Summary

In the first section of “Hand in His Pocket,” the Narrator has a few weeks of school left when his parents have to leave the area for another harvest. They leave the Narrator with Don Hilario and Dona Bonafacia, a couple who have a home in the Narrator’s school district. Everyone likes Don Hilario and Dona Bonafacia though there are some rumors about a “bad side” to the couple. They often have items for sale and when people don’t have money, they sometimes give their items away. Those items include food, toys, clothes, and shoes. The Narrator soon realizes that the bad rumors about the couple are entirely true. They sometimes cook rancid meat for the Narrator and he eats it rather than hurting their feelings. One day he sees Don Hilario kneading the dough for sweet bread. Occasionally...