Chapter 8
The Treehouse
Sunday passed quickly after mama’s special talk. Neli had stopped crying and even had put up my clothes. I wasn’t sure how long this nice Neli would last.
Monday came along, and she still hadn’t insulted me even once. I couldn’t believe she made breakfast. The scrambled eggs and orange juice were delicious. She put some salsa on my eggs and gave me a huge grin.
After eating, Neli asked me if she could see my treehouse. I had forgotten that she hadn’t been in it. We climbed the ladder.
“It’s so beautiful,” she murmured.
Cantinflas flew in the window and surprisingly sat on Neli’s shoulder. My bird snuggled its beak on her blouse and started to sing.
“I think he likes you,” I said.
“You think so?” she questioned excitedly.
“He’s never sat on my shoulder.”
Maybe this was an enchanted treehouse after all. Animals didn’t usually like my sister, but this magical bird sang to her. It was very strange for sure.
We gazed out the window—such beauty all around us. The sky was aquamarine. The sun rays came through the tree leaves like sticks of light. Mama’s garden flowers colored the ground. Feo rolled in the petunias. As I was about to tell him something, Neli beat me to it.
“Stop it, Feo!” she snapped. “I’m going to pull your ears off!”
Neli rushed down the ladder with a scrunched face. I guessed her nice period was over. Feo saw her and scampered away.
“Wait till I get you, Feo!” she kept yelling.
I wasn’t worried about my dog. He had already reached the area underneath the porch. Neli wouldn’t go after him because she was afraid of creepy crawly things.
Neli made a huffing sound and snarled, “I’m going to get that dog!”
“Just leave him alone. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into mama’s flowers again.”
She shrugged, and we trotted into the house. My brother, Chico, had just stepped in the front door with Coralita. He asked Neli and me if we could babysit while he went to class. Mama would be arriving soon. Neli was about to open her mouth to complain, but Chico gave each of us five dollars.
“Okay, we’ll watch the kid,” Neli burst.
Coralita, Neli, and I sat down to watch SpongeBob. A few minutes later, Coralita insisted she had already seen this episode and wanted desperately to go to my enchanted treehouse. Neli told her we were watching cartoons and that was that. Coralita grimaced and then sulked as she sat on the end corner of the sofa to play with her Barbie.
“I’m getting an ice cream sandwich,” Coralita announced with determination as she stood up.
“Only get one,” Neli demanded. “Don’t eat them all.”
Coralita came back from the kitchen with her face smothered in ice cream. “I didn’t know Feo liked cookies.”
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing!” Neli shot back. “Sit down, Coralita, and watch SpongeBob.”
Coralita plopped down next to her Barbie. “I thought Feo wasn’t supposed to eat beans.”
“Shut up, chismosa!” exclaimed Neli. “Big, fat tattletale!”
I sprang up from the sofa and rushed into the kitchen. Neli and Coralita were close on my heels. Gasping when I saw Feo’s dish, I just couldn’t believe what was in it!—mounds and mounds of pinto beans. They were almost spilling over. As I got closer, I noticed cookies on top of the food mountain.
Why is Neli giving Feo cookies? I asked myself.
Then I had a brain surge. I looked in the trash can and found it!—an empty box of my papa’s medical cookies for his constipation! With beans and fiber, Neli was trying to give my dog the farts and the runs!
“Neli Lisa Rubio!” I exclaimed as furious as can be.
“I was only doing Feo a favor,” explained Neli, all innocent-like. “He looks like he’s having trouble with his tooting to me.”
“What if it makes him deathly sick?!” I snapped.
Coralita gave out a deeply hurt whimper. “Is Feo going to die?”
Neli rolled her beady eyes. “Feo is too ugly to die.”
I threw Neli an ugly glare and hugged Coralita. “No, kiddo. He’s okay. He hasn’t eaten any of the stuff.”
Emptying the dog dish in a plastic bag, I took the food outside to the trash can. Neli watched with her zizaggy mouth but didn’t say anything. Coralita followed behind me.
“Can’t we go to your treehouse?” pleaded Coralita.
“Maybe later,” I told her.
We stepped back into the house. Coralita sat on the sofa again to play with her Barbie and watch cartoons with Neli. I told them I was going to my bedroom to write in my journal. Neli mumbled an okay.
I went straight to the secret compartment in my dresser and took out my journal. Grabbing the key from my hidden keychain, I sat on the floor. When I opened my journal, I started writing:
I will not let Neli make me so angry that I want to throw-up.
I’m growing up.
I’m mature.
I’m a warrior.
It was then that I heard Feo barking. What was Neli doing to him?! I rushed out of my room. Feo was at the back porch, and Neli’s hand was on the doorknob.
“What are you doing to him?” I questioned.
She shrugged. “Nothing. I’m about to let him in.”
“Why is he barking his head off?”
