Read Online The Maldonado Miracle by Theodore Taylor - Free Book Online
Authors: Theodore Taylor
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Jose noticed a secretive smile on Giron's face. Suddenly, the teacher nudged him. "In here," he said. They turned into a large store.
"It's like a department store, but it's really a pharmacy," Giron said, as they went through a turnstile.
He paused a moment, looking around. He had the air of the officials who sometimes drove down from Ensenada to inspect finished road work, Jose thought. They always held their noses up high.
There weren't many customers this early. The clerks were busy stocking shelves and dusting them. Everything from candy and toys to canvas chairs and fishing rods was on sale. In the back of the store was a
farmacia
counter.
Stopping by one counter, Giron said, "Ah, hah, here we are." All sorts of razors, the straight kind, the safety kind, and the ones with motors on them, were being sold. In front of one variety was a sign: "Free Demonstration." Jose translated,
Demostration Gratis.
Some words in English were very close to Spanish.
Giron cleared his throat importantly and picked up the electric razor. It whirred over his chin. Eyebrows raised, he studied the path of the razor in a small mirror on the counter. He was acting like a
Numero Uno,
a "Number One," customer.
"Will you buy it?"
"Not at all." Giron grinned.
When he had finished shaving, he placed the razor down thoughtfully, inspected his face, grunted approval, and said, "Come along, we have other things to do here."
At another counter there was a rack of small bottles with rubber bulbs on top. Giron looked them over and lifted one off. He said, "I am pretending I am Cantinflas." Pointing the bulb toward his face, he squeezed it.
Jose stifled a laugh. The clerk was only a few feet away. Perfume was heavy in the air. Giron shot a squirt toward Jose.
The clerk said, "Now, mister."
Giron replaced the bottle and bowed slightly.
On the way out, he said, "See, I told you how many things are free in this country." They left the drugstore, laughing as if they'd defeated the entire American Army.
"Now, we will attack a supermarket," Giron said.
They began searching for one, pausing once in front of an automobile place. The shining cars, doors invitingly open, stood on deep red carpets. Giron said, "If we were not just on holiday, we would go inside and I would say, "I am Rafael Giron, a millionaire from Los Angeles, and I am thinking of buying a new car.' They would give us a Cadillac, of course, and we would drive round and round. Then we'd go back, and I'd say, "I don't like this one, how about that one?'"
They found a Safeway and sampled a cheese dip. The next store wasn't so generous, but at a third one a lady in a pink apron was serving small cups of a new chocolate drink. Giron raved over it in Spanish until the woman's mouth dropped. They got a free yardstick in a hardware store and a free balloon in a shoe store. And each time they came out they burst into laughter.
Then Giron led Jose up and down several streets until they came to a small store that had a palette on the window. It was an art supply store. Easels and tubes of paint and wooden mannequins were on display.
Giron nodded. "Let's go in."
The store was crammed with canvasses, frames, tubes of paint, art books and things that Jose had never seen.
At the counter, Giron said, "All right, you're the expert. Tell me what you need to start painting. But be reasonable."
"I don't know,
señor.
" Just looking around would have been enough. Jose found it hard to think.
Giron asked the woman at the counter and she began putting tubes in front of them. Giron held one up. "Grumbacher's Finest Zinc White. Is this all right?"
Jose nodded.
"And how about some Cadmium Yellow, Pale?"
Jose nodded again.
"And some Thalo Yellow, Green."
Jose said, "
Señor
Giron..."
Giron laughed. "Cadmium Red, Deep. I've never heard of these colors."
"Neither have I."
The saleswoman put four more out, along with two brushes and six small mounted canvasses.
"It is too much," Jose
"It's like a department store, but it's really a pharmacy," Giron said, as they went through a turnstile.
He paused a moment, looking around. He had the air of the officials who sometimes drove down from Ensenada to inspect finished road work, Jose thought. They always held their noses up high.
There weren't many customers this early. The clerks were busy stocking shelves and dusting them. Everything from candy and toys to canvas chairs and fishing rods was on sale. In the back of the store was a
farmacia
counter.
Stopping by one counter, Giron said, "Ah, hah, here we are." All sorts of razors, the straight kind, the safety kind, and the ones with motors on them, were being sold. In front of one variety was a sign: "Free Demonstration." Jose translated,
Demostration Gratis.
Some words in English were very close to Spanish.
Giron cleared his throat importantly and picked up the electric razor. It whirred over his chin. Eyebrows raised, he studied the path of the razor in a small mirror on the counter. He was acting like a
Numero Uno,
a "Number One," customer.
"Will you buy it?"
"Not at all." Giron grinned.
When he had finished shaving, he placed the razor down thoughtfully, inspected his face, grunted approval, and said, "Come along, we have other things to do here."
At another counter there was a rack of small bottles with rubber bulbs on top. Giron looked them over and lifted one off. He said, "I am pretending I am Cantinflas." Pointing the bulb toward his face, he squeezed it.
Jose stifled a laugh. The clerk was only a few feet away. Perfume was heavy in the air. Giron shot a squirt toward Jose.
The clerk said, "Now, mister."
Giron replaced the bottle and bowed slightly.
On the way out, he said, "See, I told you how many things are free in this country." They left the drugstore, laughing as if they'd defeated the entire American Army.
"Now, we will attack a supermarket," Giron said.
They began searching for one, pausing once in front of an automobile place. The shining cars, doors invitingly open, stood on deep red carpets. Giron said, "If we were not just on holiday, we would go inside and I would say, "I am Rafael Giron, a millionaire from Los Angeles, and I am thinking of buying a new car.' They would give us a Cadillac, of course, and we would drive round and round. Then we'd go back, and I'd say, "I don't like this one, how about that one?'"
They found a Safeway and sampled a cheese dip. The next store wasn't so generous, but at a third one a lady in a pink apron was serving small cups of a new chocolate drink. Giron raved over it in Spanish until the woman's mouth dropped. They got a free yardstick in a hardware store and a free balloon in a shoe store. And each time they came out they burst into laughter.
Then Giron led Jose up and down several streets until they came to a small store that had a palette on the window. It was an art supply store. Easels and tubes of paint and wooden mannequins were on display.
Giron nodded. "Let's go in."
The store was crammed with canvasses, frames, tubes of paint, art books and things that Jose had never seen.
At the counter, Giron said, "All right, you're the expert. Tell me what you need to start painting. But be reasonable."
"I don't know,
señor.
" Just looking around would have been enough. Jose found it hard to think.
Giron asked the woman at the counter and she began putting tubes in front of them. Giron held one up. "Grumbacher's Finest Zinc White. Is this all right?"
Jose nodded.
"And how about some Cadmium Yellow, Pale?"
Jose nodded again.
"And some Thalo Yellow, Green."
Jose said, "
Señor
Giron..."
Giron laughed. "Cadmium Red, Deep. I've never heard of these colors."
"Neither have I."
The saleswoman put four more out, along with two brushes and six small mounted canvasses.
"It is too much," Jose
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