Efren Divided Chapter 3 by Ernesto Cisneros Read aloud
Summary
TLDRIn this heartfelt narrative, Max and Mia eagerly await their father, APA, after work, seeking connection despite his exhaustion. Their father, Efren, struggles with the reality of his wife's deportation, grappling with fear and responsibility as the family's protector. The story captures the emotional turmoil of a family torn by immigration policies, highlighting moments of joy, love, and the painful absence of their mother, who promises to return soon, leaving Efren with the heavy task of caring for their children.
Takeaways
- 👨👧👦 Max and Mia are often awake when their father, APA, returns from work and they eagerly seek his attention.
- 📚 APA tries to spend quality time with his children despite his busy and uncertain work schedule.
- 🏠 The family faces the reality of their mother's deportation and the emotional impact it has on them, especially on Efren.
- 👀 Efren is aware of the immigration raids and the fear they instill in his community, which affects even family outings.
- 👮♂️ The presence of ICE officers in public places creates a palpable sense of fear and tension for the family.
- 🏖️ The mother's absence is deeply felt, especially during family activities that she used to participate in, like beach trips.
- 📞 A phone call from the deported mother brings a mix of relief and further concern for the family's future.
- 📝 APA takes notes and makes calls, showing his efforts to manage the situation and stay connected with his wife.
- 🛌 Max and Mia are oblivious to the severity of their situation, enjoying their childhood while their older brother Efren worries.
- 👦 Efren is given the responsibility to look after his siblings in his mother's absence, highlighting his maturity and the weight of his role.
- 😔 Efren struggles with sleep and misses the comforting presence of his mother, indicating the emotional toll the situation takes on him.
Q & A
What is the usual state of Max and Mia when APA returns from work?
-Max and Mia are often still awake when APA returns from work.
How do Max and Mia react when APA enters the apartment?
-Max and Mia clamor onto APA's legs, with Max sitting on one foot and Mia on the other, calling for their turn to be lifted.
What is the sign that Max has something important on his mind?
-Max's lips are pressed tightly together, indicating he has something important on his mind.
How does APA engage with his children when he has time with them?
-APA engages with his children by playing soccer, going to the playground, or watching a soccer game on TV with them.
What is the main concern of Efren about his mother's deportation?
-Efren is concerned because he can't think of anyone who has been deported and made it back to the neighborhood.
Why does APA take the family to Denny's for a special treat?
-APA takes the family to Denny's because of a 'kids eat free' deal, intending to treat the family to something special.
What is the cause of the fear and nervousness at the Denny's restaurant?
-The fear and nervousness are caused by the presence of two ICE officers wearing shirts with 'ICE' printed on them.
What is the nickname given to Efren's mother by her children and what does it mean?
-Efren's mother is called 'Piojito' by her children, a term she used when she would run her fingers through their hair to soothe them to sleep, mimicking the technique she used to delouse the twins.
What is the promise that Efren's mother asks him to make on the phone?
-Efren's mother asks him to promise to look after his brother and sister, especially Max, while she is away.
What is the emotional state of Efren after the phone call with his mother?
-Efren is emotional and misses his mother deeply, wishing he could go to sleep and wake up to find the day's events were just a bad dream.
How does the script describe the bond between Efren and his mother?
-The bond between Efren and his mother is described as very close and comforting, with her presence and touch being able to soothe him to sleep.
Outlines
👨👧👦 Family Dynamics Amidst Hardship
The first paragraph introduces the family's routine when APA, the father, returns from work to find his children Max and Mia still awake. Despite the day's fatigue, he engages with them, lifting them playfully. The narrative shifts to highlight the absence of their mother, who has been deported. The children are unaware of the gravity of the situation, but Efren, the eldest, is burdened by the reality. The family's attempts to maintain normalcy through activities like soccer and watching TV are contrasted with the growing fear of ICE raids and the father's struggle to protect his family from the harsh realities of their situation.
📞 Emotional Connection Across Distance
In the second paragraph, the family's emotional state is further explored as APA receives a phone call from Emma, the deported mother. The call is filled with emotion and reveals her plans to return to Mexico temporarily. Efren listens in, feeling the weight of his mother's request for him to take care of his siblings. The conversation underscores the family's longing for her return and the father's late-night efforts to make arrangements. Efren's struggle with sleeplessness and his longing for the comfort of his mother's presence are poignantly depicted, highlighting the emotional toll of their separation.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Deportation
💡Family
💡Fear
💡ICE
💡Cultural Identity
💡Separation
💡Resilience
💡Hope
💡Community
💡Uncertainty
💡Childhood Innocence
Highlights
Max and Mia are often awake when their father, APA, returns from work and they eagerly greet him.
