Authors: Mayra Lazara Dole
Tags: #Juvenile Fiction, #Social Issues, #Homosexuality, #Lgbt
“Me too!”
“You two sure know how to keep a secret!” Soli blasts.
We all get into the groove of the music. Gisela undulates her hips, turns, and moves around me with arms graceful as a butterfly.
I grab Tazer’s arm and pull him to us. Viva joins Soli, Gisela, Tazer and me in a dance by the wall I painted of her and her favorite saint, Santa Barbara. They’re floating in neon-pink lounge chairs on aqua blue ocean waves, wearing small, square tangerine-colored sunglasses, and eating grapes.
While on tippy-toes, Viva wiggles her bootie out of control. “I no tell Soli that it was Giselita you be seeing. I wanted her to be surprised.”
“Sneaks!” Soli laughs.
I tell them in full detail what went down at my mom’s, then pull Tazer closer to me. “I’ll hang with you in the streets now. Sorry I was so dense to not have done that before. Will you ever forgive me?”
“No apologies. I totally get it. Tomorrow, we’re hitting the town!”
An intense emotion takes hold of me as I wrap myself in Viva’s and Soli’s arms. “I love you guys. You’re my family.”
Viva’s smile glistens in the dim light of the living room. “You is my little daughter, Shylita. Your mami will come around. You will see,
mariposita
.”
“Sisters for life,” Soli remarks.
I glance out the window and see the humidity fog begin to lift. I look at all my friends and Gisela’s smile and feel a fog lifting from me, too.
A mild breeze with the smell of rain fills the room. I feel warm and deeply loved. This is where I belong. Finally, I feel understood and loved, right down to the bone.
Glossary of Cuban Pronunciations
Abuela
\ah-boo-eh’-la\ grandmother
Apartamento
\ah-par-tah-men’-to\ apartment
¡Ave María!
\ah-veh mah-ree’-ah\ Cuban exclamation similar to “Holy Mary!”
¡Ave María Purísima!
\ah-veh mah-ree’-ah poo-ree’-see-mah\ Cuban exclamation similar to “Holy mother of God!”
¡Ay!
\i\ oh!
¡Ay, Dios mio!
\i, or ah’-e dee-os’ me’-o\ oh, my God!
Ay, gracias a Dios
\i, or ah’e grah’-see-ahs ah dee-os’\ oh, thank God
¡Ay, madre mía!
\i, or ah’-e’ mah’-dreh mee’-ah’\ Cuban saying similar to “Oh, my goodness!”
Ay, mi madre
\i, or ah’-e’ me mah’-dreh\ Cuban saying similar to “Oh, my goodness ”
¡Ay, Santa María madre de Dios!
\i or ah’-e sahn’-tah mah-ree’-ah mah’-dreh deh de-dee-os’\ oh, holy mother of God!
Balsa
\bahl’-sah\ raft
¡Bárbaro!
\bar’-bah-ro\ Cuban saying similar to “Fantastic!”
Barrio
\bar’-re-o\ Latino neighborhood
Bella
\bel’-lyah\ Beautiful
Bene
fine, in Italian
Besito
\beh-see’-toh\ little kiss
Bocadito
\bo-cah-dee’-toh\ finger-food, appetizers
Bolero
\bo-leh’-ro\ a Spanish dance and musical rhythm
Caca
\cah’-cah\ poop
Cacharro
\cah-char’-ro\ old jalopy
Cafecito
\cah-feh-see’-toh\ Cuban espresso shots
Café-con-leche
\cah-feh’ cone leh’-cheh\ Cuban breakfast drink of espresso, milk, and sugar
Caldo
\cahl’-do\ broth
Caliente
\cah-lee-en’-teh\ hot
Casquito de guayaba
\cas-kee’-to deh goo-ah-ya’-bah\ guava in light caramel
Cebollitas
\seh-boh-yee’-tahs\ fried onions
Cha-cha-cha
sensual Latin dance with complicated rhythms
Chica
\chee’-cah\ Cuban saying for “girl,” literally means “A little girl”
Chorizo
\cho-ree’-soh\ sausage. Cuban slang for “penis”
Churro
\choo’-roh\ long, deep-fried doughnuts with sugar coating
Claves
\clah’-veh\ Latino musical “sticks” that keeps the rhythmic timing in beats for the band
Comemierda!
