The Gift of Manhood

Rick Vasquez

Description

Stages of marriage come in many shades of love. Sometimes we base our relationships on our mates’ expectations, always trying to guess how to satisfy their needs. Other times we find it easier to be a yes person riding the daily wave of discontentment.
The Gift of Manhood explores and follows five sisters, ready to navigate and bring back original love to their relationships. The elder sister Claudia expresses the unsettling relationship of her marriage, wanting her husband to be the love of her life once again. Through her psychologist’s advice, all the sisters agree to send their men to a weekend sensitivity seminar. The sisters manipulate and disguise the weekend as a wedding present to their baby sister. Through twists and turns, both the women and men find the enlightenment of their love for each other. This journey provides humor and compassion for the reader, evaluating their status of commitment.

Sujets

• Gift
• Relationship
• Marriage
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 25 mai 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669878902
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THE GIFT OF MANHOOD
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rick Vasquez
and my older brother
Michael Vasquez
 
Copyright © 2023 by Rick Vasquez & Michael Vasquez.
 
ISBN:
Softcover
978-1-6698-7891-9

eBook
978-1-6698-7890-2
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rev. date: 05/24/2023
 
 
 
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
853243
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
CHAPTER 1
Encino, California, 2016.
It was the first day of summer in 2016. The Mendoza’s home was on a cul-de-sac on the south side of Ventura Blvd. Five houses made up the list of neighbors that created their little community. This family of seven lived there for over 30 years, filling the home with love and many memories. Being a family of color in a predominantly white neighborhood, each survived the social pressures of keeping their culture but adapting to this world, making it their own.
Ben and Loretta, a married couple, moved to this home when their oldest daughter, Claudia, was six. They also had two other daughters, Monica and Sarah, who were four and three, and Loretta was ready to deliver Stella.
It wasn’t as though Ben and Loretta disagreed on having two children, a boy, and a girl, being that two children would be enough. However, when the first two children were girls, Loretta could tell Ben wanted and needed a boy. Maybe it was all the money Ben lost betting with his friends that the new baby would be a boy. However, God knew how much Ben would love his daughters, ending up with five sweethearts and no sons. The family found happiness and success in their home in Encino.
It wasn’t as though Ben and Loretta could afford a house in Encino. When they got married, they moved into Loretta’s Mother’s home. Ben had just started his house renovation business. And as much as Ben had the desire, it was hard for him to get his name out since nobody knew him. However, for any job Ben could get, he would save every penny. He was a good and creative worker, giving insight into the ‘70s.
There was no way that Ben and Loretta could ever afford to live in the community of Encino. Face it, in the early ‘70s, this area was considered the countryside of Beverly Hills. You know, movie stars, production people, swimming pools, large size lots. Very few minorities.
One of Ben’s old high school friends, Manny, was an upcoming realtor, and with much excitement, he got a hold of Ben. “You got to see this property that I found today,” Manny said, out of breath as if he ran from the residence to the nearest telephone booth. “Ben, this place needs fixing up, but with your talent as a builder, I think we can make a marriage of a deal.”
“Okay, slow down. Where is this house located?” Ben half serious in believe that Manny had come up with a winner.
Manny whispered into the telephone as if somebody could overhear this great deal. “Encino.”
“Encino, no way we can’t afford that,” Ben whispered so that his mother-in- law couldn’t hear.
“I know, bro, we both come from the same neighborhood, but it’s a steal.”
“How many bedrooms are there?”
“Well, originally, there were four, but after the fire, you can only use two of them.”
“A fire?” Ben screamed on the phone.
“That is where you come around. You can rebuild the extra two bedrooms, the laundry room, and the kitchen and make it your dollhouse.” Manny described the mess to Ben.
“Manny, you know I have three girls, and Loretta is ready to pop another one out. We need at least four real bedrooms.” Ben said, frustrated speaking to Manny.
