13
We were put to sleep hours earlier because the plane had not come in.
But now it’s time.
“Go sit by the door,” we are ordered, as the hands, the many hands that now seem to be in control, finish with us. We file out of the bedroom, one by one, and go sit on the bench where packages are set down when Mami comes in from shopping. There is much rushing around. Mister Victor comes by and pats us on the head like dogs. “We’ll have to wait a few more minutes,” he says.
In that wait, one sister has to go to the bathroom. Another wants a drink of water. I am left sitting with my baby sister, who is dozing with her head on my shoulder. I lay her head down on the bench and slip out.
Through the dark patio down the path to the back of the yard I go. Every now and then a strange figure flashes by. I have said good-bye to Liberty a dozen times already, but there is something else I have left to do.
14
Sitting on the bench, I had an image again of those two men in mirror glasses. After we are gone, they come onto the property. They smash the picture of Papi’s great-grandmother fanning herself. They knock over the things on the coffee table as if they don’t know any better. They throw the flowered cushions on the floor. They smash the windows. And then they come to the back of the property and they find Liberty.
Quickly, because I hear calling from the big house, I slip open the door of the pen. Liberty is all over me, wagging his tail so it beats against my legs, jumping up and licking my face.
“Get away!” I order sharply, in a voice he is not used to hearing from me. I begin walking back to the house, not looking around so as not to encourage him. I want him to run away before the gangsters come.
15
He doesn’t understand and keeps following me. Finally I have to resort to Mami’s techniques. I kick him, softly at first, but then, when he keeps tagging behind me, I kick him hard. He whimpers and dashes away toward the front yard, disappearing in areas of darkness, then reappearing when he passes through lighted areas. At the front of the house, instead of turning toward our secret place, he keeps on going straight down the drive, through the big gates, to the world out there.
He will beat me to the United States is what I am thinking as I head back to the house. I will find Liberty there, like Tía Mimi says. But I already sense it is a different kind of liberty my aunt means. All I can do is hope that when we come back—as Mami has promised we will—my Liberty will be waiting for me here.
Making Meanings
Liberty
First Thoughts
1. What is really happening in this story? Read between the lines (the hidden wires, the American consul’s visits, etc.), and explain the family’s situation.
Shaping Interpretations
2. The word liberty is central to this story—it’s the title, the dog’s name, and an important concept throughout. Explain how the story’s theme, or insight about life, relates to liberty.
3. Does the narrator understand what is happening to her family? How does her attitude contribute to the tone of the story? Think of three words you could use to describe the tone.
Extending the Text
4. If you’ve ever had to leave a home, what do you miss most about it? Did you ever return to it, as Mirta Ojita did when she visited Havana (see Connections)? Compare your experiences with hers.
5. Check recent news reports about people immigrating to the United States today. What are their reasons for wanting to live in the United States?