APA tries to spend as much time as possible with his children despite his challenging work schedule.
Ephron, the father, is worried about his wife's deportation and the impact it has on his family.
The family enjoys simple activities together like playing soccer and watching TV, highlighting the importance of family bonding.
Ephron's wife is deported, leaving the family in distress and uncertainty about her return.
APA tries to reassure his children by maintaining a strong facade, even though he is deeply affected by his wife's absence.
The community is impacted by ICE raids, causing fear and anxiety among families.
APA and his family experience the tension and fear caused by the presence of ICE officers in public places.
Ephron's wife calls to inform them she will be released back into Mexico and plans to go to Ensenada.
Ephron's wife asks him to take care of their children, especially Max, who tends to get into trouble.
Ephron struggles with the emotional weight of his wife's absence and the responsibility of caring for his siblings.
The family's dynamic is affected by the deportation, with Ephron stepping up to support his father.
Ephron's mother's absence is deeply felt, especially during bedtime rituals and moments of comfort.
Ephron misses his mother's comforting presence and the unique way she would help him fall asleep.
The story highlights the emotional turmoil and challenges faced by families dealing with deportation.
The narrative emphasizes the importance of family unity and the impact of separation due to deportation policies.
Ephron's longing for his mother's return and the hope for a better future for his family is a central theme.
Transcripts
chapter 3 although it didn't happen very
often Max and Mia were still awake when
APA returned from work no matter what
books a friend read or how many stories
he told them Max and Mia want to go to
sleep probably all the poor parindo
candy Donya gave them
dressed in maxing matching fleece
onesies they clam clamped onto each of
his legs the second he entered the
apartment
he looked up at Ephron his lips breast
tight a sure sign he had something
important on his mind apatostas heavy
jacket and lunch pail onto the floor
while trying to keep his balance
Mia hollered waving her her arm in the
air has a paw bounced his leg up and
down now me Max sat on a Paw's other
foot calling for his turn Hapa took a
deep breath and embraced himself before
playfully straining to lift Max off the
floor
[Music]
Max's weight is end up tumbling down
onto the mattress closest to the door
everyone in the room laughed all except
Ephron who sat alone at the table
waiting to talk with his dad friend
looked up his face still covered with
Street dirt from where he'd wiped away
sweat earlier he exchanged a worried
look with Efren having to chase work
wherever he could find out about did not
get much time or did not get to spend
much time with his family but when he
did he made a point of spending as much
time with him as possible
sometimes he and efferent would kick a
soccer ball around while Max and Mia
went up and down the playground slide
other times when opposed back was too
sore to play and Max and Mia let them
they'd pop a fresh batch of popcorn pop
themselves under the mattress and watch
a soccer game on TV there'd be no
playing today APA approached Efren
tossled his hair and pulled him into a
tight hug note
Efron wanted to believe him and trust a
power would find a way of bringing his
mother back only Efron couldn't think of
a single person who'd been deported and
made it back to the neighborhood and
that scared him more than anything else
Mia said walking up where well
shamelessly adjusting her underwear
again pressed his lips tightly together
she went to visit her Aunt Martha she
said she'd bring back some of that
tamarindo candy you guys like so much
the answer seemed to satisfy Mia's
curiosity a friend wished it were that
simple for him as much as the adults
liked keeping kids in the dark Efren had
heard enough he knew about the raids
happening around the country around the
state around his City
and there had been other changes to
tecapa for example last summer he made a
point of coming home early on at least
one day and taking the entire family to
the beach Max and Mia would stay seated
exactly where the waves ended and with
plastic shovel and bucket they'd work on
creating the largest castles possible
Efren would take his cheap styrofoam
boogie board and ride each Breaking wave
until he ended up face to face with Max
and Mia but over the last few months
seemed to come up with all sorts of
excuses not to take the family outside
the neighborhood and Efren understood
why he'd heard about ice setting up
checkpoints and literally taking people
off the streets he'd heard about ice
helicopters scaring people out of their
homes and Hauling them away he'd even
heard of ice making stops at Mexican
geared supermarkets and handcuffing
anyone who couldn't prove they belonged
whether the rumors were true or not they
sounded real enough to worry him and he
wasn't the only one one time Denny's
friend was having a kids eat free deal
so apanama decided to treat the family
to something special but when they were
escorted to a corner booth that friend
