By Juan Montoya
On the makeshift stage against the back wall of the Cowboys Bar on 14th and Arthur streets, Fuego is shamelessly (and flawlessly) playing Mana’s “Oye Mi Amor” as patrons hover over tables and the lounge lizards look over the ficheras surreptitiously in the mirror that runs the entire wall behind the bar.
They have just finished playing “La Cumbia del Rio,” a ribald, jaunty tune that is loved by local working-class Mexicans. The floor had just cleared when the members of the band – all of them late 20somethings or in their early 30s – decide they want to play something they obviously like. A few of the younger patrons dance and hum along to Mana while the older ones simply look on.
It’s been a long night for Suzie, one of the girls who works on commission depending on the amount of beers the customers buy them. At $12 a pop for the girls, it gets to be an expensive proposition, unless it’s one of those nights when money doesn’t matter and the libido is up. She is now nodding off and looking at herself in the mirror.
She’s not a bad-looking woman for having had three kids already. Of course, the customers don’t know that. Many buy her the “ponies” on the outside chance she just might accept a ride home from them. Judging from her condition, it appears that she’s made her night. After a couple more dances and three more beers (she keeps $6 for each beer she drinks), the night's over for her.
Meanwhile, Vanessa, who’s just broken up with her former woman is hot on the conquest for her new love. She’s Nancy, and now she’s Vanessa’s new love interest after Tara packed up her stuff and her son’s and moved out to another apartment once she got wind that
Vanessa was out romancing a new woman.
Nancy resembles Tara only by the fact that she is young, good-looking, and has children. She also resembles Tara in that Vanessa, ever the gentlewoman, has started to pay her rent and buy clothes for her two kids. Amor? O convenencia? Vanessa doesn't care as long as Nancy is with her.
Vanessa used to complain about Tara slapping her in public for some imagined offense. Tonight these two are the picture of domestic bliss. A few of the men turn away with thinly veiled disgust when they see them kiss and grope each other. Most just ignore them.
Business at Cowboys has improved after Las Cabañitas was forced to close after “El Negro” shot three people there a few months ago. Moi, the owner, now hangs out with Willie at the Border Lounge, and you can just tell he’s itching to have his own joint again.
But for now, he’ll have to bide his time and face charges that he obstructed justice and destroyed evidence at the scene of a crime after he told the girls to clean up the blood from the floor after the shooting.
This is working-class Brownsville. There is no pretense at high fashion or style, no self-serving phrases of conceit. It is what you see.
While the nation argues about Republicans and Democrats, health-care reform and questions of race, and the city anguishes over raising property taxes and PUB rates, these people get their respite from dancing to some old songs from Grupo Bagdad and Intocable.
These sweet illusions will disappear in the morning when they have to go to their place of labor and put in a hard-worked week for a few dollars to spend so they can forget the drudgery of everyday live here.
"Oye mi amor..."
On the makeshift stage against the back wall of the Cowboys Bar on 14th and Arthur streets, Fuego is shamelessly (and flawlessly) playing Mana’s “Oye Mi Amor” as patrons hover over tables and the lounge lizards look over the ficheras surreptitiously in the mirror that runs the entire wall behind the bar.
They have just finished playing “La Cumbia del Rio,” a ribald, jaunty tune that is loved by local working-class Mexicans. The floor had just cleared when the members of the band – all of them late 20somethings or in their early 30s – decide they want to play something they obviously like. A few of the younger patrons dance and hum along to Mana while the older ones simply look on.
It’s been a long night for Suzie, one of the girls who works on commission depending on the amount of beers the customers buy them. At $12 a pop for the girls, it gets to be an expensive proposition, unless it’s one of those nights when money doesn’t matter and the libido is up. She is now nodding off and looking at herself in the mirror.
She’s not a bad-looking woman for having had three kids already. Of course, the customers don’t know that. Many buy her the “ponies” on the outside chance she just might accept a ride home from them. Judging from her condition, it appears that she’s made her night. After a couple more dances and three more beers (she keeps $6 for each beer she drinks), the night's over for her.
Meanwhile, Vanessa, who’s just broken up with her former woman is hot on the conquest for her new love. She’s Nancy, and now she’s Vanessa’s new love interest after Tara packed up her stuff and her son’s and moved out to another apartment once she got wind that
Vanessa was out romancing a new woman.Nancy resembles Tara only by the fact that she is young, good-looking, and has children. She also resembles Tara in that Vanessa, ever the gentlewoman, has started to pay her rent and buy clothes for her two kids. Amor? O convenencia? Vanessa doesn't care as long as Nancy is with her.
Vanessa used to complain about Tara slapping her in public for some imagined offense. Tonight these two are the picture of domestic bliss. A few of the men turn away with thinly veiled disgust when they see them kiss and grope each other. Most just ignore them.
Business at Cowboys has improved after Las Cabañitas was forced to close after “El Negro” shot three people there a few months ago. Moi, the owner, now hangs out with Willie at the Border Lounge, and you can just tell he’s itching to have his own joint again.
But for now, he’ll have to bide his time and face charges that he obstructed justice and destroyed evidence at the scene of a crime after he told the girls to clean up the blood from the floor after the shooting.
This is working-class Brownsville. There is no pretense at high fashion or style, no self-serving phrases of conceit. It is what you see.
While the nation argues about Republicans and Democrats, health-care reform and questions of race, and the city anguishes over raising property taxes and PUB rates, these people get their respite from dancing to some old songs from Grupo Bagdad and Intocable.
These sweet illusions will disappear in the morning when they have to go to their place of labor and put in a hard-worked week for a few dollars to spend so they can forget the drudgery of everyday live here.
"Oye mi amor..."
(P.S. The boys with Fuego are always looking for a gig. Call Margarito at 548-2136, or 525-6993 to get in touch with them.)
2 comments:
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/lap-102680-woman-arrested.html
What a surprise they found a drunk inside a bar! Great job boys, I'm sure glad someone is keeping us citizens safe. Great way to serve and protect. And what's with the charge of public lewdness? The woman is a topless dancer for goodness sake. It is her job to pretend that you are so hot that she wants to have sex with you. Pretend being the keyword. In addition it was inside the bar not in public. Who was she offending? Guess they forgot that they were there to check for compliance with TABC regs.
Se 'nojaron los chotas y arrestaron al borrachin adentro de la cantina y a la teibolera haciendo su chamba! Ya no la chingan. The same charges can be broght against the patrons and dancers at Stiletto's. Que No??
Que No??
QUE SI, PERO NO LO HACEN PORQUE TIENEN MIEDO.
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