-On visiting Manny Medeiros at suppertime-

Below the Hill, the landlords

Were beginning to dress the tenement

Houses in vinyl.

Tony's boss said:

“Cheaper than shingles and it don't need no paint".

Inside, the scent of "soupish caldene"

Cooking in the big pot on the stove

Is quickly realized,— the simmering

Potatoes and Kale and other garden vegetables 
Watering my mouth.

(At my house, my mouth would be watered

By the scent of fried salsiccia and peppers)

Tony's boss said:

“Look, Tony..I jack-up the rent a few bucks.

They’ll appreciate vinyl in the long run”.

Inside, Manny's older brother is gone,

Living on his own.

The girls living Below the Hill
Seem to stick-around awhile longer.

Her name is Maria, a Junior at
Diman Vocational High School

Learning the trade that will keep her close to home

For the rest of her life.

Sitting at the table, she looked like
A perfect green olive with brown eyes.

It's more than a safe bet to assume that

She might have been the reason I was there in the first place.

“Tony’s got a good job! He's alright!

 For chrissakes she’s almost 18”!

It was as if she wasn't herself.

She was just the person at the table who was "ready for Tony".

And it's not as if the rest of her family disagreed.

And it's not as if I liked Manny Medeiros all that much, anyway.

Tony's boss said: 

"Listen, Tony..rain, snow,— It don’t matter none to vinyl".

                                                 Quequechan, c.1958