VeronicaKruthoff

HughesEnglishComposition1
Tuesday/Thursday12:301:45

Isyourwholeschoolyourcousin
Howmanycousinsdoyouevenhave?
Youguyslookalike,areyouguyssiblings

Onadaytodaybasis,whetherIwasatschoolorwork,Iwouldreceivedozensof
commentslikethese.Growingupwithalargefamilyfeltlikeaneverendingdramawith
acollectionofstoriestotell.Italwaysfeltsonatural.Alittlebackgroundwithmyfamily
mygrandmotherhad14kids.YesIsaid14kids.Itisalotbutmostofmygrandmakids
hadaboutatleast3to4kidseach.Somefamiliesarenotinthiscircumstances.My
uncleJavierhad12kids,notasmuchasmygrandmabutformodernsocietythatsalot.
OrlikemiTioLalowhoonlyhad1kid,whenhewasstillmarried.Tiomeansunclein
spanishitispronouncedteayo.Mostofyouwhoareeitherhearingthisstoryoreven
readingthisstorymightbewondering,howmanycousinsdoesshehave?Ifyoudid
notwanttoknowwellImgoingtotellyouanyways.FromwhatIknowIhaveabout48
cousinthatImclosewithorwereclosewith.
Thetimewegettogetherthemostasafamily,isaroundthesummertimebecause
thatswhenmygrandparentscometotheUnitedStatesfromMexico.Wedontcallour
grandparentsgrandmaorgrandpaorevenabuelitaorabuelito,insteadwecallthem
MamaLupitaandPapaJose.Whoeverhadmygrandparentsattheirhousewhenthey

visited,wasthebesttimeever.Youwillgetmultiplevisitfrompeopleyouhavenotsee
inawhile,orevenpeopleyoudidntknowbutmeetingthemforthefirsttime.Every
familywouldbringsomethingoverifitwasbreadorjuiceorevenameal.Wheneverwe
hostedmygrandparentsIwishedtheyneverleftUnitedStates.Therewouldbelaughter
everydayinthehouseholdsfromtellingstoriesfromthepast.
EverymorningIwouldwakeuptothesmellofmenudo.Menudoisatraditional
mexicanmealwhichconsistsofredsaucewithcowtonguemeatmixedinwithsome
spicesandchoppedonion.Menudoisaverypopulardishwithinmyfamilyandother
Hispanicfamilies.MyUncles,likeMiTiojuan,TioLalo,TioVicowouldbringdishesto
feedmygrandparentsandourfamily.MymomandmyAuntToawouldgettogether
andsetupascheduletoseewhowoulddowhatandwhattimedependingoneveryone's
schedule.Takingcareofmygrandparentswasnothardpersay,itwasjustmygrandma
wasinawheelchairandweneededtwobodiestohelpher.Ifitwasfromliftingherup
fromthecouchtomovinghertoanotherroom.
Duringfamilypartiesallofthecousinsalwaysatetogetherandtellstories.My
siblings,MarielawhoistheeldestandAndrewwhoisthemiddlechildformyfamily
wouldalwaysbegin.
Angierememberwhenyouwerelittle,youweredancingandMiguejustcame
andknockyouoverMybrotherbroughtupthatstory.
Everyonestartedlaughing.Angieisonlyayearolderthanmeandhersiblingsare
inorderfromtheeldestLilythenherthentheyoungestRickywhoisajuniornow.We

