Summary

In “Lockwood,” the narrator Nicolás recalls living next door to a slightly older boy named Roberto when he was a young teen. Roberto's family was struggling financially, and Nicolás' mother tried to help them with money and food, but she was reprimanded by Nicolás' father for doing so. Roberto and Nicolás would frequently walk their neighborhood of East End together, and eventually started exploring with each other sexually. One night, Roberto and his family disappeared, likely because they could no longer afford their rent. Nicolás recalls the last time he saw his friend, when they held hands in a closet.

“Alief” is narrated from the perspective of the entire neighborhood of Alief, as they describe a soap opera-like drama that unfolded in an apartment building. A woman named Aja lived in the building with her husband...