Chapter 6 Efren Divided
Summary
TLDRIn this heartfelt narrative, Efren, a young boy, faces the challenge of caring for his siblings Max and Mia after their mother Alma is unexpectedly taken away. The story unfolds over a weekend, where Efren's usual Saturday routine of leisurely mornings and study time is upended by the need to keep his younger siblings occupied and unaware of their mother's absence. As the weekend progresses, Efren goes to great lengths to entertain and distract Max and Mia, from horsey rides to coloring and hide-and-seek. The narrative highlights Efren's resilience and the emotional toll of keeping a difficult secret. By Monday, the strain is evident as Efren struggles with Max's resistance to getting dressed for school and the looming issue of an impending detention due to tardiness, which he cannot serve due to his responsibilities at home. The summary concludes with Efren's poignant interaction with his teacher, Miss Solomon, and his creative solution to feeding the twins on a tight budget, all while grappling with the uncertainty of Alma's return.
Takeaways
- 🛌 Efren cherishes Saturday mornings as they allow him to sleep in and enjoy a special breakfast.
- 👨👧👦 Oppa's overtime work disrupts the usual weekend routine, putting extra pressure on Efren to keep Max and Mia busy.
- 👶 Max and Mia struggle with Alma's absence, making Efren's task of caring for them more challenging.
- 🏫 Efren faces difficulties with school, including being late and dealing with the consequences of his tardiness.
- 🤔 Efren is conflicted about revealing the family's legal status to Mr. Garrett, his teacher.
- 👗 Alma's potential new job becomes a point of confusion for Efren, as it coincides with her disappearance.
- 👧 Mia's desire to wear pajamas to school reflects the family's disarray and Efren's struggle to maintain normalcy.
- 🍔 Efren manages to stretch his budget to feed Max, Mia, and himself, demonstrating his resourcefulness.
- 🤥 Efren lies to Miss Solomon and the twins about Alma's whereabouts, highlighting the emotional toll of their situation.
- 🕒 Time becomes a significant factor as Efren has to balance school, caring for the twins, and worrying about Alma.
- 🏡 The neighborhood and school setting provide a backdrop for Efren's daily life and the challenges he faces.
Q & A
What was special about Saturday mornings for Efren?
-Saturday mornings were special for Efren because he could sleep in a bit longer, expect a steaming bowl of arroz con leche and a freshly baked boyo loaf, and then spend time in his study which doubled as the bathroom, either finishing a whole book or until Max or Mia needed to go potty.
How did Efren spend the weekend with Max and Mia?
-Efren spent the weekend with Max and Mia by keeping them busy so they wouldn't miss Alma. He did this by engaging in various activities such as horsey rides around the apartment, pushing them on the school swing sets, coloring, and playing hide and seek.
Why was getting Max dressed difficult for Efren on Monday morning?
-Getting Max dressed was difficult because Max was having a rough time and was not cooperating. He threaded his arms through the pant leg incorrectly and refused to put them on properly, causing Efren to have to negotiate with him to get dressed.
What did Efren promise Max in exchange for getting dressed properly?
-Efren promised Max a horsey ride all the way to school if he would get dressed properly.
Why did Efren allow Max and Mia to wear their pajamas to school?
-Efren allowed Max and Mia to wear their pajamas to school because he was more concerned about their emotional state and keeping them happy, considering the absence of their mother, Alma.
What was the reason for Efren's tardiness to school on Monday?
-Efren was late to school because he was having trouble with Max, who was not cooperating with getting dressed, and he had to take care of both Max and Mia.
Why did Efren not tell Mr. Garrett the real reason for his tardiness?
-Efren did not tell Mr. Garrett the real reason for his tardiness because he was aware that teachers could not be trusted with his family's legal status, as per his father's (Oppa) warning about a law that would force teachers to report undocumented kids to the authorities.
How did Efren manage to feed Max, Mia, and himself with a limited budget?
-Efren managed to feed Max, Mia, and himself by purchasing carne asada tacos from Don Tapatio's food truck, which were a good bargain. He took half the meat from each taco and turned each taco into two, also providing Mia with a side of beans and cheese.