“Don’t know.”
“What did you do to—”
“Nothing!” she snapped exasperated. “Maybe there’s something wrong outside.”
My eyes immediately shot past Feo who was still barking very loudly. “Oh my gosh!!!” Coralita was on Big Oso tree climbing towards my treehouse. She was high on the steps.
Neli had followed my sight and had gasped. Opening her mouth to call out to Coralita, I quickly shook my head. “Don’t scare her,” I whispered. “She might fall down.”
As I was about to swing the spring door open to go to Coralita, I saw Chico hurry to her. Apparently, my brother had come back and had seen his daughter from the chain link fence that divided the front yard from the back one. He quickly climbed the ladder and grabbed Coralita. His face was twisted in worry. Even Neli looked worried. She and I rushed over to Big Oso tree.
“What was she doing on the tree!” he yelled when he got her down.
“I . . . I . . .” Nothing else came out of my mouth.
“If I hadn’t forgotten one of my books in Coralita’s backpack, I don’t know what would’ve happened!” he snapped.
“I . . . I . . .”
“You and Neli are so irresponsible!”
“It’s not their fault, Chico,” Coralita interjected. “The treehouse looks lonely.”
“What?” he asked.
“The treehouse is all by itself,” Coralita announced. “Cantinflas is by himself too.”
Chico grabbed her by her shoulders. “Never, ever go up by yourself! I had already told you that!”
“But, Chico—” she started to say.
“Do you know what could happen to you if you fall from up there?!” he snapped, pointing at the tree. “You could die!”
“But, Chico—”
“But nothing!” he roared at her. “You’ve got to behave!—and do what I tell you! Do you hear me?!”
Coralita’s eyes flowed with water. “Chico, you’re yelling at me.” Her voice was small and hurt.
“I’m yelling at you because I need for you to understand! It’s very important!”
Mama stepped into the yard. Apparently she had just come home from work. “What’s all the screaming?” She looked at Coralita, Neli, and me—we were sobbing so hard it seemed we could form a river.
“As I had called to tell you, I left Coralita with Miranda and Neli so I could go to class. Thankfully, I forgot a book. When I came back I found Coralita climbing the tree by herself!” Chico exclaimed.
“How did Coralita get to Big Oso by herself?” questioned mama. “Were
n’t the two of you watching her?”
“I was my fault,” Neli blurted, sniveling.
Everyone’s eyeballs shot to her. I couldn’t believe what she had just said. Never had I heard her take the blame for anything. Not even when she was caught red handed.
“Your fault?” asked mama.
“Miranda went to our room to write in her journal.” Neli could barely talk. “I was supposed to take care of Coralita. When she went to the kitchen, I thought she was getting another ice cream sandwich from the refrigerator.”
“Okay, my cuddles,” said mama. “I know taking care of a child is hard, but we must be very careful or something very bad might happen.”
“I’m sorry,” Neli said.
Mama looked at Chico. “Everything is okay, mijo. I think you should be getting to your class.”
Chico nodded and his eyes went to Coralita. “You need to listen to me or you might get hurt, okay?”
“Okay,” Coralita said between hard breaths.
When Chico left, Coralita, Neli, and I hung on to mama as we stepped inside the house. The tears didn’t seem to want to stop falling from our eyes. We sat on the sofa.
“Chico yelled at me,” sobbed Coralita.
“Do you know why he yelled at you?” murmured mama.
“Because I climbed Big Oso?” Her lower lip shook.
“He yelled at you because he doesn’t want you to forget that you shouldn’t do something like that ever again. Your daddy doesn’t want you to get hurt. He can’t protect you if you don’t listen to him.”
Coralita nodded. She seemed to be feeling better. I was still shaken up over the whole thing.
“Mama,” I said, “Chico really screamed at us.”
“He was very scared, Miranda,” mama explained. “Seeing his daughter so close to almost falling will make any parent crazy. You also have to remember that your brother has a heavy load on him. He’s got to be a full-time employee, a full-time student, and a full-time father.”
“I guess it’s very hard, huh?” Neli asked.
“Very, very hard,” Mama answered.
“I’m not having children until I’m thirty,” I proclaimed.
“Me neither,” Neli declared.
“Me neither!” Coralita chimed in. All of us chuckled.
That night the darkness was so quiet. While I was in bed, I thought about Neli taking the blame for the treehouse incident. Maybe mama’s warrior talk had gotten to her. Maybe she was growing up. I knew I was.
“Neli,” I whispered, “are you asleep?”
“Not anymore,” she muttered.
“I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you,” I stated. I was a little scared that she’d give me a rude answer, but I still needed to tell her.
“Why are you proud of me?” Neli questioned, her voice full of expectation.
“For taking the responsibility for what happened with Coralita even if it was my fault too.”
“That’s what good warriors do, Miranda—take responsibility for themselves.”