Stories of Lotería

His first murder was in the summer of 1984. From March through June of the following year he killed ten people in the cities of Rosemead, Montery Park, Monrovia, Burbank and Pico Rivera. I lived in East L.A, a nearby city. A very nearby city. 1985 was Los Angeles' hottest summer in 100 years. Thick, wool-blanket-heat covered the city and suffocated in its inhabitants the slightest hint of motivation. I was 7 years old. My cousins Lorrie and Arlene were 7 and 9, respectively. My childhood summers cannot be recalled without them. Each of us was the youngest sibling, drawn to each other by the same sense of mischief and curiosity. Neither of us big fans of dolls or mini plastic baking ovens, I think we watched movies like The Goonies and Monster Squad while imagining ourselves as those brave, adventure-seeking youngsters. We spent most of our days in and around Arlene's house - a white single-story, three-bedroom in San Gabriel, with a detached garage and an overgrown backyard -

In March of 2011 I was laid off work, living in San Diego, and Ricky and I were expecting Benicio's arrival. To pass the time I started this blog. 5 years and 19 loteria cards later it's still here - my project from the heart. Might be time to self-publish,  hmmmm. Next card up - El Sol

In January of 1947 Salvador and Elena moved into a house in the city of Moorpark. Located in Ventura County, 50 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, Moorpark was rumored to be named after a type of apricot. Many fertile fields and crops, primarily apricots, populated the budding community; and with them were hardworking families making an honest living off of the land. The couple moved into the beautiful ranch-style structure with their three children, and thought they had hit the jackpot. An expansive lawn, wide porches all around the four outside walls, and sunlit views of fields surrounded by rolling hills - an exterior that offered luminous rays of hope and lush promises. Inside, the house was dead. The front door opened into a main (once-living) space covered in dreary layers of dust, stagnant air, and rat droppings. Yes, the rats surely made their home in the nooks and crannies of torn upholstery and occupied cabinets and shelves. The couple was surprised to find the hous

Hmmm, for the next post I got a few ideas brewing.....any suggestions? La Bandera - The Flag :  a group of high-school buddies now in their late 20s reunite for a Labor Day weekend wedding across the border that leads into some unexpected hijinx . La Bota - The Boot :  sweet, Catholic school pre-teens turn Mean Girls when one of their own "betrays" the group. El Sol - The Sun:  during the hottest recorded summer in LA history, a young girl experiences death  for the first time while The Nightstalker attacks the city.

Mr. Dale G. Clark, retired interior designer and current Berkeley eccentric, could be heard delicately stepping on the marble floor in the wooden clogs he wore every day. Not what we called a High Value Customer at Strawberry Creek Bank, as his accounts totaled only a couple thousand, he was a regular whose presence was welcomed because it meant break time for the lucky teller who assisted him. On this particular day it was me - only I wish it hadn't been. "Good afternoon, Mr. Clark," I sang as I locked my station drawers and computer. "Hello there, Miss Christina. I'd like to go to my safe deposit box, please." "Of course, Mr. Clark." Our shoes clicked on the lobby floor - his clogs , my sensible work heels - until we reached the grand flight of stairs that ended in the vault room. Strawberry Creek Bank, Berkeley Main - established in 1910 - actually housed four vaults. Each one in the basement, two for business use, and two for customer us