What lie did Efren tell Max and Mia about their mother Alma's absence?
-Efren lied to Max and Mia, telling them that their mother Alma had gone to Irvine for a job interview and later that she had started a new job. He also told them that Alma was helping their sister Tia Martha, who was sick.
How did Efren feel about the possibility of having to leave to go get Alma?
-Efren felt worried and conflicted about the possibility of having to leave to go get Alma. He was concerned about the impact it would have on their lives and the challenges they would face.
What did Efren do to keep Max and Mia occupied and unaware of Alma's situation?
-Efren engaged Max and Mia in various activities around the apartment, took them to school, and even allowed them to wear their pajamas to school to keep them happy and distracted from Alma's absence.
Outlines
😴 Saturday Mornings and the Challenge of Childcare
The first paragraph introduces the protagonist, Efren, and his usual Saturday routine of enjoying a late morning with a special breakfast and leisurely reading before attending to his homework. However, the recent weekend was disrupted by his father working overtime, forcing Efren to keep his siblings, Max and Mia, occupied to distract them from missing their mother, Alma. The narrative describes the exhausting efforts Efren puts into entertaining the twins, from horsey rides to playing hide and seek. The paragraph concludes with the difficulties Efren faces on Monday morning, including Max's resistance to getting dressed and Efren's resulting tardiness to school.
🏫 School and the Struggles of Secrecy
In the second paragraph, Efren's struggles continue as he faces the consequences of being late to school without a valid excuse. The narrative delves into Efren's internal conflict about his family's legal status and the potential risks of disclosure. Despite being a U.S. citizen, his parents' undocumented status complicates matters. The paragraph also explores Efren's nostalgia for simpler times and his current predicament of having to lie to adults, including his teachers, to protect his family. The narrative concludes with Efren's encounter with Miss Solomon, where he must further navigate the complexities of maintaining the secret about his mother's absence.
🍔 Budgeting for Meals and the Promise of Alma's Return
The third paragraph focuses on Efren's efforts to manage his limited resources to provide for his siblings. It details his frugal meal planning at Don Tapatio's food truck, where he creatively stretches his budget to feed all three of them with minimal spending. The narrative also highlights the emotional toll on the twins as they question when their mother will return. Efren, feeling the pressure, reassures them with a pinky promise, a gesture that signifies his commitment to the truth. The paragraph ends with a poignant moment where Efren contemplates the possibility of having to leave to retrieve Alma, reflecting the gravity of the situation his family is facing.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Efren
💡Max and Mia
💡Alma
💡Responsibility
💡Detention
💡Financial Strain
💡Legal Status
💡Emotional Impact
💡Lies and Truth
💡Cultural Food
💡Sibling Bond
Highlights
Efren's Saturdays were special, as he could sleep in, enjoy a steaming bowl of arroz con leche and a freshly baked boyo loaf.
Efren spent the weekend trying to keep Max and Mia busy so they wouldn't miss their mother Alma.
On Monday, Max was having a hard time getting dressed, making Efren's morning more difficult.
Efren promised Max a horsey ride to school if he got dressed, but Max refused.
Efren let Max wear his Superman pajamas to school, and Mia also wore her pajamas.
Efren was late to school and received detention, but couldn't tell the truth about why he couldn't stay after.
Efren worried about how long he could keep the truth about Alma from Max and Mia.
Miss Solomon told Efren that Alma had started a new job, which is when she was actually picked up.
Efren lied to Miss Solomon, saying Alma started her new job and things were going well.
Max and Mia were emotional, especially Max, and Efren didn't know what to say to comfort them.
Efren was on a tight budget and had to stretch his money to feed himself and the twins.
Efren managed to feed them tacos, beans and cheese for just $6 at Don Tapatio's food truck.
Mia questioned if Efren was lying about Alma coming back, but he reassured her with a pinky swear.
Efren was unsure if they would have to leave and go find Alma if she couldn't come back.
Efren longed for the simpler days when his only worries were playing games and hanging out with friends.
Efren struggled to keep up with schoolwork while taking care of Max and Mia.
Efren was late to school again and received his second infraction, resulting in detention.
