The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez

Nestor plans to figure out what’s truly going on in the woods. He wishes he had an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) robot like his dad uses to find and disarm explosives; this might help him discover any witch snakes lurking in the woods. Nestor and his father had started building one together, but the pieces are still packed from the move.

Abuela makes ham croquetas for breakfast, while Nestor’s mother wonders why people in town are treating her strangely. At the grocery store the day before, a woman confronted her and warned her to keep Abuela “away from her chickens” (150). The doorbell rings, and Nestor’s mother answers and then crumbles. Two uniformed men are at the door, sparking fear that they are here to announce that Nestor’s father is dead. However, looking closer, the family realizes it’s just two boys from the high school ROTC selling popcorn as a fundraiser. After the boys leave, Nestor, his mother, and Abuela comfort each other as they navigate the weight of uncertainty and fear of having a loved one deployed. Nestor notices signs of aging on his mother’s face as he helps her to bed to rest: “She’s always been the strong one, the one rubbing my back when I cry about Dad’s missing something […] Holding her up as she weakens with each stair, I feel a weight I’m not used to carrying” (153).