\co-meh-me-err’-dah\ Cuban slang/obscenity with similar meaning to “Asshole!” literally means, “Shit eater”
Come stai?
Italian for “How are you?”
Croqueta de pollo
\cro-keh’-tah deh poh’-yo\ chicken croquettes
Croquetica
\cro-keh-tee’-ca\ little croquette
Degenerada
\deh-heh-neh-rah’-da\ degenerate
Descargamos
\des-car-gah’-mohs\ we jam (as in a “jam” session with a band)
¡Dios mío!
\de-os’ mee’-o\ my God!
Elefantico
\eh-leh-fan-tee’-co\ little elephant
El hijo de puta
\el ee’-ho deh-poo’-tah\ the son of a bitch
El mes que viene
\el mess’ keh ve-eh’-ne\ next month
Empanada de carne
\em-pa-nah’-dah deh car’-neh\ meat pies
Enamorada
\eh-nah-mo-rah’-dah\ in love
Espiritu y santo
\es-pee’-re-to ee sanh’-toh\ spirits and saints
¿Estàs loca?
\es-tah’s lo’-cah\ are you crazy?
Fabuloso
\fah-boo-loh’-so\ fabulous
Factoría
\fac-to-ree’-ah\ Cuban slang for “factory”
¡Fantástico!
\fan-tahs’-tee-coh\ fantastic!
¡Feliz Cumpleanos!
\feh-lees’ coom-pleh-ah’-nyos\ happy birthday!
Flan
\flahn\ a custard-like dessert
Fricasé
\free-cah-seh’\ fricassee
Fricasé de pollo
\free-cah-seh’-deh-po’-yo\ chicken fricassee
Frijoles
\free-hoh’-les\ beans
Fuiqui-fuiqui
Cuban slang for sounds bed springs make when a couple is having sex
Gracias
\grah’-see-ahs\ thank you
¡Gracias, Dios!
\grah’-see-ahs dee-os’\ thank you, God!
Guarapo
\goo-ah-ra’-po\ cane juice
Guayabera
\goo-ah-yah-beh’-rah\ a man’s shirt popular in Cuba and Latin America. It has four front pockets and two vertical lines of alforzas (ten vertical pleats that pass from above the top pockets down to the bottom of the shirt)
Hasta luego
\ahs’-tah-loo-eh’-go\ goodbye
Hola
\oh’-lah\ hello
Hola, mariposita
\oh’-lah mah-re-po’-see-tah\ hello little butterfly
Invertida
\in-ver-tee’-dah\ inverted, twisted, a derogatory slang Cuban word meaning “dyke” (
tortillera
)
Jamon y queso
\hah-mohn’ ee keh’-soh\ ham and cheese
Jesucristo
\heh-soo-crees’-toh\ Jesus Christ
Jugo de melocotón
\hoo’-go deh meh-lo-co-tohn’\ peach juice
Jugo de naranja
\hoo’-go deh nah-rahn’-hah\ orange juice
La chiquitica más linda del mundo
\lah chee-kee-tee’-cah mahs leen’-dah dehl moon’-doh\ The prettiest little girl in the whole world
La familia
\lah fah-mee’-le-ah\ the family
La jungla cubana
\lah hoon’-glah coo-bah’-nah\ the Cuban jungle
La luna
\lah loo’-nah\ the moon
La semana que viene
\lah seh-mah’-nah keh vee-eh’-neh\ next week
La Virgencita María
\lah veer’-hen-see’-tah mah-ree’-ah\ the Virgin Mary
Limonada
\lee-mo-nah’-dah\ lemonade
Machaso
\mah-chah’-soh\ macho man
Malta
\mahl’-tah\ non-alcoholic malt drink
Mamey
\mah-may’\ reddish orange sweet custard-tasting fruit in the shape of a small football with thick brown skin
¡Mami, por favor, por favor!
\mah-mee’ por fah-vohr’\ mami, please, please!
Mandarina
\man-dah-ree’-nah\ mandarin
Mañana
\mah-nyah’-nah\ tomorrow
Mano
\mah’-no\ literally means “hand,” Cuban slang for “man.” Example “No man! Hey man!”
¡Maravilloso!
