pen and inl drawing by
RAMON VASQUEZ Y SANCHEZ
©1979 Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez
(for Tato Laviera, with infinite thanks
for the inspiration)
C-a-r-n-a-a-a-l-i-t-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!
Donde 'stas, manito?
llevo horas enteras buscándote. . .
Carnalitoooooooooooo!!! ontás???
Antier también te me perdiste. Sure I know
y'said you was gonna play baseball
con los Rodríguez,
but they told me they hadn't seen you, guy.
Next day, te encontré
in that vacant lot on Colima Alley
but you just walked away aimlessly,
todo ahuitado,
your eyes like splintered glass
la boca de espuma
babbling like crazy
something about how you had seen
Death and the fires of hell.
Right off I knew
you'd been at it again
getting high en ese pinche maldito spray. . .
Y luego te enojaste conmigo
cuz I went and told Amá.
Jiiiiilo, y'shoulda seen her face
when I told her, chavalito.
La cara se le puso ceniiiiiza
y se le rodaban
las lagrimas l á
g r i m o t a s
de tristeza o coraje o miedo
—maybe all three.
Pos ella bien que se friega
amarrada a la costura
pa' mandarnos al escuelin.
Y tú?. . . . . playing hookie
perdido en el callejón.
Chale, manito!
Nomás ya no!!!
I don't wanna have to
tell 'er again
that I found you
(Continues left bottom)