Transcripts
chapter six
Saturday mornings had always been
special for Efren it was a day he could
sleep in just a tiny bit longer
a day he could expect a steaming bowl of
a rose con leche and a freshly baked
boyo loaf waiting for him when he awoke
then he could go into his study which
doubled as the bathroom hurry through
any homework he had and stay until he
finished a whole book or until Max or
Mia needed to go potty whichever came
first
however this entire weekend went
differently with oppa working overtime
every single moment was spent making
sure Max and Mia stayed busy enough that
they wouldn't have time to miss Alma
it was something that required a lot
from Efren
a lot of horsey rides around the
apartment a lot of time pushing the
twins back and forth on the school swing
sets a lot of coloring a lot of time
hiding and seeking a lot of everything
so on Monday morning finally came around
Efron didn't complain in fact he looked
forward to the rest
unfortunately Monday morning didn't
exactly work out that way Max was having
a rough time making the simple job of
getting him dressed much much more
difficult
come on Maxie you don't want to go to
school in your underwear do you
Max crawled out from under his blankets
causing a sigh of relief from his big
brother
okay better
Efron held the pair of pint-sized pants
for him to step into
only Max's plans were different he
threaded his pudgy arms through the pant
leg until his hands peeked out from the
other side
no CS payaso please put them on right
now
Max pulled the arms out only to stick
his head in their place
Efron took a deep breath and massaged
the side of his forehead he glanced over
at the empty mattress beside him trying
to figure out what Alma would do
Efren looked straight into Max's
penny-like eyes
how about this if you get dressed I
promise to give you a horsey ride all
the way to school
Max shook his head no
how about
a crooked grin sprouted on efren's face
I let you wear your Superman pajamas to
school
Max nodded it wouldn't be the first time
Max went to school in pajamas Miss
Solomon would understand
Mia tugged at efren's shirt what about
me can I go in pajamas too
Efren bent down to look at her sure why
not
having Max and Mia show up to school in
PJs was the least of his worries
four days without Alma an already
efren's world was starting to fall apart
by the time he reached School the late
belt had already rung he hoped to see
someone else even a teacher walking in
late as well but the campus hallways
were empty even David had apparently
made it to class on time
the second Effron entered the room Mr
Garrett turned his bushy eyebrows shot
up in disbelief
Mr Nava you're late
Efren lowered his head and sighed the
tardy clipper clipper
clipboard nailed to the wall he'd seen
Mr Garrett belittle everyone who'd ever
tried justifying being late excuses Mr
Garrett would say are like armpits we
all have them and they all stink
so under the section of the form labeled
reason Efron decided he was better off
scribbling in the word unexcused
it felt like the whole class sat up
paying sharp attention when Mr Garrett
approached the center of the room
Mr Nava this makes two infractions in a
row is there something I should know
Efron tried lifting his head and making
eye contact like Alma had taught him to
do with grown-ups but the best he could
do was shake his head
besides Efron thought it won't make a
difference
well then Mr Nava why don't you take a
seat and don't forget the second in
fraction now means you have detention
after school
after school there was no way there was
nobody else to pick up Max or Mia
Donna Chana
had been scheduled to return to
Guatemala that morning some emergency
with her parents
Efren stood Frozen by the tardy
clipboard wondering how much if any of
the truth he should tell Mr Garrett
after all he was a teacher and according
to Oppa teachers could never know about
the family's legal status
Efron remembered oppa telling him about
the time the state voters passed a law
that would have forced all teachers even
nice ones like Mrs Sullivan to report
any undocumented kids to the authorities
oppa of course held a grudge
saying that even through the courts
erased the law even though the courts
erased the law the masses had spoken and
revealed exactly how they felt
so even though Efron was a U.S citizen
his parents were not and he could not
say a word about that
Mr Nava is something wrong did you
misplace your seat
no sir I I was just never mind
and just like that Mr Garrett launched
into a drawn out explanation of how
direct quotes were going to empower
everyone's essay arguments
later as the next bell rang he reminded
the class that paraphrasing would be
coming next but Efren barely listened it
wasn't like him to disobey a teacher
but what could he do he couldn't stay
after school and he couldn't tell the
truth
