Family Lore

After ending her call with Ona, Flor worries whether or not she made the right decision to hold a living wake, as it seems to be imposing on everyone else. She reflects on Ona’s assessment that she doesn’t recognize the need for healthy boundaries. In the past, when she was young and alone at home, her cousin Nazario came to see Papá Susano. Flor invited him inside, where they talked while she prepared coffee. They discussed her older brother Samuel, who departed for New York and threw away his chance for a green card to marry his girlfriend. Nazario mentioned wanting freedom, which Flor did not understand since she liked structure. As she ate his gift of dulce de leche, she choked. He tried to help her breathe, which was when Susano came home and discovered them, misunderstanding why Nazario’s hands were on Flor. Despite their explanations, Nazario left, never to return. Flor believes she took care of herself by not chasing Nazario, even when he reached out to her when she came to New York. Likewise, she prioritizes Ona’s well-being by hiding her death.

As Pastora reviews the guest list for Flor’s wake, she remembers being sent to live with her aunt La Vieja (“The Old”) [Redacted], as an indentured relative after the incident with Doña Yokasta (Chapter 13). At first, she tried to be docile and keep up with her chores and studies—but life was made worse by La Vieja’s gift of possession by a vicious spirit. The first time she witnessed this gift, La Vieja felled her husband. As time passed, other spirits visited more frequently, and Pastora’s uncle blamed this shift on her arrival. She could not bring herself to confide in her family and began to hate her mother. She consulted a santero (a person who makes religious images) for a spell, but his oil did not protect her. In the end, it was Flor who saved Pastora. She visited on her way to the convent, and though Pastora felt ashamed, she met with Flor, who helped her escape. When they arrived at the convent, Nun Aunt tried to turn Pastora away, but she remained. When La Vieja arrived three days later, Flor used her position to make her leave. Two days later, the sisters’ father retrieved them.

In an interview with Ona, Pastora speaks of older generations’ devotion. She believes Flor was the only one who truly accepted her, other than her husband Manuelito. However, she dulled her edges for the heartbroken Yadi when Ant was imprisoned. Pastora doesn’t know how she will cope with Flor’s departure.

As Ona’s class comes to an end, she takes pride in her lecture. One of her best students, Caridad, tells her that she is taking a leave of absence and will possibly drop out. She is pregnant and will be returning to the Dominican Republic to marry her baby’s father. Ona does not take the news well and projects her own struggle with pregnancy onto Caridad. A disgruntled Caridad leaves, and Ona is left considering the cost of pursuing success in academia. She remembers visiting the Caribbean Studies colloquium after her vaginal surgery and feeling unmoored in her research. She reunited with Soraya after nearly 15 years apart. They spent hours catching up, and Ona expressed her struggle with finding new material to research. Soraya told her to look to her own family for inspiration. Ona was tempted to spend the night with her but ultimately decided against it. In the present, Ona leaves for Yadi’s shop to help with customers. Later, she notices Yadi has been crying, and they talk about Ant’s return. Ona worries for Yadi’s mental health and advises her to stay away from past loves—which she rebuffs.

When Ona arrives at Flor’s house, she finds her trying on two potential dresses for her wake. As Flor asks for Ona’s opinion regarding her crimson and royal blue dresses, Ona subtly questions the nature of her death—but is rebuffed.

Pastora is rearranging new stock when a pregnant woman comes to the clothing store. She recognizes her as Rafa’s pregnant mistress, and when the woman asks to use the bathroom, Pastora refuses. The woman then asks for water, and Pastora refuses her again. She finally reveals Rafa has a wife, but the woman already knows. Pastora is furious and remembers telling Mamá Silvia about Matilde’s broken marriage. However, Silvia argued Matilde had to respect her vows, that she knew better than to bring shame to the family like Pastora. She then instructed the pregnant Pastora to send Yadi to her when the time came. In the present, Pastora finishes her shift after Rafa’s mistress leaves. As she crosses the street, she overhears that a pregnant woman got into an accident. Pastora slides to the ground in shock.

As Ona leaves Flor’s house, she remembers her first trip to the Dominican Republic, where she stayed with Pastora and Yadi. She would often lay in the yard, and one day, a boy named Daniel came and called her “Bella Durmiente” (“Sleeping Beauty”)—which irked her. He ran away when Pastora came, but returned to visit Ona regularly. One day, Camila brought Ona to the hotel she (and previously, Matilde) worked at as a manager. When called away, she left Ona at the hotel pool. When too much time passed, Ona searched for her aunt and found her in a room, undressed with signs of pregnancy—with another manager. Camila sent her away, both of them keeping the incident a secret. The next day, Ona grabbed Daniel’s hand and forced it into her underwear.

Camila ponders how different her life is compared to her sisters’, how forgotten she is. She sets a table for their evening together and feels she has something to prove. She remembers Pastora talking to their mother about Matilde’s marriage. Pastora wanted to take Camila to the city, but their older mother insisted on keeping Camila with her. As Camila went to wash clothes in a river, she was watched by one of Doña Yokasta’s sons, the same one who’d gotten Pastora in trouble years ago (Chapter 7). Though married, he made advances towards Camila. When she rebuffed him, he claimed she owed him, that he owned her since her father worked for his family when he was alive. Before he could force himself on her, Mamá Silvia dropped boiling water on him, and she and Camila ran away. Silvia decided Camila was to marry in the city because Doña Yokasta’s family had already cost her a daughter (Pastora). Using her network, she had Camila wed a man named Washington before Doña Yokasta’s son could kill them. In her comparatively wealthy life, Camila found herself unoccupied. Weeks passed, and she and Washington had yet to consummate their marriage. Still, they developed a bond, and when she became pregnant through her affair (Chapter 25), he accepted the child as his own. Eventually, they moved to New York. In the present, Matilde arrives, soon followed by Flor. Camila tries to use her gift for brewing to improve Flor’s health, but no solution comes to her. When Pastora arrives, still in shock (Chapter 24), Camila makes a tonic to calm her.

In an interview with Ona, Camila explains she adorns herself with luxurious items from the natural world because they heal her. She’d always wanted a doll when she was a child, and eventually, Mamá Silvia gave her one made of scavenged items. Despite its appearance, this effort became Camila’s definition of love. She has kept the doll and wants it buried with her when she dies.