Summary

In this story, Yunior and his family are getting ready for a party. They are now living in New Jersey. Though it does not explicitly say how old Yunior is in this section, based on reference to other characters and events, he is around twelve or thirteen. Yunior lives with his father, mother, Rafa, and his younger sister. Mami’s sister has finally made it to the United States and another member of the family is having a party for them. When Papi arrives home from work he is angry that Mami has allowed Yunior to eat, since he gets carsick. Papi smacks Yunior around for eating before they get in the car. His mother sympathizes with him but does not stand up for Yunior.

At the party, Rafa and Yunior are watching their mother closely. They have both just learned that their father has...