Efron missed the old days back when his
neighborhood block made up his entire
world back when all he worried about was
whether to play it safe with a game of
marbles or Brave a match of chicken
fights along the monkey bars
it was all he thought about most of the
day
in seventh period Mrs Flores the science
teacher had the entire class performing
visual dissections on worms
virtual dissections on worms Efron
rushed through the lesson on account of
Max and Mia and when school finally let
out it was him leading the stream of
kids off campus more and more of them
broke into different neighborhoods with
each block they passed those who veered
off first lived in the fancy Floral Park
block
those who were slightly less well-off
disappeared into Washington Square and
so forth
so forth was where Efron headed right
into Highland Street where apartment
buildings and fruit trees make up most
of the neighborhood
reaching his block he cut into the
elementary school's parking lot there in
the middle of the kindergarten Courtyard
stood Miss Solomon blowing her whistle
at cars blocking the entrance
Efren she called him over
he walked into a big hug
hi Miss Solomon have you seen Max and
Mia
over by the benches I had a bit of
trouble with them today
where is your oh my god did your mom get
the job
Efren crinkled his face job
Miss Solomon had her held her hand up at
a car yes the other day she told me she
was going to Irvine for a job interview
at a new company that makes high-end
women's clothing
said it was for a supervisor position
efren's mind raced that must have been
when Alma got picked up
as much as it bothered him to lie to
miss Solomon he didn't have a choice
yes she started today says her boss is
nice and the pay is really good
Miss Solomon paused making ephra nervous
he couldn't help but wonder if she might
be reading his face
after all she'd known him since he was
in her kindergarten class
well tell her I am so glad Oh and about
Max and Mia they seem a bit emotional
especially Max
efren's mind went into panic
fearful of saying the wrong thing he
simply Shrugged instead
well maybe it was just an off day she
said waving another car through
and be sure to thank your mom for her
mole recipe
tell her that the dinner was a real
success thanks to her
sure thing Miss Solomon
with that he walked over to the play
area and took a seat on a bench Watching
Max push Mia on a swing before leaping
into her lap
it didn't seem to mind one bit
sometimes insufferable always
Inseparable like Miss Solomon would joke
Efren couldn't imagine telling them
about what had happened to Alma but how
long could he keep the truth from them
he looked over at the clock hanging over
the bathrooms three o'clock
he'd have to start thinking about what
to feed them he headed over to join Max
and Mia just as he started pushing them
back and forth on the swings a thought
crossed his mind
if Alma isn't able to come back home
does that mean we might have to go get
her
go we might have to go to her will we be
forced to leave too
Efren felt a tug on his side
hungry it was Max right on schedule yeah
me too called out Mia
all the running around made the twins
hungry
now more than ever Efren needed to
stretch his money
every dollar saved meant a step closer
to getting Alma back fortunately Don
tapatio's food truck was a real bargain
but he'd have to be careful
not everything there was cheap he
thought about the menu crunching numbers
in his head
carne asada tacos were definitely the
best bargain they were small but came
with double tortillas Efren could take
half the meat and turn each Taco into
two a Milagro of his own
Maxi Mia how about some tacos Max
shrubbed he was easy ate just about
anything placed in front of him it was
MIA who ephra needed to worry about
so MIA Taco's okay
no I want some of Alma's Frijoles with
queso this very mention of their mother
Set Max off when is Alma coming back
soon answered Efren soon
you're a mentoriso Mia said digging her
fingers into efren's Bellow you said
she'd be back yesterday you lied
Mia was right he had lied worse he would
have to look the twins in the eye and do
it again
the truth the truth is that her sister
Tia Martha got sick Amma is with her
making sure she gets better
Mia rested her hands on her hip and
squinted up at Efren how do we know it's
not a lie
Efren held out his pinky finger Mia
smiled and hooked her finger around his
what about me Max asked holding up a
chubby finger of his own
Efron offered his other pinky I swear
Alma will be back soon
with that Efren stopped by Dawn
tapatio's Food Truck and fed the Twins
and himself using only six dollars
he turned three carne asada tacos into
six and still managed to provide Mia the
side of beans and cheese she wanted
if only he could find a way of getting
Amma back home
[Music]
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