THREE MEXICAN STORIES
(Translated
by
LANGSTON HUGHES)
HOME
Jose Mancisidor
T
HE GROUP STOPPED QUIETLY in the middle of the inter–
national bridge like a herd of cattle in a corraL One of the men
turned his head and stood looking back at the distant houses on
the American side. Then he said to one of his companions,
"Sure, Tony, I'll write you."
The one he spoke to hesitated a moment. Then he ans–
wered, "Don't forget-If there's any chance of working in
Mexico, I'll come down home where you are. Here, it's bad.
Getting worse and worse every day."
His eyes sought those of his friend, which remained in–
sistently fixed on an unknown point that seemed to attract him
against his will. Then Tony repeated, "Let me know as soon
as you get there. They are going to put all us Mexicans out of
here by and by. There's no room for so many."
The children stood at a distance away from the conversa–
tion. Their chatter, like the cackling of hens, came out with less
difficulty, simpler, flavored with childish ingenuousness. But
their eyes too kept turning obstinately backwards as if they had
forgotten something in the city they were leaving behind.
Over their tousled heads the sky shone brightly. Little by
little the shadows of evening began to fall, gliding over every–
thing. It was as if a thin gas came down from the sky and
silently covered people and things. From the half-dead river, in
the vagueness of the twilight, other shadows seemed to rise, ex–
pand, and take form with strange vigor. The lights of the
evening began their restless blinking, all around.
Tony held out his hand and said, "I have to go back now.
Tonight we'll
be
less. You and your family make fifty from our
neighborhood, all gone home."
He stopped short. The word "home" made him think of
strange things in the back of his mind. Scenes of other days
paised before him in swift succession.
20
