"Michael, go wash your hair! Willy's here to get that murosín1 in check" yelled my mother. As I stumbled towards the shower I knew it was going to be an uncomfortable hour or so with Willy combing, cutting, massaging and commenting on how "He doesn't have bad hair Nena! You just don't know how to brush it."
He would come by on the weekends and cut peoples hair in the projects where he learned that other boys liked lifting up girls' pleated skirts. He would spray and snip and talk about his extravagant life, styling hair in San Juan, and all the famous people he met, the likes of El Gangster, Eddie Miró and Iris Chacón.
After his visits I felt relaxed and content with my murosín's appearance. I believed most of what he told us on those Sundays, except for Iris Chacón. Iris was untouchable.
1 murosín: Puertorican Afro
Traveling (or the lack there of) from safe-haven to safe-haven, seems to be a prevalent theme in the novel. One excerpt from the novel that I believe supports this is:"We didn't dare go to the morgue; we weren't about to be arrested and interrogated. At that time for us to deal with the police was no little joke. I don't know if she had
family in Puerto Rico, or what ever happened to the body. That night we dedicated
the show to her." (p.24)
1. Are there any lines in the novel that can express this more vividly? [Find one if you can!]
Is this a prevalent theme? Or, Am I reading too deeply into my childhood experiences?
2. Do you believe that Willy was a hairdresser in San Juan? Did he move to be in the safe haven/zone? Are there any characters in the novel that live similarly to the way my childhood barber did?
P.S. Thank you for reading my post!
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