Flying Lessons & Other Stories

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of racism.

Merci Suarez, the narrator and protagonist of “Sol Painting, Inc.,” longs to take over her father’s painting business one day. She has a long-term plan to transform his company into an empire so big that Home Depot will not be able to keep up with her. She even plans to make chic business cards that list her as CEO. Her brother, Roland, affectionately called Roli, is five years older than Merci and loves science.

When the story begins, the two kids and their father, Papi, are getting in the company van to go to a painting job when they witness men cleaning out their neighbor’s apartment. Doña Rosa, the elderly woman who lived there, has passed away without anyone knowing for two days. The scene scares Merci because all she can focus on is the woman’s ghost haunting the apartment building, but she tries not to show it. Meanwhile, the happenings in Doña Rosa’s apartment give Roli the opportunity to talk about the science of putrefaction and human decomposition.

As Merci tunes him out, she reveals the challenges of having Roli for a brother because he excels at school, while she struggles with academics. Merci’s highest mark last year was a C, and her Mami demanded a meeting to discuss the girl’s academic future with Papi (they are divorced), arguing that Merci needed a school with a rigorous and structured atmosphere. As a result, Merci will attend seventh grade at Seaward Pines School in the fall with her brother. Roli, a rising senior, is reputed to be a genius and is even a Sunshine Scholar. Merci dreads the move to a new school because she will have to wear shiny red blazers and no one from their neighborhood, other than Roli, goes there.

While Merci reflects on all these things, the conversation continues in the hot van with the broken air conditioner. They are in West Palm Beach in the summer, and it is already over 80 degrees at seven in the morning. Merci claims she cannot check out Doña Rosa’s apartment because she has too much summer reading to finish for the start of school next week. Roli knows that Merci hates reading and that she has not started yet.

Talk of the upcoming school year continues as they drive across the bridge into the affluent part of Palm Beach, and Papi reveals that he has a surprise. Merci is skeptical because the last surprise was when her parents announced they were getting a divorce. The kids make their guesses until they pull onto the picture-perfect grounds of Seaward Pines School. Papi drives to the service entrance, telling the kids that he has agreed to paint the gym and some classrooms in exchange for Merci’s tuition. At the news, “Roli glances at [Merci] uneasily and then shrinks into his seat again” (48), indicating his desire to be anywhere but there. Merci seems unphased and immediately jumps out to unload the van. Her thoughts are on how much money she could make because the place is so big.

As they unload, Roli is reluctant to help. Papi gives his son a look, then helps Merci with the paint cans. Watching her dad, Merci swells with pride at his strength. Papi directs her to the main office to let the school know that they have arrived. Then he turns to Roli, who is still dragging his feet, and says vamos (let’s go).

In the main office, Merci encounters Mrs. McDaniels, the excessively neat and stern secretary. When the woman questions if Merci is old enough to be working, the phone rings. While Mrs. McDaniels is on the phone, Merci takes in the plush surroundings and pictures of students at the Great Wall of China. Once the call is complete, Merci signs in and follows the secretary to the gym.

They meet Papi and Roli outside, and Merci is surprised that Mrs. McDaniels does not even say hello to Roli, one of the top students in the school. Merci naively assumes that the woman does not recognize him. Mrs. McDaniels reminds them to cordon off the area they are working on, so students don’t accidentally slip on one of their drop cloths. Merci is confused because it is summer, so Roli points to the fields where the girls’ soccer team is practicing. Merci adores soccer. Her Papi sometimes plays in a futbol league in the park on the weekends, and she has learned a few moves from them and even gets to play once in a while, so she never has to blow the vuvuzela (a long horn blown at soccer games, usually in South Africa) from the sidelines. Papi breaks her gaze at the field and tells her it is time to work.

Merci starts painting the door while Roli tackles the wall. They argue. Roli tells her to go faster so they can leave, while she insists he slow down and do a better job. At this point, Papi asks if they want to take a lunch break. Then the door Merci is painting opens and the soccer girls stand there, sweaty and dirty. They jostle to get in the door. The captain, with a C on her jersey, grabs the wet door frame to block her team. She swears, then giggles, when she realizes what she has done.

Furious that her work has been ruined so carelessly, Merci is unable to speak. She remembers putting a wet paint sign outside. Meanwhile, Roli keeps his back turned. When she sees Papi walk towards them, she is relieved because she knows that he will reprimand the girls for what they have done.

Before Papi gets to them, they all burst through the door, sliding against the wet paint with their hands and bodies. They laugh and smear paint on each other and the walls. Merci is certain her father will unleash his anger on them, and she is shocked when he merely puts his hands in his pockets. The girls go through the gym as if the Suarezes were not even there. Then, at the top of the stairs to the locker room, a couple girls say sorry in Spanish and French, as if Papi and the kids do not speak English.

Merci is fuming at this point, not just at the girls, but also because her father has done nothing. She expects him, the adult in charge, to at least say something.

When Mr. Falco, the guidance counselor and coach, enters, she does not apologize. Instead, he claims he told the girls to use the side entrance. When Merci tries to speak up, her father shushes her and tells the man that it was an accident, not a problem, and that it will be fixed. The pride Merci felt earlier for her father vanishes. Roli still refuses to look at anyone.

They have lunch, finish the painting, and then return to their condominium, where Papi drops the kids off. Papi says he will get other workers to help tomorrow, and that Merci should work on her summer reading.

Instead of going upstairs with Roli, Merci goes to the pool, which is empty of people. She sits at the edge and stares at the water where she and Roli have had so much fun over the years. However, now all she sees is a gross pool with dirty leaves, a dead frog, and scummy water.

Eventually, Roli joins her and tells her Mami wants her to eat. Merci refuses, so Roli takes the skimmer, cleaning the leaves and dead frog. When he is done, he approaches her, trying to talk about the day, but Merci interrupts that she hates that school and Papi.

To her surprise and sadness, Roli defends their father. He tells her that it was harder for Papi to stay quiet than to speak up, but his choice meant that she would not lose her opportunity to go to that school, which could help her better her life so she would not have to be in the position they were in today. Papi did what he did, Roli explains, for her.

Then Roli jumps into the pool and challenges her to a race. Even though she still feels shame, she tries to let it go by jumping into the water after her brother.