Juanita’s Victories Chapter 8. 🎉Juanita sets a vision for herself and her business. She ignores the naysayers in her family 👏👏👏
Written By Sher Trott-Bailey
“Ten pounds of mutton, three pounds of turkey neck, ten pounds chicken, three salt mackerels and five pounds of slice fish” Juanita shouted above the noisy crowd, quickly placing her order to the busy butcher’s assistant. It was the weekend and she was running grocery and market errands for the house.
After she collected her various meats, she felt relieved. That was the last of her purchases for today. She had gotten up early this morning in order to quickly finish up her shopping trip. She was looking forward to returning home to her sewing and embroidery.
When she arrived home via taxi, she went inside the kitchen to put away her various foodstuff and vegetable produce and meats.
” Juanita is that you? I woke up this morning and didn’t even see you. Wow, you did all the market shopping! Wow.” A perky-looking Maria Cortazar said in a surprised tone to her daughter.
” Mhmm yeah, we really needed supplies and I didn’t want to leave it all on you. I would have borrowed the car but I didn’t want to wake you for the key. Plus you would have had to come with me since I only have a Learner’s license.” Juanita informed her mother.
“ I will make us some brunch since it’s practically near midday.” Maria offered.
“ Ok mom, sounds good. I will be busy in my room for a while. Call me when you are done.” Juanita said.
“ I saw some dresses hanging in your room, I saw handbags and shoes. Your room is pretty crowded. what are they for?” Maria Cortarzar asked curiously
” Well I have started a fashion business mom and that stuff that you see are my merchandise.” Juanita said taking a seat on a high stool by their small dining counter.
” Ohhh!!! How come you never told me about all this? Wow, well how is it going? Where do you go to sell these?” Maria asked her
“ Well, I sell all over the world simply by using the internet. I have a website set up with all my products and I keep adding stuff as I come across nice things in the craft markets.” Juanita replied
” Wow. Can I see your website?”
” Sure.” Juanita got up from the counter and pulled up her website on her phone.
She brought the phone to her mother and showed her the handbags, dresses and sandals for sale. She showed her mother the modeling videos and snakeskin hunting videos on her website as well.
” Well have you sold anything yet? Do you want me to help you with getting customers?” Her mother questioned.
” Of course, I want help with getting customers and no I haven’t sold anything yet. You see the prices right? Most of these dresses are for two hundred dollars or more in US Dollars.” Juanita said
“ The website looks really good and so do the clothes…everything looks good,” Maria said
“And mom please don’t go telling Auntie about it, she’s too negative. I don’t want her in my business” Juanita warned.
” How long can I hide it from her Juanita, you know she is bound to call me and ask me about you and what you’re doing,“ Maria said with a helpless look on her face and a shrug of her shoulders.
Juanita already knew that her mother would tell her Aunt everything by the end of the week- if even so long.
” Anyway call me when the food is ready.” With those last words, Juanita turned and went to her room.
An hour later her mother knocked on the door saying the food was ready. Juanita went out to see Tacos and fried plantains on their table. Her mom had also made a fresh glass of lime and sugar drink.
“ Mom this looks so good. I’m starving.”
” Let’s dig in together then.” Maria replied
The two women happily ate their food. The conversation didn’t start until their hunger was nearly abated.
” Oh Michelle gave me another bag of mangoes, Did you see them?” Juanita asked
” Yeah, I ate three this morning,” Maria answered
” Juanita where did you get the money to start and buy all the stuff on your website,” Maria asked curiously
” I had some savings, then I saved current salary, some people I owe, some of the money from Dad and I sold my gold chain and bracelet Dad sent me for my sixteen birthday,” Juanita explained
” Oh good. Really good. I almost thought you got the money from some boy or something?” Maria said
” Why would you think that? Have I ever been that sort of girl?” Juanita paused her eating of plantain and asked her mother to look her in the eyes.
” No of course not, it’s just that you are at the age and you have the beauty to do so.”
Maria answered honestly
Just then Juanita heard her phone ringing. Juanita decided to ignore it since she was still in the middle of eating. Sure enough, two minutes later, Maria’s phone began ringing. Maria got up to get her phone. Sure enough, it was Juanita’s Aunt calling, Aunt Cara, her father’s sister. For some reason, her mom and her Aunt Cara had kept up communication even though Maria was no longer with her brother Andres- Juanita’s father.
Juanita gave her mother a sharp eye as she heard her mom greeting Aunt Cara on the phone. Sure enough, after a few minutes of greeting and gossiping, Juanita heard her mom say,
” She’s right here beside me, yeah you can talk to her.” Maria was silently signaling to Juanita that her aunt wanted talk to her.
Rolling her eyes, Juanita took the phone and said,
” Hi Aunt Cara. How are you?” Her Queen Mary’s years of politeness training kicking in.
“ Juanita, how you do? I hear you started a business. I even saw your website. You got to be careful girl, people will steal your ideas. And what’s with those prices? None of my friends can afford that. Why the things on your website so expensive?” Aunt Kara complained.
