Dead Drunk Horse
So by reading this book I learned A LOT! I learned a lot of funny things and serious ones too. Like, boys get embarrassed if their on bottom, a married man never gives up and never quits, we punish ourselves, not God, and a single shot of tequila will kill a 550 lbs pig. And who knew that people got their horses drunk!
In this portion of the story, Victor's older brother passed away two weeks prior. His father rode his horse Cherokee into town, and literally inside of a bar. His mother recieved a call from the bar that Cherokee was drunk. Upon arrival, Victor observed his father in a drunken state from grief, but also from what appeared to be the loss of love from his wife. They were both grieving and he was needing her strength, her touch, and her kiss.
But he, "stunk like a bull who'd pissed all over himself." But in one of most tender moments in the book, when he saw his life's dance partner, he crudely calls after her, “LUPE, MI CORAZÓN! Mi novia! MI ESPOSA!” my father kept shouting. “LET’S DANCE, YOU AND ME, MI AMOR!”
Villasenor, Victor. Burro Genius (p. 260). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.
"'Salvador, you’re drunk!'
“'So what! I still got feeling for you as big and deep and strong as the first day I lay eyes on you! You are MY ANGEL!' he bellowed, reaching for her and trying to kiss her."
This talk goes on an on, until he finally breaks. The loss of their son finally comes to the surface and he declares that a father can feel the loss of a child just as much as a mother. But he doesn't have the strength of a woman.
“Come to me, Lupe! Come to these waiting arms! I love you con TODO MI CORAZÓN! The touch of your skin, the smell of your—”
“SHUT UP! SALVADOR! For the sake of God!”
“Okay, I’ll shut up! BUT I NEED YOU! I NEED TO HOLD YOU CLOSE! For how can we keep faith in life, if we don’t have the smell and warmth of each other to keep us going. I LOVE YOU!”
“Come, Salvador,” said my mother, glancing around at everyone. “We need to go home…Mundo will ride your horse.”
“Will you hold me, skin to skin?” he said, rocking back and forth on his feet. “Will you love me like I love you? Will you let GOD DO GOD’S WORK, and…and…Lupe! LUPE! LUPE!” he bellowed, dropping to his knees with open arms. “TU ERES MI ESPOSA! The handcuffs of my heart and soul!”
She didn’t want to, she really didn’t, but she then went to him with open arms, too, and they drew each other close, held, and then they began to kiss. He was kissing her, and she was kissing him. Not one single sound could be heard through out the whole bar. Everyone stared at them, mouth open. Even the horse seemed to have calmed down.
My dad stood up and they continued kissing, making that kiss that my father had been asking to make for weeks. Then finally, my mother and father turned and went out the front doors, and I was left with the drunken horse.
Villasenor, Victor. Burro Genius (pp. 262-263). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.
Both of these two needed to grieve, and they needed each other. Sometimes grief causes a rift in marriage. Other times it brings them tighter together, and that was the choice of Lupe and Salvador.
The next day around lunch, his mother finally emerged from their room. She was seen smiling and whistling since the loss of her oldest child.
I gave this book 5 stars!
But he, "stunk like a bull who'd pissed all over himself." But in one of most tender moments in the book, when he saw his life's dance partner, he crudely calls after her, “LUPE, MI CORAZÓN! Mi novia! MI ESPOSA!” my father kept shouting. “LET’S DANCE, YOU AND ME, MI AMOR!”
Villasenor, Victor. Burro Genius (p. 260). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.
"'Salvador, you’re drunk!'
“'So what! I still got feeling for you as big and deep and strong as the first day I lay eyes on you! You are MY ANGEL!' he bellowed, reaching for her and trying to kiss her."
This talk goes on an on, until he finally breaks. The loss of their son finally comes to the surface and he declares that a father can feel the loss of a child just as much as a mother. But he doesn't have the strength of a woman.
“Come to me, Lupe! Come to these waiting arms! I love you con TODO MI CORAZÓN! The touch of your skin, the smell of your—”
“SHUT UP! SALVADOR! For the sake of God!”
“Okay, I’ll shut up! BUT I NEED YOU! I NEED TO HOLD YOU CLOSE! For how can we keep faith in life, if we don’t have the smell and warmth of each other to keep us going. I LOVE YOU!”
“Come, Salvador,” said my mother, glancing around at everyone. “We need to go home…Mundo will ride your horse.”
“Will you hold me, skin to skin?” he said, rocking back and forth on his feet. “Will you love me like I love you? Will you let GOD DO GOD’S WORK, and…and…Lupe! LUPE! LUPE!” he bellowed, dropping to his knees with open arms. “TU ERES MI ESPOSA! The handcuffs of my heart and soul!”
She didn’t want to, she really didn’t, but she then went to him with open arms, too, and they drew each other close, held, and then they began to kiss. He was kissing her, and she was kissing him. Not one single sound could be heard through out the whole bar. Everyone stared at them, mouth open. Even the horse seemed to have calmed down.
My dad stood up and they continued kissing, making that kiss that my father had been asking to make for weeks. Then finally, my mother and father turned and went out the front doors, and I was left with the drunken horse.
Villasenor, Victor. Burro Genius (pp. 262-263). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.
Both of these two needed to grieve, and they needed each other. Sometimes grief causes a rift in marriage. Other times it brings them tighter together, and that was the choice of Lupe and Salvador.
The next day around lunch, his mother finally emerged from their room. She was seen smiling and whistling since the loss of her oldest child.
I gave this book 5 stars!
Hi Hiram,
ReplyDeleteYou have really piqued my interest with this blog! This book sounds funny and insightful with complex characters, like Victor's father. I am also drawn to Victor's rebellious spirit. This seems like a very different representation of Mexican-American culture than the one in the memoir I read, The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande. I think I will put this on my reading list. Thanks for sharing!