(Continued from page 11) nursed and loved the animal When he walked together with In the confusion, Jose forgets her dilemma got our attention by and runs over the baby!" like-only a 5 year old can. My my father, whose toes pointed his responsibility and let go of she had already plowed into Everybody laughed except my mother named her "Katuka," away from each other (like the wheelchair. From the door the back wall of the house, mom who sternly referred to after a feisty comedian who Charlie Chaplin's) it was in- entering the dining room, the cussing at Jose. My grandfa- Manuel as "unidiota." starred on a Cuban radio deed a site to behold! floor declined acutely toward ther ran to free the old lady Bachiller, the other ten- show broadcast nightly from Family and friends gathered the rear of the house. The angle who was now pinned against ant, took cussing to a very Havana. By Christmas, Katuka at the old house by six. The became even more pronounced the wall. By inches she had high level a poetic art form; had grown to a substantial size men had already hit the bottle going into the back porch. With missed flying out the back door Cussing in Spanish (in those and got along fine with the of Corby's with some regular- wheels so well greased, here into the yard. Nervously, he days done almost exclusively menagerie. There was some ity. Talk was getting louder comes the old lady barreling asked, "Te lastimastes, vieja?" by men) is in my estimation adjustment necessary, but in and laughter even more so. Joy downhill completely unnoticed (Are you hurt, old lady?) Abuel- the most ferocious and nasty time the two dogs ignored the filled every comer as all moved in the continuing melee. By the ita Carmen Rosas, Espinosa, concocted by man,. Abuelo intruder as long as she stayed downhill toward the dining time the chariot from hell hit Benitez, Munoz y Ballesteros Jose was no slouch; I fact, outside or in a back bedroom area to await "La Cirra's" the entrance to the back porch La Curra, picks up her small his poetic genius approached that had been converted from grand entrance. "El Visco" was it looked like the l2th Avenue metal bell she carried to. call Bachiller's. Jose's very large, a screened porch. Mama had sitting on a stool next to the streetcar haulingass! for service and hits Jose on round, hard head engendered allowed me the luxury of put- unlatched screen door that Mama yelled out, "La vieja, his large, round bald head and few benficial ideas and the ting my little bed there so I opened into the back porch le vieja" (The old lady, the old said, Tu madre, Viejo carbon!" few he did manage were rigidly could sleep with Katuka, whom when Katuka entered the room lady) to no avail. By the time (Your mama, you old goat!" fixed. There was no utterance I loved more than Timmy loved uninvited from the backyard. I in his vocabulary that remotely Lassie. can still see the look of alarm approached the English word The house was full ofpeople on his face as he tried to grab IBEW Local Union 108 "compromise." His stubborn- by six and on that memorable the nanny goat. Jackie and ness (and my father's) was Noche Buena. Among the few Nellie began to bark boister- responsible for-our poverty. outside invitees was my father's ously as they ran forward to Convinced that the Crash of best friend whose name I never protect their turf. The ruckus Inter: "iol na 1929 was not for real, they knew because everyone called that ensued was like a scene : r refused to stand in line at the him by a nickname to which he from a Marx Brothers' movie. Broadway Bank and conse- nonchalantly responded. The Barking, howling, growling, Brotherhood of quently lost my grandmother's phenomenon was very preva- bleating, yelling, screaming ac- small fortune ($8,000). The lent in Ybor City and West companied the tumbling bod- Elect-c al IO rkT blunder was. ndoubtedly a Tampa. "ElVisco" (The Cross- ies of humans tryng to grab ectric l chief contributoritodth; stroke eyed) was the ugliest man I and separate the animals. The that crippled hler '. have ever seen. His eyes were goat .tapped around the lino- With all fhois-~^ ple and acutely crossed, mouth twisted leum-covered floor as the dogs two police d gI ~s ickie and to his right side, and (as if to pursued under and over the Nellie) living under one roof; insure that none would ignore table and chairs. At one point, rabbits, chickens; tvowdturkeys his calamitous'countenance) Katuka stopped, turned, and and a guinea hen in a very he defiantly adorned all this assuming a defensive posture, Sec ry years were full of activity. To mustache that marched down- into the dogs and the crowd. make our lives even more in- ward around his mouth from Visco was down, Papa was teresting, my older brother's his nostrils to his lower jaw. down, Mamawas atreadywith Telephone: (813) 621-2418 10108 Highway 92 East future father-in-law, a West In addition, a bicycle accident a wooden spoon, my brothers Fax: (813) 621-1687 Tampa, FL 33610-5947 Tampan of Cuban parentage, had rendered him lame so that all struggling to grab the snarl- "El Guajiro," liked me so much his left leg would drag up to ing dogs. that he gave me a little nanny meet his right as he walked. Into all this comes Jose HONOR LABOR goat picked out of a large herd A bachelor, of course, he was pushing the wooden wheel- I he kept on Grace Street. She what Jimmy Durante would chair with grandma upon it like BUY UNION was my first very own pet. I have called "a catastrophe." a Napoleonic cavalry officer. Children Have Dreams.... Apply for a magnet program or SSchool Choice and make your chd s dreams come truel 1st Application Period for grades K through 11 SDec. 1, 2006- Jan. 26, 2007 Magnet programs* & School Choice/Open Choice/Special Assignment *magnet programs begin in grade 1. Do you have questions? Visit www.sdhc.kl2.fl.us/choice or call the Choice Information Line at 272-4692. Ingreso al Programa Magnet o Seleccin de Escuela Primer perodo para solicitar (grados K-11) 1 de diciembre de 2006 al 26 de enero de 2007 Programa Magnet* & Programa de Seleccin de Escuela/Asignacin Especial Los programas Mognet comienzan en el ler grado. * Tiene preguntas? Visite nuestro sitio de Internet www.sdhckl2.fl.uso lame a la lnea de ayuda al 272-4692 Hilsborough County "[)ij Bi L I C. SCHOOLS Page 12 Sectiop B/Friday, December 22, 20D16