Parrot In the Oven

1. Parrot In the Oven By Victor Martinez

2. This is a story about a 14-year old boy named Manny. Manny has a normal life. He lives with his mom, dad, older sister and brother, and little sister. He and his family live in the projects, where all the people don’t have too much money.

3. Recently, Manny’s father has lost his job in the city, where he worked as a translator. “This could be a problem,” Manny’s mother thought. “We need money to pay the rent.” Manny’s father, on the other hand didn’t want to look for another job and wanted to spend his days at the bar and waste his money.

4. Manny’s older brother Nardo has been having some issues of his own too. Nardo has been at many jobs, but not for too long. He would lose his job and go onto the next, until he finally gave up and spent all of his time at home instead of looking for another job.

5. Manny’s life can be rough on him sometimes. His neighbors, the Garcias, would always seem to pick on him, eventually to the point where they would beat him up. No one would know that he would get beat up, even his father, who hated the Garcias for stealing something from them.

6. One day, Manny’s father didn't come for two whole days, for he spent them at the bar. Finally, at the second day, Manny and his mother went to go pick him up from the bar. When he refused to come, Manny and his mother left. Manny’s father had refused to come home and wanted another beer.

7. Eventually, Manny’s father came home, and of course, he was drunk. Manny’s older sister Magda was made to go to her friend’s house, leaving only Manny and his little sister Pedi alone in the house. Manny’s mother had gone to her friend’s house as well. Finally when Manny’s father came home and read the note she left behind for him he became furious. “She wants to leave me. That’s what she wants to do.” He began to get even more furious. “I'll fix her,” He said as he walked into the room and got his rifle and began to look for bullets.

8. He eventually found the bullets and was on his way to Sophie’s house, where Manny’s mother was. Manny followed up with his, trying his best to reason with his father, but it was no use. When he finally spotted her he began to chase her and tried to shoot her, but none of the bullets would get into the barrel. Eventually Manny’s mother escaped and then the police came. They all escaped home, gun, mother and everything.

9. Manny felt lonely. He wanted a girlfriend that he can hold and kiss. When he told his friend Frankie about this, he said he knew how he could get a girl easily. Manny wondered what he meant and the next day they went to Mondo's house. What Manny didn't know was that he was actually getting involved with a gang.

10. The next day Manny went to go hang out with the gang. It wasn't easy to leave the house, since his mother wondered why he was going out, since it was cold and stormy outside. When he met up with the gang in front of the liquor store they were deciding what to do. Eventually they couldn't come up with anything good to steal so Mondo and Frankie headed home. Eddie asked Manny to stay with him.

11. As they both walked down the street they spotted a woman trying to get into her car. Eddie then ran across the street and tried to kick the door closed to prevent the woman from getting in the car but it sprang back open from the woman's hand. Eddie then took her purse and ran away with it. Manny tried to chase him but it was no use, Eddie was too fast for him. Just as he was about to ask the man selling newspapers which way the blonde teenager had gone, a police car had stopped in front of both of them. The officers asked Manny if he was the guy chasing the purse thief, the newspaper man helped him out and explained to the officers that he was the one chasing the thief and was about to ask him which way he had gone.

12. At the end he eventually didn't want to find Eddie anymore, so he decided to walk home. when he got there he saw that both of his sisters were asleep on the couch. as he sat down on his father's chair looking at the living room he realized the true place he was meant to be was here at home and not with a gang. Manny was beginning to understand the life of an adult.

13. Made by Angelica Curiel Period 5