Lucky Broken Girl

It is late spring, so the neighborhood lawns are green, but unlike in Cuba, people in New York keep their grass behind fences. Ruthie loves hopscotch; after school on Friday, she and her friend Danielle from Belgium plan to play hopscotch all afternoon and weekend. Ruthie first goes to her apartment to change into play clothes. Mami is there waiting with a kiss, dressed in “her clothes from Cuba” (10)—a dress and high heels. Mami feels that she, Ruthie, and Ruthie’s brother Izzie must look their best when Papi gets home. She feeds Ruthie and Izzie grilled cheese sandwiches before they return outside to play. Izzie goes to run races in the back alley with boys from the block, and Ruthie meets Danielle for hopscotch. Danielle still wears nice school clothes and her black go-go boots, which Ruthie loves. Ava and June, two “plain American girls” (12), play as well. Ruthie is the best at hopscotch because she is the strongest, and Danielle calls her “Miss Hopscotch Queen of Queens” (12). This nickname thrills Ruthie. She shares her news about moving into regular classes, happy that she’ll be spending more time with Danielle, though still wishing she had go-go boots too.

Back in the apartment for dinner, Ruthie discovers that Mami recently threw out both Ruthie’s doll and lacy dress. Ruthie wants to be strong and let go of memories of Cuba, but losing her things makes her angry and sad. The apartment is small; she and Izzie share the one bedroom, while Mami and Papi sleep on a pull-out sofa called a Castro. Ruthie notes the irony: Castro is the name of the dictator who “stole” Cuba, forcing them and many others to leave. Mami is often “weak and sad” about leaving Cuba (15). She and Ruthie complete dinner preparations together in time for Papi’s arrival while Izzie runs to change his dirty play clothes: “We are always afraid of upsetting Papi” (17). This day, however, Papi comes home with a new haircut and mustache trim, a toy car for Izzie, and new white go-go boots for Ruthie.

Papi says he does not like the dark meat in his rice and asks for a chicken breast. Mami apologizes, telling him drumsticks were cheaper. When Papi frowns and says he will eat only the rice, Mami hesitantly says Ruthie did not need new boots, as it is almost May. Papi loses his temper, pounds the table, and tells her not to question his judgment. Papa is also disgusted that Mami invited their extended family—Ruthie’s grandparents Zeide and Baba, her Aunt Sylvia, Sylvia’s husband Bill, and Sylvia and Bill’s twins Dennis and Lily, who are close in age to Izzie—for dessert. The children eat flan and the adults have Cuban coffee. When Mami mentions how the ingredients in America are not as good as those in Cuba, the family members try to rally her spirits and remind her that they are all free here. Ruthie tries to change the subject, talking about her boots and good school news. Uncle Bill tells her how lucky she is as a bright girl whose parents brought her to America. Ruthie sees Mami’s sadness and asks to take Mami’s handkerchief “to remember Cuba” (23). Mami gives it to her, promising, “No more tears, mi niña. Just a bright happy future” (23). Ruthie hopes they “can live up to her brave words” (17). 

On Saturday, Ruthie helps Mami buy groceries, translating for Mami and trying to answer her questions. When the checkout man tells Mami she is very pretty, Mami gets nervous and scared. Ruthie helps her pay and leads her from the store “as if she were a little girl lost in the woods” (27). Once home, Ruthie then helps do the laundry in the dark basement of the building, waiting for the cycle to finish so that no one steals their clothes. Finally, she goes to play hopscotch; Danielle, Ava, and June join her. She tells the girls about her new boots. When Ava and June ask why she’s not wearing them, Ruthie says she cannot get them dirty. Ava and June laugh at this, and Ruthie yells for them to be quiet. Danielle does not laugh and is understanding.

Papi arrives home in a blue Oldsmobile he just bought. He, Ruthie, and Izzie are excited by the new, flashy purchase, but Mami is very upset at the expense. As soon as she shows that she disagrees, Papi loses his temper, punches his fist into his hand, and yells that he works hard at his two jobs to support them: “So don’t you tell me I can’t have a car!” (30). Mami whispers an apology. They soon recover from the moment, kissing and hugging. Papi says they will pay for the car “poco a poco”—little by little. Ruthie and Izzie want a ride in the new car, but Papi tells them he is tired, and that they will go the next day. 

On Sunday the family goes to Staten Island to visit friends who also emigrated from Cuba, Gladys and Oscar. Zeide stays home, tired from work, but Baba comes along. In Cuba Baba and Zeide owned their own fabric business, but Castro’s government took it over. Here in America, Zeide works at a discount fabric store.

Gladys and Oscar have a baby, Rosa. Gladys and Mami mention how they miss being close neighbors as they were in Cuba, and the men remind them not to be sad. Ruthie shows off her new boots and sings, “These boots were made for walkin’” (36). Gladys and Oscar have a big, fancy house; Rosa’s room is “fit for a baby girl who’ll grow up to be a princess” (37). Gladys serves a big dinner of meatloaf, chicken croquettes, and coconut. After dinner, the men have Cuban cigars; they again mention the importance of moving on despite missing Cuba. Papi says, “It’s all gone now, anyway” (38). Finally, the family gets in the car for the trip home.

In the back seat, Ruthie lies down across Baba’s lap. Driving home, the family is in a bad automobile accident. Ruthie wakes up and no one else is in the car. One boot is missing; her “right leg is twisted weirdly” (40-41), and she cannot feel it. Papi struggles to open the car door and then pulls Ruthie out. Her leg hurts. He sets her down on the side of the road with the other family members, who are crying but only have minor injuries. A stretcher attendant in an ambulance mentions dead people and a woman “tangled up in metal” (42). He and Papi carry Ruthie on a stretcher into the ambulance. The family crowds in. Mami moans over and over, “Why didn’t we stay in Cuba” (43).

At the hospital, a doctor tells Ruthie she is lucky that she has only a broken leg. Ruthie sleeps after she gets an injection. She wakes up the next morning. A nurse tells her to call when she needs the bedpan. Soon Mami, Aunt Sylvia, and Uncle Bill come rushing in. It is Monday morning, so Papi has returned to work and Izzie to school. A doctor named Friendlich tells them Ruthie needs surgery for the “bad break to the femur” (47). The doctor realizes Ruthie wet the bed and calls for the nurse. Everyone leaves so the nurse can change the sheets. The nurse, Neala, snaps at Ruthie, telling her she must learn to control herself; she threatens to let Ruthie “lie in it” the next time she has an accident (48). Ruthie is shocked by the turn of events in her life; she asks the nurse if she hates children. The nurse thinks for a moment, then says she is angry all the time because she must leave her own sick daughter every day to support her family. She apologizes to Ruthie, offers her an ice cream sandwich, and asks kindly that Ruthie call her next time for the bedpan.

After surgery the next morning, Ruthie discovers she is in a body cast that covers both legs, her hips, and stomach. It goes up to her chest and around her back. The doctor explains that they want to prevent her legs from growing unevenly while the right leg heals. A pole holds her legs straight and apart; openings in the cast will allow Ruthie to relieve herself in a bedpan. The doctor estimates that Ruthie will be in the cast for six months. When they all go, Ruthie prays to God, promising she will be good if He makes her well again.