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Back Salt and Sugar Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“I know, but what if he comes back? I need to be here to defend Salt.” My thoughts are spiraling with fear. “I think I should start helping you out. He probably thinks you’re all alone. But I’m backing you up from now on. Salt is my responsibility, too.”

I grab a dish rag to start wiping counters, but Mom yanks it from me.

“Salt isn’t for you!” Mom raises her voice. “It’s not your responsibility.”

“But—”

“Your grandmother and I worked hard to ensure you didn’t have to work at Salt. School is your responsibility. It’s your vestibular year and I never see you studying anymore. Maybe you don’t care about my sacrifices, but have you no consideration for your grandmother’s?! She fought her entire life to give you what she didn’t have herself! A better future! How can you be the first Ramires to go to college, if you don’t show dedication?”

I feel the sting of tears, but I take a deep breath to hold them back.

“I do care,” I say in a low voice not to upset Mom even more. “I’ll study more. I’ll start this very moment.”

“No, go to Vozes.” Mom rubs the spot between her eyes like she’s trying to soothe a headache. “Dona Selma is waiting. You’ll study when you get home.”

“Alright,” I give in, walking past Mom toward the stairs.

“Lari, wait.”

I stop at the bottom steps.

She sighs. “I didn’t mean to yell.”

“I know.” I try to smile to put her heart at ease.

Neither of us knows how to be without Grandma, but we’ll have to find a way to be stronger, especially now that Deals Deals is sniffing around our doorstep.

9

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

Normally, the streets would be full with tourists straight from the airport in Recife. I grew up watching them point their cameras at everything, from lazy cats sleeping curled up on the doorstep of a boteco to the kites in the sky.

But the only tourists I see on my way to the bus stop are two women lingering outside an atelier, taking selfies in front of the hanging frevo umbrellas. And that’s about it.

I get a wound up feeling in my chest, worried that Deals Deals is up to something again. There are festivities coming up in Olinda. St. John’s parties are big in the northeast, starting as early as May going all the way into July. What if the supermarket puts together another event that’s diverting commerce to them? Is the boycott enough to keep us safe? My neighbors have refused to buy from Deals Deals, but what about the tourists?