It was a chilly June day
when mamá woke me up.
I didn’t remember much
except getting helped into my clothes.
When next I awoke, we were in the car,
driving past dusty mountain trails.
The sand on the side of the road would
kick up in the air beside us in clouds.
“¡Es hora de levantanse!” screeched my mother
as I groggily woke up once more.
The beige and brown of the desert was
now replaced with greens and blues.
I knew exactly where we were.
As we shuffled into the bungalow,
I tried to take in all that my young eyes could.
The red tile floors went well with
the cream and burgundy of the bungalow exterior,
and the bunk beds in every room but the master bedroom
made this home away from home all the comfier.
After settling in, mis primos y primas
raced me to the fronton courts —
they were mostly empty — as our rackets
kept clack clack clacking against our legs.
I looked up and marveled at the size of the playing wall
just as Julio served the first round.
For dinner, papá made us all triples —
a Peruvian sandwich made with tomatoes
hardboiled eggs, sliced avocadoes, and mayo
all between two or three breads — and we laughed
the night away while listening to some Beastie Boys.
Mis primos y primas
me levantaron a la misma vez
que el desayuno estuvo listo en la mesa.
Avocados, tamales, mangos, y duraznos
eran suficiente para mi, pero mi pan
francés con huevo frito y leche
chocolatada completaron mis deseos.
Afterwards, my brothers decided to
start up a game of hearts next to the
outside grill as the Beastie Boys’
Hello Nasty album would blare for the
cholitos to hear. Sometimes they’d
jokingly put on some Britney Spears
or N'Sync, but Barenaked Ladies was
another favorite; as well as the Beatles,
of course.
Hubo una vez un gran rey
que tenia muchas tierras,
un castillo, y tambien un amor.
Later on, I’d go play some pickup
games of futbol and basketball. Maybe
tennis and fronton, too. Then again, I
did frequent the various swimming
pools offered. Too many choices for a
little ****** with more than enough
time on his hands.
Finally, when it was time for bed
I’d think about my amazing weekend.
How time flies when you’re a child,
but at the same time, lazy vacation
days could stretch on forever.
And they always did at home here
in *La Cantuta.