When I Was Puerto Rican

Esmeralda gets caught stealing coins from the baby’s piggy bank. An old neighbor woman is looking in the window at that moment and tattles on her. Short after, she attends a Sunday school meeting at a local church. The congregation is led by Don Joaquin, who has a deep, commanding voice.

The church is full of calm, sedate people that she knows from the neighborhood. But when Don Joaquin begins preaching about repentance, Christ, and letting go of their sins, those same people are whipped into frenzy. They cry and shout, waving their arms and singing. Esmeralda can’t believe her eyes and ears. She wants to join in, but isn’t able to. She can’t quite get past her fear of making herself so vulnerable.

She tells Papi that she dreams of playing the piano, which causes a mild argument between her parents. They can’t afford a piano, but Don Luis, her school principal, says she can come practice at his house. They won’t have to pay. Papi will do some carpentry on his house in exchange for Esmeralda’s piano lessons. She enjoys her lessons, but Don Luis begins to make comments about how she should dress, and refers often to her outfits.