my papi has a 626 area code. it has a 626 area code because when he was my age, when he was in college, he lived with my abuela and his brothers in el valle de san gabriel. and from el valle, every morning he would drive into westwood, into the 310, with its tree-lined boulevards and expensive burritos, put a couple coins in the parking meter, run to class, run back, put more coins in, run to another class, and run back before he could get a ticket at the end of the day. then he would leave the 310 and drive back to the 626.
my phone has an 805 area code. I am in college and to get to class i just need to walk. when i wake up in the morning I make cereal - rice chex with soymilk, for myself, I do not pack backpacks for any younger siblings, there is no los angeles rush hour to race against. when I get out of class I stay late, I ask my silly questions to my silly professors, I do not run, I sit on benches, I eat dinner with my friends and we laugh and I never have to think about parking meters. my abuela has a 626 area code. my papi is not afraid of traffic anymore - he drives into chinatown on sunday mornings to buy dim sum for her, sesame balls, her favorite, and that's chinatown in the 310 and not the 626. my 626 bedroom has windows that look out on the 626 street and the glowing lights from the 626 liquor store turn my ceiling green and blue and red and our 626 jardín grows 626 papaya and avocado trees and at the 626 breakfast table there are no PSETs due and no paper deadlines and no parking meters. on my way here I cried. I didn't want to return to yale but my papi said I was going to miss my flight so we compromised and I cried in the passenger seat of his car. on our way to the airport (from the 805 to the 626 to the 310) we passed his old apartment, and I remembered how hard he used to fight to get to school. and when I stroll past the parking meters on high street from saybrook to la casa, I remember the way that he drives through area codes and runs across cities for me and I am just a little bit more okay to be here.
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About MeHi! I'm Andrea. I really like words. Categories
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