The Red Umbrella Read Online Free PDF

little farther down the block. Even in the fading twilight, I could see window curtains being pulled slightly open, and then, as Papá walked by, they were abruptly closed again. It was almost like … we were being watched.

Chapter 5
    N EW C UBAN P OLICY P LANNED BY U.S .
    — T HE D AILY I NTER L AKE , M AY 7, 1961
    I flipped through an old
Seventeen
magazine for the umpteenth time while I listened to one of my favorite Elvis records. Reading the articles about other teenage girls was one of the few benefits I could see to having taken English for so many years in school. I wished I could read a new issue, but with all of Cuba’s problems with the U.S., there was little chance I’d be seeing any new American magazines at the pharmacy.
    The sound of the doorbell broke up the monotony of the day. I tossed aside the magazine and ran downstairs.
    “¿Quién es?”
I asked at the door.
    “Soy yo, Ivette.”
    Quickly I unlocked the door and pulled my friend inside. “Thank God you’re here!” I hugged her. “Mamá and Papá have been driving me crazy!”
    Ivette smiled. “I don’t know how you’ve survived.” She grabbed my hand and twirled me around. “And look at you … a week without me and you’ve let yourself go! No ribbon around your ponytail and your nails aren’t even painted!” she teased. “We need to do something about this.”
    “Yes, please! Save me!” I giggled.
    “Lucía, who is it?” Mamá asked from the back porch.
    “It’s Ivette! We’re going to my room!” I pushed Ivette up the stairs. I wasn’t sure how Mamá would react to having Ivette here, but I wasn’t going to take any chances.
    “What’s gotten into you? I didn’t even get a chance to say hello to your mother.” Ivette plopped herself down on my bed.
    “Forget her. Let’s talk about more important things, like what you’ve been up to.”
    Ivette rummaged through the box of records that sat next to my night table. “Nothing, other than Jóvenes meetings. Here, put this one on.” She gave me a record by Celia Cruz. “And since you don’t want to join us, maybe I shouldn’t tell you what happened today.”
    “You know it’s not my choice.” I placed the record-player arm gently on the small forty-five. Music filled the room again. “I’d go if I could.”
    Ivette smiled. “Yeah, I know. I’m just teasing. And that’s exactly what Carmen was today. A big tease. She spent the whole time trying to flirt with Manuel, but hedidn’t seem to care. Trust me, she’s no competition for you.”
    “Have people asked about me?” I picked at my chipped nail polish.
    “People? You mean has Manuel asked?” Ivette leaned back on the bed, her body moving in rhythm with the song’s mix of bongo drums and the distinct hollow sound of the
claves
. “Well, I mentioned that I was coming over, and he said to make sure to tell you about the dance that Jóvenes is sponsoring at the end of the month. It’s a party for everyone who is volunteering to work with the brigades in the countryside. I think he wants to find an excuse to see you before he goes.”
    “Really?” I studied her face to make sure she was being serious. Just the thought of dancing with Manuel was enough to make my stomach do a flip.
    Ivette nodded.
    “Ooh,” I squealed, and jumped up. I ran over to my closet and threw open the doors. “What should I wear? You have to help me pick something out.”
    “You sure you can go?”
    I pulled out a pink flowered dress and draped it in front of me. I spun around to face her. “Oh, I’m going, just watch me!”
    *  *  *  *  *
    For the next couple of weeks, I did everything my parents asked without bringing up the Jóvenes meetings. From time to time, Ivette would come over and we’dlisten to music. She reassured me that eventually my parents would get used to the soldiers. She said it was like walking into a kitchen after something had burned. At first, the odor almost knocks you over, but after a