The Boys

The Almond Tree

On the sidewalk in front of Rolando’s home, there were three almond trees with broad green leafs and thick branches. Two of them were still young, but the third one on the left had grown tall and sturdy. Throughout the year, the trees blossomed with little white flowers and then sprouted clusters of green almond drupes. Whenever he saw that the fruits had turned a reddish color, Rolando would climb the tree to grab them or use sticks to knock them down. They were sweet and juicy, but if he ate too many, his teeth would turn purple. After eating the soft outer flesh of the fruit, he would split the shell with a hammer, or a rock, and remove the nut within. It was delicious!

Almond trees were not just a source of nutrients. They also served other purposes. Like the time when Kiko, the neighbor’s dog, escaped through the gate after Maria the maid opened it. Kiko was a crazy and wild Rottweiler with a mean bite. He wasn’t so much a pet as he was a guard dog. His favorite pastime was hiding in the bushes along the fence and rushing the gate as soon as he heard the clang of the latch. Whenever he escaped, he chased anyone in sight and snapped at them with his powerful jaws.

One evening, the boys were hanging out in front of Rolando’s house when they heard Maria shouting that the dog had gotten out. As soon as the dog saw the boys, he sprinted towards them. Everyone sprung up to their feet. Rolando hopped on the bench, grabbed a branch, and pulled himself up the almond tree. From the safety of his perch, he watched Kiko chase his buddies, who scrambled over a nearby fence. The crazed animal then ran toward the avenue corner, chasing after Rolando’s godmother, Mrs Rosario, and her son Ricardo, who had the unfortunate luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The dog snapped at Ricardo and grabbed his pants with his maws, swinging his head back and forth. Screaming and cussing, Mrs. Rosario hit the dog with her umbrella. At last, the dim-witted maid rushed over and managed to put the collar on the dog. Then with great effort, she hauled him back into the house and closed the gate. Mrs. Rosario was livid, lamenting what the dog had done to her son’s pants, which had been torn to shreds by the wild creature.

It was clear that up to then, the almond tree had played a key role in Rolando’s formative years, but soon it would serve an even greater purpose than providing nutrition and safety from the neighbour's dogs. The almond tree would transform into a magical portal that would allow Rolando to peep into a new dimension of maturity. Or so he hoped.

In bed at night, as a winter storm blew across 17th avenue, he listened to the sound of the rustling leaves outside and the thunder in the distance. He thought a great deal about the almond tree at Toti's house and tried to imagine what he would see on Saturday. Then the rain began to pitter-patter on the tin roof, and he finally fell asleep.