List for Fiesta Preparations

1. Slice eggplant

2. Gather the achiote seeds for Auntie’s red rice

3. Call Auntie Minerva and ask her to bring her chicken kelaguen (Tata’s request, not mine)

4. Order plenty of tuba from Roman’s dad

5. Ask Frank to chop onions

Morning of the Pageant

The morning of the pageant, Teresita calls me at six. “Why didn’t you tell me I was a fool to run for queen?”

“You made up your mind without me. And no one changes your mind, Teresita.”

“I’ve thrown up twice this morning and I haven’t even eaten anything.”

Now I feel sorry for her. If it was someone like Olivia, who dreamed of being queen her whole life, I’d ignore her, but Teresita running for queen is like a fish trying to grow legs.

The Legend of Sirena

My favorite legend is the one about Sirena. I don’t know if it’s my favorite because I love the story or because it’s the only legend that my father told me. When I was younger, I wanted to be special in Tata’s eyes. Every day I waited for him to return from the sea. Usually he was too busy cleaning fish to give me much attention, but one day when I was six, he told me about a girl named Sirena who lived in Agana during the Spanish times on Guam.

Sirena loved to swim in the fresh spring waters where the Minondo River met the ocean. She loved to swim so much that sometimes she skipped her chores and headed for the water.

One day her mother sent her to gather coconut shells to heat the iron. The river beckoned to her and she swam while her mother called her name. Her mother knew where her daughter must be and she angrily cursed her. “Since Sirena loves the water so much, she should become a fish.”

Sirena never returned home because she soon discovered that from the waist down, she’d become a fish. To this day she is said to be swimming in the Pacific Ocean. Many fishermen have reported seeing her over the years.

When I asked Tata if he’d ever seen her, he said, “Oh, yes. Many times.” He winked and patted my head. “She even knows my name. ‘Hey, Vincent,’ she says, ‘how’s the fishing?’ I tell her to come closer, but she can only be caught with a net of human hair.”

Since my father was a master at making fishing nets, I begged him to make one with my hair. He just laughed.

Someone Else

When Olivia twirls to breakfast in her fanciest church dress, I tell her to change to shorts.

“But I’m going to the queen’s pageant!” she says.

“You’re not in the pageant. And it’s hot outside.”

She doesn’t budge.

“You won’t get to eat a snow cone.”

The thought of missing out on a sour grape snow cone does the trick. She returns three minutes later dressed in her denim shorts and blue top.