could sense something was wrong both
look nervous jittery even the reason was
simple there were two white officers she
did it directly across the aisle each
wearing khaki cargo pants and black
shirts with the word ice printed in
giant white letters and no matter how
hard upon Amma tried hiding if Efren
could sense Their Fear and that was
scary in itself Abba was the strongest
bravest man he knew and yet he was no
match against an entire country trying
to get rid of him APA looked over at
Efren and as if he could read his mind
leaned over and kissed the top of his
head before turning his attention back
to the little ones one at a time he
picked them up and swirled them about
the room as if they were superheroes Max
extended his arms out in front of him
pretending to be Superman me on the
other hand waved a pretend Mallet like
her favorite Mexican TV hero El chapulin
Colorado but even this Crimson
grasshopper couldn't bring a smile to a
friend's face
have friend watched Max and Mia laughing
jealous of how clueless they were to
what had happened part of him a larger
part than he'd like to admit even wished
he could be picked up and kept in the
dark too unfortunately the only
superhero he wanted to hear from was his
own silver woman and he wasn't sure how
her ability to flip steaming tortillas
with her bare hands was going to help
her get home
Efren had hoped that Apache and he could
talk once the little ones had settled
into bed to help speed up the process he
helped them with their prayers and then
read from their favorite Dr Seuss book
the snitches and Other Stories Max and
Mia rub their round bellies and chanted
along with every single word two and a
half readings later they were asleep
on normal nights up I would come home
kiss the entire family and head straight
into the shower but tonight up bot took
a seat at the table still wearing his
muddy boots and jeans silently staring
at the phone while picking at the dead
skin hanging off his weathered
fingertips Efren took a seat beside him
unsure of what to say
the thick silence broke as the house
phone finally ranging up uh sprang off
his chair Efren stood and leaned in
close to him holding his breath in hopes
of hearing a Ma's voice again it was
Emma her words were muffled but full of
emotion Efren wanted to call out to her
but he didn't want to wake the twins
instead he forced himself back in onto
his chair and observed as APA jotted
down notes on to the back of a napkin
though even though his eyes told a
different story Abo's voice sounded
strong and reassuring
finally he turned back to Efren a rare
smile appearing
held the phone out as much as he wanted
to sound as confident as a father was no
overcoming the clump of emotions pinned
to the back of his throat AMA tears
poured down his face where are you she
sniffled I'm fine mijo Efron wished he
could believe her really I'm fine she
insisted I'm getting released back into
Mexico tomorrow don't worry about me I'm
thinking about going down to Ensenada
spending some time at the beach
in spite of himself her friend laughed
he knew she hated the ocean the smell of
dead fish and the squawking of Seagulls
but when will you come back be back
I'mma took a moment to answer soon very
soon but in the meantime I need you to
promise me one thing her friend shut his
eyes and nodded see clado I'm going to
need you to look after your brother and
sister especially Max you know the kind
of trouble that boy gets into note
I want you to enjoy your time off work
on your tan a bit her voice now quivered
as she laughed efferenteamo muchisimo I
know I love you too he passed the phone
back to his father who continued writing
down notes and making phone calls late
into the night Efren lay in bed awake
swatting away the occasional arm from
his face if only he could go to sleep
and wake up to find that the entire day
had been a bad dream then he would sit
beside Amma at The Breakfast Table and
tell her about David's decision to run
for president about all the crazy
campaign promises and posters my mom
would laugh and shake her head like she
always did whenever she heard any of the
crazy
Blanco dreamed up
but there would be no laughter anytime
soon not until his mother returned in
the past whenever Efren found himself
struggling to sleep he'd simply roll off
his mattress and climb up beside her
somehow no matter the time she'd always
sense his presence and wrap her arms
around him and then on cue she'd say a
short prayer before running her fingers
along his hair boy piojito style she
called it that because she mimicked the
technique she'd used to delouse the
twins after their first month of
kindergarten her fingers were magical
good for much more than flipping
tortillas they were warm and soothing to
the point that anyone under their care
would slip into a restful sleep in
minutes even a bar was not immune to
their power but there would be no Pio
piojitos tonight that night Efren lay in
bed watching apatos and turn like their
light kaheta brown hair and crooked
Smiles they now have this in common too
Efren tried distracting his mind with
positive thoughts but all the positivity
he could muster was the fact that he
positively missed his mother
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