Becca’s New Years was...well, it was weird. Much in the same manner as Christmas Eve, Becca waited around most of the evening while everyone drifted in and out of sleep (including her). By 11, she’d had it and went off to the park where there was some kind of show.
When she arrived, Lily and some of their local friends were waiting, she greeted them all.
“You didn’t miss much, I can’t understand the woman at all and they just made fun of me for being the only gringa in the crowd. Welcome to the party!” Lily said with a big fake smile.
Becca looked to the stage and saw a man and woman dancing and drinking beer, however she quickly realized the woman was in fact a man in a dress and wig. He was indeed talking in a voice that Becca couldn’t understand at all. Feeling a little confused, Becca turned to their friend Karina who quickly explained.
“El es el año viejo y a las doce el va a morir por que el año viejo ha terminado,” she said. (He is the old year and at midnight he’s going to die because the old year has ended.)
“Y ella?” Becca asked. (And her?)
“Su esposa, estan hablando que ella esta ebarazada pero es una broma,” Karina said. (His wife, they’re saying that she’s pregnant, but it’s a joke).
“Por que?” (Why?)
Karina shrugged and laughed a little before turning back to the show. The “couple” danced around a few more times.
“They said that the old man was going to run away with me because I’m a gringa,” Lily added.
“Well of course,” Becca agreed.
“Hola Rebecca!” startled, Becca turned to see her thirteen year old cousin, Alex grinning at her.
“Hola, que haces aqui?” she grinned back. (What’re you doing here?)
He didn’t answer, instead put his hand in his pocket and, his grin extending even further than she thought possible, he pulled it out showing her a hand full of small fireworks. He tossed one toward the stage and it went off with a loud crack startling several people. He grinned again and waved a quick wave,
“Chao,” he said and ran off.
Just before midnight, they all parted ways and headed home, agreeing to meet up later at the concert in the park. When Becca arrived home, her mom was passing out grapes, to be eaten for good luck, her dad was finishing dressing up the life-sized doll he had made for the family, and her sisters were preparing the silly string and spray snow. And as the clock struck 12 (or the cell phone blinked 12 as the case may be), the grapes were eaten, the doll was set aflame in the street, and silly string and fake snow flew through the air.
“Feliz Año,” he sister said and hugged her tightly. She was followed by Becca’s other sister, her brother, her mom, her dad, her aunt, her uncle, her cousin, her other cousin, her neighbors...and so on.
Becca gazed down the street, now littered with color and burning dolls and wondered just what the year might bring her.
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