\mah-ra-vee-yo’soh\ marvelous!
Maricón
\mah-ree-con’\ “Fag” or “Queer”
¡Maricónes de mierda!
\mah-ree-co’-nes day me-err’-dah\ full of shit faggots!
Mariposita
\mah-ree-po’-see’-tah\ little butterfly
Mariquita
\mah-ree-kee’-tah\ literally means “plantain chips,” Cuban slang for, “sissy”
Medianoche
\meh’dee-ah-no’-cheh\ literally means “midnight.” Cuban sandwich made with sweet Cuban bread, spread with mayonnaise and mustard to which ham, pork, Swiss cheese, and dill pickle slices are added
Mercado
\mer-cah’-do\ market
Merengue
\meh-ren’-geh\ the joyful, lively music and dance from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic
Merenguito
\meh-ren’-gee-toh\ a confection of sugar and egg whites
Mijita
\mee’-hee-tah\ term of endearment meaning “My little girl”
Mijito
\mee’-hee-to\ term of endearment meaning “My little boy”
Mis santos
\mees-sahn’-tohs\ my saints
Moi
French for “me”
Muchachita
\moo-chah’-chee’-tah\ term of endearment meaning “Young girl”
Mucho
\moo’-choh\ a lot, a great deal
Muy caliente
\moo’-e cah-lee-en’-teh\ very hot
¡Niña!
\nee’-nyah\ literally means “Girl!” An exclamation of horror, “oh, my God, young girl!”
No hablo ingles
\no ah’-bloh een-gles’\ I don’t speak English
¿
Oigo?
\oy’-go\ Hello
Orisha
\o-ree’-shah\ a spirit that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Yoruba religion
Oye
\o’-yeh\ Hey
Oye, chica
(o’yeh chee’-ca) hey girl!
Papa rellena
\pah’-pah reh-yeh’-nah\ stuffed potatoes
Papi
\pah’-pee\ dad
Pastelitos
\pas-teh-leel’tohs\ puffed pastries
Pastelitos de guayaba
\pas-teh-lee’tohs deh goo-ah-yah’-bah\ guava pastries
Pastelitos de queso
\pas-teh-lee’tohs deh keh’-so\ cheese pastries
Pendeja
\pen-deh’-ha\ pendejo literally means “pubic hair,” Cuban slang for “chicken,” or wimp
Pero
\peh’-ro\ but
Pero mijita
\peh’-ro mee’-he-tah\ but girl . . .
Piñata
\peen-nyah’-tah\ jar or pot ornamented with fancy paper and filled with candy, hung from ceiling. Children pull its string to break it and get the candies
Pipi
\pee-pee’\ pee
Plástica
\plahs’-tee-cah\ plastic
Platanito maduro
\plah’-tah-nee’-toh mah-doo’-ro\ fried sweet plantains
Promesa
\pro-meh’-sah\ promise
Pulpo
\pool’-po\ octopus
Por favor
\por fah-vor’\ please
Puerco asado
\poo-err’-co a-sah’-do\ Pork
Qué bueno
\keh boo-eh’-no\ that’s great
¡Qué cosa más grande la vida
\keh co’-sah mahs grahn’deh lah vee’-dah\ Cuban saying for, “unbelievable!”
Qué delicioso
\keh deh-lee-see-oh’-so\ how delicious
Qué horrible
\keh or-ree’-bleh) how horrible
Qué loca
\keh lo’-cah\ what a nutcase
Qué pasa, calabaza
\keh pah’sah cah-lah-bah’-sah\ what’s up pumpkin?
Qué rico
\keh ree’-co\ how delicious
Quince
\Keen’-seh\ coming of age party given to a Latina girl when she turns fifteen
Rumba
\room’-bah\ Cuban percussive song and dance
Salsa
\sahl’-sah\ a diverse and predominantly Caribbean dance and latin music
Salsita
\sahl-see’-tah\ sauce
Santa Barbara, por favor, por favor
\sahn’-tah bar’-bah-rah por-fah-vor’\ Saint Barbara, please, please
Santería
\sahn-teh-ree’-ah\ religion combining African and Catholic elements
Santero
\sahn-teh’-roh\ a person who’s been initiated as an Orisha priest and is entitled to work with spirits and Orishas