Estrella, part 2: Family Undivided

Estrella’s sister, Josefina, aka Josie, becomes an anti-war protestor after Roberto’s death. Maria, the oldest daughter, tries to persuade Josie not to do this. Maria says that Josie’s protesting dishonors their father and their oldest brother and the memory of their dead brother Roberto. Josie’s response is that war is the killer, not protesters. It is war that is wrong, and her hope is that by protesting maybe she and her peers can prevent other needless deaths.

The family is split apart. Mamá and Papá are having enough trouble dealing with their grief over Roberto’s death, and now this war over the war is tearing their family to tatters. They declare the subject of the war taboo inside the walls of their home. Standing firmly together, the parents announce that they will not try to dictate how any of their children will think or how they will live their lives, (as long as they are good and faithful Catholics, of course) but within the walls of the de Ramón house there will be no war. Period. The declaration is accepted by all. The antagonists are outwardly resentful of this declaration of peace, but inwardly relieved.

Estrella sees the anguish in her mother as Mamacita observes the walls of silence developing at the dinner table and across and between her older children in all their interactions.

Estrella cannot stand the silences. She becomes an expert at making them talk -- talk of daily encounters and ideas and hopes and feelings -- without rancor. She has enabled them to remove the sting of talk, and they replace that with their love for each other as family. Estrella has found the gift of her life, the gift of opening communication. Not so many years later, Estrella finds that it is also the sexiest of gifts. All the boys will want to “talk” with Estrella.

(continued)