| February
14, 2004
A Typical
Californio Boy (Chapter 6)*
By Manuel
Hernandez/HispanicVista.com
The professor was
named after his great-grandfather, but
everyone called him Manny. Emmanuel
arrived to New York City in 1915, a
stowaway on a steamboat that traveled
between Ponce and New York. From New York
City, he moved to Tarrytown. It was a
quiet, peaceful town, he heard, and after
being abandoned by his parents in a
treacherous and near steamboat wreck
episode in the New York City port, he
decided to escape from the big city life.
Tarrytown is small
but rich in history and pride. It is
known for the setting of Washington
Irving’s legendary stories, Sleepy
Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. In Tarrytown,
Manny worked in a farm at the Sandfeller
Estate. The caretaker of the estate
noticed Manny’s love and ability to
take care of the animals, and one day
offered to teach him to read and write.
His great-grandfather had read poetry to
him as a child, and he felt this
opportunity was sent for him from heaven.
In six months, Manny was reading and
writing.
His interest grew,
and his caretaker bought more and more
books for him to read. He devoured the
classics but especially liked Shaw, Milton
and Shakespeare. In two years time, Manny
decided he wanted to become a teacher.
There were many newly arrived immigrants
in the area, and The Sandfellers’
wanted him to educate them. It was only
appropriate to formerly school them, they
argued.
Whenever Manny got
carried away in class, he spoke about how
the leaves in Tarrytown turned rainbow
colors in the fall, how the flowers lit
up the schoolyard in the spring and how
the snow enlightened Asbury park like a
blanket in winter. He loved Tarrytown,
but it wasn’t Tarrytown what most
intrigued Joey about his professor. There
was something about him. He always looked
at you as if he knew what you were going
through. His eyes had an in-depth shine
that he had never seen before.
Joey walked
nervously the full scope of his professor’s
office. After walking back and forth for
what seemed an eternity, he sat down.
Manny was talking to another student, and
he told him to wait in his office. The
minutes passed, and Joey started to
sweat. Just when he thought his nerves
would run out of their course, Manny
walked in the office:
“Hi Joey,
how can I help?”
“Well, it’s
a long and complicated story.”
“I’m all
ears.”
“I’m in
deep, Manny.”
“Deep is good.”
He said with astonishing calmness.
“Well, I don’t
know how to explain. It all began when I
met Alma.”
Joey went on to
explain the conflict. (See chapter 4).
Manny listened. Joey had big plans for
his life with Alma in Puerto Rico. He
wanted to have a family, children and
intended to go back to school, and he
wanted Alma to study too. After a half an
hour, Manny answered:
“I know someone
who shows compassion and love for those
in need. It’s a dazzling light that
will guide you along the way. You talk a
lot about your “wants”. But
have you ever sat down to think what
others want or need. The worst thing you
can do right now is run away from it all.
First thing you gotta do is accept the
Light and let it provide the wisdom you
are looking for.”
At this point, Joey broke down. He cried
and Manny got closer and hugged him. Joey
had never received a hug from his father
in his life.
Manuel Hernandez, a
contributing columnist to
HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com),
lives in Puerto Rico where he teaches
school. He has a B.A. and MA Teaching
English. He is a candidate for a PhD. He
has just published a textbook titled,
Latino/a Literature in The
English Classroom (Editorial Plaza
Mayor, 2003). For more information,
e-mail him at mannyh32@puertoricans.com
.
*(Chapter one: http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/121203hernandez.htm)
(Chapter two http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/122603hernandez.htm)
(Chapter three: http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/011004hernandez.htm)
(Chapter four: http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/011704hernandez.htm)
(Chapter five: http://www.hispanicvista.com/html4/012404hernandez.htm)
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