The First Rule of Punk

When Malú returns home, her neighbor, Oralia, is “sitting on a rocker on the porch,” listening to music and knitting (87). Oralia offers Malú a cookie. Next to the woman, on a table, are “a mug of coffee, a small CD player, a few CDs, and […] a brand new roll of toilet paper” (88). Oralia points to Malú’s “Day-Glo fuchsia leggings” and says that when she was “a little girl in Mexico, there were flowers everywhere that same color” (88).

Malú asks who Oralia is listening to; Oralia says it’s the singer Lola Beltrán. Malú finds the music sad, to which Oralia responds, “Life is sad, no?” (89). Malú says that she misses home, to which Oralia says to keep looking forward. The item that Oralia is crocheting is a toilet paper cover: “On the table next to the plate of wafers was a creepy-looking doll with peach-colored skin and a head of big curly black hair. Instead of legs, her torso tapered into what looked like a short baton. One fat, rubbery leg. I shuddered” (90).

Oralia then gives this item to Malú as a housewarming present. She also lets Malú borrow the Lola Beltrán CD. In her room, later, Malú rereads the Fall Fiesta flyer, focusing most intently on the fact that “musical acts are welcome” (92).