“Well, tell me, bro, how many bedrooms do you have living with your mother-in-law? I think I saw one when I last looked.”
“That’s different; living here is only temporary. Someday, we will have our own house, and it will have four bedrooms.” Ben explained.
“Brother, everything will always be too expensive unless you make a move.” “How much is it?” Ben asked.
“Oh, my best friend, my brother. That is not the question. The question is, how much are all the houses in the neighborhood is worth?”
“Manny, I will hang up this phone unless you get right to the point.
How much dinero is this place?”
“Okay, I’ll tell you. The prices for houses in this neighborhood range from fifty thousand dollars up to two hundred thousand dollars.”
“What, are you crazy? We can’t afford fifty thousand dollars.”
“I know, bro, It seems out of wack , but I think I can get you into this house for twenty-five thousand. Listen, I met the owner, and he wants to move on and get rid of it. If you can come up with one thousand dollars, this guy would hold the paper for at least 15 years. I have already talked to him, and he has said you name the monthly payment you think you can afford. He’ll keep it for 15 years, and if you don’t pay it off, you can get a new loan for another 15 years.”
“Dude, I will punch you hard if you mess with my heart. Don’t make me send Loretta over to get the truth out of you.”
“ Esa , I swear it’s a legit deal.” At least come to the house tomorrow to look at the home.”
“Okay, me, Loretta, and the kid will arrive at nine… Garcias Hermano.”
They were all in the car the following day, ready to go. They stopped for gas, and Loretta asked the serviceman if they sold maps. The guy went inside and came out with a used map. Here you can take this one. It is a map of the whole Valley.
Loretta returned to the car giving the two older girls a piece of Bazooka bubble gum. She right away opened the map and was able to find the correct address. You get on 101 North and off at Balboa Blvd. The girls in the back seat started to laugh, thinking their Mother had said, Bazooka blvd.
It was Claudia who spoke out to her father. “Daddy, are we going to live in the same town as our bubble gum?”
Ben and Loretta just looked at each other and laughed. Ben faced his wife,
“Chiquita, don’t get your hopes up. It’s Manny, and many things could be wrong.”
“Can you imagine our family living in Encino? Good schools for the girls. No random gunfire throughout the night. A real home that will belong to us.”
Ben got off the freeway, turned left, and crossed over Ventura Blvd. “Hey, did you bring our passports?” Ben smiled, kidding, looking around and seeing all the white folks filling the street.
Loretta saw what Ben was getting at, “I brought mine and the kids, but I couldn’t find your green card.”
“Are you sure you want to move out of the barrio?” Ben glanced at his wife, keeping his eyes on the road.
“I have lived my entire life in the barrio, and nothing has changed. Everybody is family, and I’ll miss that, but now I have you and the kids. And Encino would be a wonderful place to raise our children.”
They slowly crept up a hill, and on their left side was a street named Violet Ct. Loretta started to cry, out of happiness. “This is our new home.”
CHAPTER 2
The Mendosa’s house was in the middle of the cul-de-sac, sharing a pie-shape lot with their future close friends and neighbor, Alvin and Emma. It was the first day that Ben and the family looked at the house. The actual house was a mess. The spirit of the home had to endure a fire wiping out a good portion of the structure. But deep inside, Loretta felt the peace that this place belonged to them.
Ben had the vision, explaining the new construction to Loretta. “It’s going to take some time. I think we have enough money saved to start the construction. It’s all the time it will take to get it all together. I don’t know, sweetheart. When they looked around the outside of the house, the neighbor Alvin was on his knees, hand raking around his upcoming flowers.
“Hello,” Ben addressed the man. “Are you the gardener for this house?”
Alvin laughed, “no, I actually live here with my wife.
Ben tugged on Loretta. “I’m so sorry; I hate it when people make assumptions about me.”
Alvin got off the ground and extended his hand. “My name is Alvin. So, what do you think of the house?”
“Um, we haven’t talked together about it, but now that we have met our neighbor, it’s starting to look good.”
Alvin smiled, “I’m sorry to sound so negative. It’s just that my wife and I have gotten our hopes up, and to be truthful. I have to protect each of our hearts. I can’t tell you how many couples have come to see the house. I’m afraid my wife, Emma, and I are the deal killers.”
“What, unless yo