Summary

Chapter 6, “Hola Padre, Hola Madre.” The Santiago house bustles with preparations in the days before Papa comes home, Mama carefully instructing Petrona what to say, particularly making sure that she tells Papa that no-one ever calls the house, most particularly men. When Papa comes home, he and Mama greet each other in a way that Chula comments had been done for generations of the family – “Hola Padre, Hola Madre,” they say (46). Papa then collapses and sleeps heavily, snoring and exhausted after a demanding time at work and after getting drunk on the plane. His visit, Chula says, follows a regular pattern – arguments with Mama (including ripping down her Galan posters), games of different sorts with the girls, and finally a romantic evening out with Mama.

On this night, Petrona sleeps over to supervise the girls, and helps them with what had become a...