Status Updates From Barefoot Dreams of Petra Lu...

"Perhaps, despite the revolution or my bare feet, the stars
above weren’t all too distant."

“Petra, I know you mean well,” said Abuelita. Her tone had softened.
“But dreams like yours are barefoot dreams. They’re like us barefoot
peasants and indios—they’re not meant to go far. Be content with what you have.”

“You’re trying to change who you are, and that’ll drive you crazy,” said
Abuelita. “Accept things as they are. Besides, knowing to write your name
is a lot more than your mamá, your papá, or I ever knew.”

"'“My mamá says you’re a pretty girl,' said Adeline.
I lowered my eyes as warmness flushed through me. My dark skin and
almond eyes had offended people many times. It was nice to be seen
differently."

"I was sure she meant what would happen after the church, but I didn’t want to think about it. Not right now. I wanted to keep chatting, to keep learning. I wanted to, for a moment, forget all my pain and anguish. My day with Adeline had been like a sweet siesta, and I refused to be awoken."

"“My mamá told me that when good, hardworking people have
dreams, it’s always nice to help make them come true.'"

"She told me stories she’d read
about an orphan girl who lived with two evil sisters and another about a
princess who’d been poisoned with an apple. I shared stories about
Huitzilopochtli, the hummingbird of the south, who guided our ancestors
through the wilderness to build Tenochtitlan, and about my favorite, Tlaloc,
the supreme god of rain.""

"Adeline continued to talk, and she talked a lot, but she also listened to
everything I said. She shared her dreams of being an animal doctor, and I
told her mine of learning to read and write." (pt 1)

"Los buenos, the good people, and los malos, the bad ones, were different to everyone. Some loved the rebels for fighting for the poor. People who loved the Federales hated the rebels for having brought disruption into their lives. Early on, I’d learned to keep my mouth shut."

"I’d never been ashamed of my dark skin or full lips... Girls with fair skin were always spoken to better, they never had to wait in any line, and they always appeared cheerful and carefree.
Girls with dark skin were expected to feel ashamed, to walk with their
heads low and know their place in the world. Problems arose when you
went against these expectations."

"The girl not only spoke perfect Spanish
but her eyes, as blue as morning glories, looked at me like I was a dear
friend. A girl dressed like her had never turned to look at me, much less
spoken to me. I stared at her and wondered what she expected of me."

"'That’s how diamonds are born,' Papá had often explained. 'When a
piece of coal gets squeezed very hard for a very long time, it becomes a
diamond.'
He’d then squat and look into my eyes. 'And you know something else,
Petra? It’s the same with people. When life’s big problems squeeze you
hard, you grow stronger. You grow up to shine like a diamond.'"

"Pan pobre was made out of corn. We called it poor because it was bread
baked without expensive flour. But despite its name, pan pobre was still a
luxury for us, and Mamá only cooked it during special occasions like
birthdays or holidays. It was my favorite."

"Suddenly, the sweet smell of pan pobre, poor bread, hit my nose. The
scent awakened my stomach and tugged strongly at my heart. I looked
around, sniffing the air, wondering where the smell came from. It was a
scent that had always brought feelings of comfort and safety. I didn’t
believe in signs, but if I did, I’d bet we were safe here."

"Amelia swore that animals could smile, laugh, and even cry. I never
believed her, but then again, I’d never seen an animal carry so much fear
and sorrow, so much that I could see it eating him alive and harming him
more than the wound itself. Perhaps Amelia had been right all along."