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CHARACTERS
CECI: the sister, 17
MISHA: the younger brother, 16
RENE: the older brother, 19
ROSA: the mother
CLAUDIO: the father
ALVARO: the cousin, 22
LYDIA: the maid
PLACE
El Paso, Texas.
TIME
The early 1970s, in winter.
ACT ONE
The living room of the Flores home. A sofa with a coffee table, its surface scratched and stiline J. An old La-Z Boy facing the TV. A stereo console *with a set of headphones attached. A door to the front porch. A darkened hallway to the bedrooms. An entry to the kitchen. In the foreground by the TV, a small mattress with pillows and stuffed animals.
At rise, Claudio slumps on the La-Z Boy watching TV. Ironing his white shirts and pants is his wife, Rosa. On the mattress lies Ceci, in sweats, a long thin scar rising from her eyebrow, disappearing hito her hairline. She lies very still. her eyes on the flickering light of the TV. After a moment, a thought comes to her, and she starts.
CECI: She touched me and I flew. Touched my fault line. And I flew. With her hand, laid holy water on my scar. And I flew on wings of glass. My body corno una bird racing with the moon on a breath of air. Flying out of range of pain, purpose, this thing we call vida, soaring into the blueness of memory, closing my eyes for the thud to come.
(She closes her eyes. Opens them.)
I wake to this. Life inside my life. No wings, no glass, no moon. Only lotería, which means bingo, which means chance, which means play. So I play the cards into view.
(She looks down at her arms and legs curling under her as a light falls on her mattress.)
A card with me printed, La Vida Cecilia, rag doll thumbing the stitching in her head, forming the words in her vegetable tongue, what happened to me, porque no puedo remember, I must remember.
(The light bears down on Claudio.)
There. A card called El Short-Order Cook. Broken man drowning in old rancheras and TV. I hear voces antiguas calling his name, Claudio, my poor papi, Claudio, in your personal winter, drowning out the will of Marni saying, "Come with...