Francisco’s Elementary School Photographs
Francisco describes how he looked when he was in elementary school. He explains, “ In photographs from elementary school, I’m an emaciated, sallow weakling, sunken eyes, wooly hair, mouth dumply hanging open, he eras, a feeble boy raised in a damp cellar by spiders who feed him moths, a boy called Gols." He attributes his appearance to tuberculosis, which he caught when he was barely one year old. The long-term effects of tuberculosis last until the time he is in elementary. His friends make fun of his appearance and nickname in Gols. The nickname was inspired by the lessons they had learned about people known as Gauls.
The Ways
When Francisco was growing, the affluent part resided in a neighborhood known as Ways. The neighborhood is distinct from where other people reside. Francisco recounts, " the houses were much larger, none exactly alike, and some very unlike, and they stood far apart in yards that were like medium-size parks with their own stands of pines or islands of trees, with thick forest coming right up to the edge of the backyards." The residents of ways enjoy a better environment since they are wealthy. The place is not overcrowded because only the affluent can afford to reside there. Francisco notes that the number of Jews who resided at Ways was very low.
Guatemala City
Francisco recounts his stay in Guatemala City with his maternal grandparents when he was a child. He narrates, “ All my earliest memories are set in my abuelos' house…an old-fashioned Spanish colonial with stone patio in the middle, dark cool rooms with polished tile floors and usually shuttered, barred windows facing the street; heavy dark furniture in the living and dining rooms, the Virgin and saint statue in glasses." Francisco has warm memories of the house because it is full of warmth and love, unlike the house in Boston. Things such as the statues underscore the Catholic religion, which his abuelos subscribe to. The moments he creates in the house are memorable because they help him to reconnect with his mother's Guatemalan background.
