Read Online Ana of California by Andi Teran - Free Book Online Page A

as he plucked the highest part of the bush.
    Ana began to pick faster per Rolo’s not so subtle suggestion, but she was glad Vic had told him to shut his mouth. The two men mumbled to each other in Spanish. It had been a while, but Ana understood parts of what they were saying. Some words or phrases were more audible than others, but there were certain ones she’d heard again and again over the years, especially the ones uttered bemusedlyby Rolo—“
ay, ay, ay
”—which she wasn’t sure was said in jest or if his part of the blackberry bush had thorns. Vic remained quiet, chiming in every now and then, telling them to get back to work, said in English for Ana’s benefit.
    â€œ
¿
Listos?
” Rolo asked, walking over to Vic to see if he was finished.
    Vic threw a few more berries into his own modest haul before turning to Ana.
    â€œDone?” he asked from under the brim of an old straw cowboy hat.
    â€œI think so. I mean, they’re a little more than half full like Manny said, but that’s what I’m supposed to do right?”
    â€œ
No sé, bebe,
” Rolo said, his face contorting into something that reminded Ana of a hippopotamus clown, cherubic and inflated with a wide grin full of tiny teeth. “You good,
chiquita.
”
    â€œ
Vamos,
let’s go,” Vic said.
    Ana followed a few steps behind them through the fields, the morning’s sunshine beginning to warm her shoulders. Her stomach somersaulted at the thought of lunch and, even though she was still desperate to sample a few of the blackberries strapped to her waist, she took a swig from the water bottle instead. Rolo continued to antagonize Vic, taunting him in Spanish, mock inspecting his coffee cans, and taking a tone of voice she imagined was his version of Manny. They reminded her of a cartoon comedy duo, much like the one she used to watch as a child that featured a skinny Chihuahua and a fat cat who got into all kinds of outrageous mischief. She wondered where these men came from, how long they’d been working on the farm, and if they had families of their own. Her mind flitted to even more comedyduos, Bert and Ernie, Tom and Jerry, Cheech and Chong, who had been her parents’ favorite, and she decided that Vic and Rolo were worthy of their own show set on a farm and starring a squealing pig and eye-rolling chicken.
    Manny waved as they approached the packing station.
    â€œHow’d it go?” he asked, though Ana was unsure to whom he was speaking.
    â€œFine, I think,” she said as Rolo hoisted his cans onto the table with a heavy thud.
    Manny gave Rolo a look before scolding him in Spanish, his voice light yet stern.
    â€œThis is a lesson in what not to do,” Manny said. “Nothing but a show-off.”
    Rolo smirked as Manny and Vic patted his back, picking on him in Spanish. He seemed to blush, she noticed, and then gave a thumbs-up to what he deemed a perfectly unblemished batch of berries, even though he’d picked too many. Another man, older than the rest and dressed in an oddly formal buttoned-up shirt, sorted through Vic’s berries. It was the same man who had rescued Abbie’s gardening hat. He caught her staring.
    â€œ
Hola,
” he said. “
Me llamo René.
”
    â€œAna,” she responded. “
Mucho gusto y gracias.
” The gardening hat slid down her forehead as she tipped it toward him. She watched as he put all of the perfect blackberries into multiple plastic containers, packing and closing them with a delicate hand. Manny tossed the empty coffee cans back to Rolo and Vic, who slung them over their shoulders and walked over to the wooden fence to lean up against it, Rolo resting one hand on his rotund belly in triumphant satisfaction.
    â€œAna, let’s take a look,” Manny said, beckoning her over.He and René went through her berries, removing quite a few of them. “Not bad, especially for your first