Mami

Grande, R. (2012). The distance between us: A memoir.  (pp. 5-13). New York: Washington Square Press

 

 The book begins with Reyna, Carlos, and Mago's mother leaving them with their Abuelita Evila because her husband has called for her to join him in "El Otro Lado", the United States. Reyna Carlos, and Mago were really too young to understand why their mother was leaving them in Mexico when she was going to the United States, but they knew nothing of the dangers of crossing the border and becoming an illegal immigrant. Their father had left Mexico when they were younger because he had dreamed of building a nice brick house, but did not have the money to do so. He knew the only way that he would ever have enough money to build a nice brick house in Mexico would be to go to the United States and save up. One day he decides that he needs their mother there to help him, so she goes without a second thought. 

Their mother leaving would have a significant impact on them, just as their father leaving did as well. But they had no idea that it would ultimately be their father who did the most for them. Their mother was an average woman who sold Avon to the people in their town for money. They barely made enough money to survive in Mexico. But, because their father had left them when they were young, most of their memories were with their mother, so they thought highly of her. She wore bright blue eye shadow and red lipstick. She promised her children that she would only be gone for a year at most, but she would end up being gone a lot longer, only to return when their father leaves her for another woman. No matter how hard she tried, Reyna could not understand why her mother was leaving them, and she would never forget her bright red lipstick.

Reyna describes the pain she felt as she and Mago packed the clothes they had into plastic bags and their mother returned the key to their house to Don Ruben; that would never be their home again. Mexico was in such poverty stricken conditions because the peso had been de-valued to 45 percent of the US dollar when Reyna was only one. Reyna remembers how her mother's friends, whos husbands had left them long ago, would be jealous of her when she told them that she was going to the United States because basically everyone in Mexico wanted to go there and most of the men had left their families to go. They viewed the United States as a great and wonderful place where there was no poverty and everyone was happy.  Their mother left them in the care of their Abuelita Evila, whom they did not like. Her property was nice and had plenty of room to play, but their mean cousin lived there too, and they did not like each other. Their mother leaving them for the first time was just the beginning of a string of unfortunate events that their mother put them through. As they grew older, they would learn her true colors.