And The Earth Did Not Devour Him

The boy stays with Don Laíto and Doña Bone for three weeks until school ends, when his parents will pick him up. They have paid Don Laíto and Doña Bone for the boy’s room and board. Everyone likes the couple, “[e]ven the Anglos” (89). The boy says they steal and are bootleggers but are still “good people” (90). They attempt to sell to the Mexicans what they steal then give away what they cannot sell.

At first, they are nice to the boy, and he likes staying with them, but by the end of his stay, he is afraid of them. They feed him rotten food that makes him sick, and he sleeps in a dark, musty room stuffed with boxes, clothing, and almanacs. Doña Bone likes to scare him by jumping at him unexpectedly. Don Laíto rubs his hands under his arms then kneads dough for sweet bread. They make the boy work in their yard and try to get him to steal, though he refuses.

During the boy’s first week with the couple, a “wetback” begins paying Doña Bone to visit her when Don Laíto is away (91). The boy is not allowed in the house while the man is there.