“ I’m not targeting you or your friends as my customers aunt “ Juanita answered dryly
” Well excuse me miss hoity-toity, miss high and mighty. What me and my friends aren’t good enough for your little website.” Aunt Cara said angrily
” Your the one who said you can’t afford it, so if you can’t afford it your not my customer.” Juanita continued responding dryly
” Well just so you know, shopping sites don’t last long, they come and go. They are a dime a dozen here in the U.S.” Aunt Cara said huffily
Juanita chose not to answer and instead passed the phone to her mother. She got up from her finished meal. She carried her plate and glass to wash them in the sink. She put away the remaining jug of lime drinks. Meanwhile, her mother was trying to calm an offended Aunt Kara over the phone.
From what Juanita could hear, as her mother decided to put her Aunt on speaker, she was an ungrateful girl who refused to better herself by coming to America and marrying to get a green card.
Having had enough of her mom and aunt, their ambush apparent to Juanita, she decided to take a walk down to Gabriel and Michelle’s house.
Inside Juanita felt like fuming, but having had so much experience with her Aunt’s horrible tongue she didn’t let her words bother her. These days she guarded her heart against letting people’s negativity penetrate into her and dwindle her confidence. Especially people who were going nowhere with their lives and never tried anything for themselves but we’re quick to use their mouths to tear down another who was trying to succeed.
” Her aunt was nothing more than a fucking loser, a fucking nobody in America living at the $dollar store. An acid tongue witch!” Juanita thought.
While she was walking to Michelle’s, Juanita got a call from none other than Lizzie, asking her if she wanted to go to the beach with her and a bunch of other friends. She would meet her out by Toledo’s bus stop in half an hour if she said yes.
“ Yeah I will come actually.” Juanita answered.
Turning back halfway from Michelle’s house, Juanita jogged back home and breezed past her surprised mother. She quickly put on cute shorts and a top to swim in and covered up with a beach dress. She packed some towels and went to the kitchen to pack some fruits. On her way she passingly said to her mother.
” I’m going to the beach with Lizzie.” Uncaring of her mother’s response she went about her business.
She quickly left, took her phone, some money and began walking towards Toledo’s major bus stop. The thought instantly crossed Juanita’s mind to get her own place as soon as she could. She would need space as the business expanded anyway and she already had two girls helping her with embroidery work on the dresses. Anyway, as quick as the thought came it went out of her mind.
It was a fifteen minutes walk so by the time Juanita arrived she didn’t mind waiting and resting at the bus stop. Soon enough Lizzie showed up in the passenger seat of a big Ford 4×4. Lizzie opened the door and scooted over to let Juanita in.
“ Hey girl, make yourself comfortable. This is my older brother Pepe, those two guys in the van back are Sean, Freddie, and their current girlfriends whose names I can’t remember.” Lizzie’s motor mouth unleashed the info to Juanita.
“ Hi, Pepe,” Juanita said
“ Hey, Juanita nice to meet you. To Punta Gorda beach we go ladies.”Pepe said
” We’re going to meet up with some more people there too. Hey, you remember we’re supposed to go audition for the movie right? Well, Marcus texted me the official date we should show up. He also emailed me the script. It’s fucking hilarious Juanita.”
” I read it too, I couldn’t stop laughing.” Pepe chipped in
” Marcus says he needs a lot of free actors who can commit to the series. Says we’re going to be famous. I told Marcus that Pepe and his friends would be interested in auditioning too and helping out in any way they can.” Lizzie informed Juanita
” Yeah, my buddies and I got some editing skills,” Pepe said
” Apparently the writer, director, and main star of the movie…oh it’s called Body Strike series will be someone named Salvano Martinez. Here girl, I already pulled up all his social, here’s a picture of him…so hot! They are still looking for the female lead” Lizzie said excitedly.
Lizzie was talking so fast and gesturing so excitedly with her hands that Juanita barely got to see the picture of the guy.
” Give me your email address I will send you the script or concept. Oh, we have to keep it somewhat private though so don’t go emailing it to anyone. Though you can make someone read it like I did with Pepe.” Lizzie gushed
“ Ok my email is “CortoJuan@gmail.com,” Juanita told Lizzie.
It took them an hour and a half to reach the beach. By the time Pepe pulled up and made the introductions with the people in the van’s back, the whole group took off running while undressing on the beach. The girls took off their dresses or jeans skirts and the boys threw off their shirts.
It was a wonderful day and they didn’t drop Juanita back home until about 8: 15 pm. When she got home she saw a note on the fridge from her mom saying food was in the fridge. She had texted her earlier to say she was visiting Mrs. Hernandez. Feeling tired but excited to read this script for Body Strike, Juanita quickly started up her laptop. She opened her Gmail account and downloaded the file. She watched and read the concept and couldn’t stop laughing. It certainly was original and funny.
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