How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

The girls are playing outdoors when two men in khakis come to the property. Papi sees them and hides in the secret room made for such purposes. Yoyo knows that only guardias are allowed to carry guns, so these men are either criminals or police. Yoyo thinks back to a time when she told their neighbor that Papi had a gun, not knowing that he really did. Yoyo was beaten for that transgression because Papi could have been killed for owning a gun.

Laura comes, and she finds out that they are looking for Carlos. She sends Carmen to tell Victor that he needs to “pick up his tennis shoes” (201). Victor had been organizing a plot with the State Department when the State Department backed out. Laura considers offering the men sexual favors if they let her husband and daughters leave safely. Vic has been associating with young girls, and he leaves the one he is with to go help Carlos. Carla and Sandi are at Carmen’s house, and Carla has heard that Papito, her grandfather, no longer works for the United Nations. Vic tells the men that Carlos has been given a job in America and will be leaving soon.