allrememberwatchingthatvideo,thatstheonlywayweremember,wellforthebiggest
portionofmycousins.
Wewereatafamilyparty,Imustofbeenjustborn.Itwasinour
apartmentwhichwasactuallythebiggestapartmentbetweenmywholefamily.We
werecelebratingmysister'sbirthdayandyoucouldjustseepeoplelaughingandhaving
agreattime.ThenyouseemycousinAngiewhowastwirlingaroundwithherdolland
shewasgoingtowardherparentswhenmycousinranbehindherandknockherover
andjustkeptrunning.
Aftertellingacouplemorestories,mycousinCarloswhomarriedLupitawhichis
myAuntToadaughterwouldcomeuptothetableandmention,
Verorememberthefirstdayyoumetme.Whichisanicknametheycallme
withinmymexicanfamilyandacouplefriendsfromgradeschool.
Mycousinwouldstartlaughingandmysiblingswouldstartlaughingbecause
theyallrememberwhathappen.Tillthisdaytheystillbringupthatstory.Itwasmy
sister,mybrother,mycousinLupita,andme.Wewereatapark,beautifulweatherjust
likeyouseeinstorybooks.Mycousinwasbabysittingusatthattime.Iwasinfirstgrade.
Mybrothersawagangsterlookingguyashedescribeitcomingtowardsus.Heyelled
atusandsaid
youguyslet'sgetgoingagangsteriscomingtowardsus.Hewasgettinghis
baseballsandbattingbatsandtoldsustogetontopoftheslides.Mycousinlookedat
mybrotherandsaid,
Thatsmyboyfriend.

30minuteshadroughlypassedbymycousinandherboyfriendweremakingout,Iwas
ontheswingandmysisterwasplayingwithmybrother.IgouptomysisterandItold
her
HeyMaryIneedtogotothebathroom
ShetoldmycousinandweallheadedtowardsthecarItoldmycousinbecauseshewas
takingforevertosaygoodbye,
LupitaIneedtogotothebathroom
ShetoldmeIhavetoholditin,soItoldheritwastoolate.
Withmyfamilyitmightseemtoanoutsiderthatwearetheidealfamilytogrow
upwithwellthatsbecausewheneversomeonenewcomesintothefamilywehideour
problemswithinourselvesandactliketheresnothingwrong.Thereisalotofconflicts
withinthecousinsandtheadults.
MycousinChristinawhoisaroundthesameageasmysisterwhois23yearsold
andmycousinGloriawhoisaround29yearsold,theyplottedaplanatmysister's
weddingthissummer.ItwassometimeinAugustandwewereallinMilwaukeebecause
thatswheremysisterlive.Therewererumorsgoingaroundduringthereceptionthat
theywereplanningtoknockmysisteroverduringlavivoradelamar.Lavivoradela
marisatraditionalweddingeventwithmyfamilyandforthemostpartotherhispanic
familiesaswell.first,allthewomenwouldlineupholdinghandsandasthemusicplays
yourunaroundtheareagoingunderthebrideandgroomtryingtoknockthemoveras
theyheldonoppositesidetotheveil.Usuallythewomendonottrysohardonlybecause
wedonotwantthenewmarriedcoupletogethurt.AsitgoesthemusicGloriaand

Christinawouldputalltheirweightandonlytrytoknockmysisterover.Theykept
hittingharderandharderasthemusicgetmoreintenseandfaster.Oncetheyalmost
giveittheirallthemusicwasover.
Wheneverwegettogetherasafamily,forthemostparteveryonecomesexcept
foronefamilywhoispushingfurtherawayfromus.TheyreGloriasandChristinas
family.
Onesayingmymomalwaystoldmewas,
Hija,yasequeavecesnoquieresiralasfiestascontuprimas,perolasprimasno
importa.Vasafaltarlosmomentosconlafamiliaynosabesquevaapasarenlafiesta.
Ademasnisabesquienvan.
Whichbasicallytranslatesto,
Iknowyoudontwanttogotothefamilypartiesbecauseofyourcousins,butdoesnt
matteraboutyourcousins.Youregoingtomissfamilymomentsandyouneverknow
whatwillhappeninthefamilyparties.Plusyoudontevenknowwhowillgo.
Inevergotalongwithmygirlcousinswhowerearoundmyage.Iwasntlike
them.Myparentswerestricteronschoolandcurfew.Onethingthoughitwouldnever
changearewhenwegettogetherforawedding.Whenweareataweddingweleaveall
ofourbaggagesbehindandjustenjoytheweddingandcelebratingourloveones.