eyes were as big as Belize dollar coins and my mouth was wide open.
“Stop! Juney, don’t you say another word until I tell you. Then you’re gonna tell the whole story to everybody.”
Midway through dinner Yolanda said, “Everybody stop talking! Juney, tell us what Pa was doing when you went to the boat tonight.”
“Him and that lady from the taco place was down on the passenger’s seats. She was sitting on his lap and they. . . .”
He paused in fear.
“Go ahead, mi amor,” Yolanda said. “Tell them what they did.”
Juney said, “. . . they did what you and Tío Rafa used to do when Pa was out fishing at night.”
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