Free Adrian Del Valle - Diego's Brooklyn by Adrian Del Valle Page A

yourself this semester. We’re pushing you up a grade. That means you will be starting your junior year in high school next September. I’ll talk to you about that later. Right now I have to say something to the good folks out there…so straighten up.”
    “Eh, ehem…” Squeel! Sqreeeech! Tap! Tap! Tap! “I’d like to say to everyone sitting in this audience that even a once troubled student like Diego Rivera can benefit from the expertise of a well trained staff that has…and so we here at P.S. 6 have strived to…and through diligent follow up and a hard line, turned a failing student around…and finally, Mr. Rivera, thank you so much for all of your hard work. Here’s your award.” Shake…shake. “You may sit down.”
    Let’s all give a wonderful hand to Diego Rivera. And thank you everyone for coming today to a most fruitful and produ…”
    Bill grimaced. “That man near broke his arm pattin’ himself on the back.”

    “A block party for me? I don’t believe it.”
    “Sho ‘nough is,” Beulah said to Diego, with a giggle. “Ah was ‘spectin’ to jus’ come over to visit with you and yo’ momma with some fried chicken and sweet taters. This here is all Mista Richards doin’.
    A police barricade with a permit stapled to it prevented cars from entering the block. A hand painted banner hanging from it read:
    Congratulations Diego
    The Whiz Kid from Dean St.
    Lots of Luck in High School
    Next September
    A table in the street was filled with food. A stack of ham a foot high, courtesy of Mr. Herzog, sat in the middle. Alongside, is a stack each of salami, roast beef, potato salad, pickles, loaves of Wonder Bread and Levi’s Rye.
    Mrs. D’avino stayed up late the night before baking everybody’s favorite, meat balls and trays of lasagna.
    Karen and Ana cooked up a pot of gandules with yellow rice over Karen’s stove. They also baked a couple of chickens to go along with that and lots of brownies topped with confectioner’s sugar. Three pitchers of different flavors of Kool Aid were made and placed nearby.
    Kids played Johnny on the Pony, while others whacked a volley ball over an improvised net. A little earlier, Mr. Herzog had set up a phonograph with speakers. “Tequila”, by the Ventures, a favorite, enlivened the neighbors enough for a few to start dancing.
    Diego could not believe that this was all for him. “Say Bill, did you have a hand in this?”
    “Bill looked up at the roof. “Wale, I…?”
    “He sho did,” said Beulah. “He went and had a little talk with that assembly man fella, that’s what he did, dintcha, Mr. Jackson?”
    “Wale, I…, it wern’t nothin’. Mr. Richards did it all. Spoke to his good friend Herzog at the Deli. He be the one that put all o’ this here together. Spoke to the De-vinas, too…and the po-leece. I’ll tell you, that Mista Richards feller sho knows ever’body.”
    Walking toward them was Louie, his wife Yolanda and their two teenage girls, Lucy and Rosalinda. Fat Tony was around somewhere, busy at the moment hunting down his kids.
    “Hey, yo, what’re you doing way over there? Where’s your mother, Diego?”
    Diego answered from the other end of the table. “Hi Louie, home…her hip…you know.”
    “Nah! that ain’t no good. She ought a be out here with you. Let’s go get her. You and me, whaddya say? She shouldn’t be alone in the house like that.”
    Ana, sitting in a chair next to the window, looked up when Louie entered with Diego. “Louie, come in, sientate.”
    “Whaddya sittin’ by the window for, Ana? Come down with us,” said Louie. “We’re here to bring you to da party.”
    “Oh, no, please! I’m no look so good.”
    “Your fine like that. Nice dress by the way.”
    Ana self conscientiously closed the collar. “My house dress? No…thees is a rag.”
    “Nonsense, Ana. You look great.”
    “Mom, stop fighting, please. Do it for me?”
    “Caramba! Okay, fine! Are ju going to help me down dee steps? I cannot