The last time I saw her was three years ago, standing in Teresita’s auntie’s yard. She was skinny and high as the moon. On the side of the road, her boyfriend waited in his old truck with the missing passenger door. Teresita’s auntie was pulling on Teresita’s right arm while her mother yanked the left. I thought she was going to split down the middle until they each had half.

Teresita didn’t make a sound. Her face paled and her body went limp like a rag doll’s. Teresita’s mom let go of her arm and grabbed Teresita’s hair, crying, “You’re coming with me.”

The color returned to Teresita’s face and her arm shook loose of her auntie’s grasp. Then she shoved her mother and yelled, “Go away and leave me alone. I don’t want to ever see you again.”

By then, neighbors were watching from their windows and doorways. The brave ones had moved closer to the yard for a first-row view. Her mother stood and stared at Teresita a long moment. Teresita and her mother had a stare down. Teresita won. Her mother staggered away to her boyfriend’s truck. She didn’t even have the satisfaction of slamming a door since it was missing. They drove away, leaving Teresita kneeling on the grass and her auntie making the sign of the cross.

But today I watch Teresita looking at her mother from the stage, and I can tell that she has forgotten she used to curse her mother’s name.

Queen

The mayor is about to announce the queen and Teresita is one of two girls remaining. Forget the chickens! I want to grab her by the hand and take off for Cocos Island.

“The winner sold thirty thousand tickets this year,” the mayor says, and when he calls Teresita’s name for the winner, she lets out a little squeal and puts her hand to her mouth and tears well up in her eyes. She trembles as last year’s queen pins the tiara to her head and slips the banner across her chest. Teresita glides down the stage and waves with a big beauty queen smile.

Her mother and auntie hug each other and smile at the girl on the stage with the crown on her head. I can’t believe my eyes.

“See,” Mary Kelly says. “Told you she wanted to be queen.”

Auntie Bernadette beams as if the dress is the reason Teresita won instead of the number of tickets we sold. Did she act like this when my mother won?

Olivia jumps and jumps.

Roman lightly punches my shoulder. “This is another lucky sign!”

I hope he wins the three hundred cans of tuna. And Teresita, instead of the great escape I’d planned for her, I want to slap her all the way to the Miss Universe contest.

Queen’s Ball

The queen and her royal court get twelve invitations each to go to the Queen’s Ball, held right after the pageant. Teresita gave me enough for my family and Mary Kelly. I’ll go, though I don’t want to, but I made the mistake of telling Mary Kelly earlier and now she’s dying to go.