We came over the bridge, passed White Memorial Hospital and stopped on the corner of Soto and Chavez. This corner is always busy. It has a history that goes back to when this part of town had a lot of Jewish and Italian merchants. The original Canter’s Deli was on this block.
A lot of these buildings are still owned by Jews but the shops and the shoppers are all Latino now. Some have even set up shop on the sidewalks.
Daniel pulls out a wallet and buys a couple of tamales and champurado from a little old lady with an Igloo on wheels.
I was so pleased to see him hand me one of those babies. I saw that he had plenty of money inside his wallet.
He was locked up for carrying a little too much cocaine on his person. The charges were dropped for that but he stayed for 3 months on warrants and old charges; violations and other crap. A lot of the guys in jail make it seem so routine when they talk about their time and charges.
What puzzled me was that he chose to walk home when he obviously had enough money to take a cab.
……………………………………………………………………..
The tamales hit the spot and the champurrado was warm and comforting.
We sat on a wall and watched people. Many were heading west on the 68,into downtown and beyond; to clean offices or homes. Others were coming home from the same, heading in the other direction. Both seemed tired. A lot of students at this corner too. Young girls with their hair pulled back tight. Wearing sweatshirts and jeans. A few with too much make up, those are the ones that remind you of the stereotypes. Boys clowning, always clowning with each other.
Heading south on Soto were the people taking the 251 to Vernon where factories abound. Women and men who will take a spot on an assembly line and repeat the same motion for 8 hours.
Behind all the people and all the bus stops are a few of the best murals in East LA. Images designed to remind us of our roots and instill pride. The ubiquitous Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and Cesar Chavez intertwined with farmworkers, men singing and people dancing.
I learned that Daniel lives with his girlfriend, Veronica, in the apartments on Ditman. Those are small bungalow style apartments with one wide walkway down the middle. I had a friend that lived there when I was a kid. A bunch of us would camp out on the roof at least twice a year.
“She’s a good woman,” he said.
He couldn’t be too much older that me, maybe 25. How much could he really know about what a good woman is. But he seemed mature enough to know.
[...] Next Post>>> [...]