At 6:30 a.m. on a Monday morning, Ronaldo is the first to arrive. He buys a cup of coffee, a newspaper copy of Hoy, and sits down to wait for the others. As the minutes pass, more men show up and follow Ronaldo’s lead or stand almost single-file nearby. Handshakes and nods are exchanged, though most remain silent. Early mornings are quiet a la parada until someone breaks the calm. Señor Delgado is the likely man to do so, with a comical report of last Saturday’s match of pelota against a team of Jamaican men in East New York. Today, Hector casually listens but is distracted by Jerome’s conversation. Jerome’s family in Mexico City has troubling news for him concerning his mother’s health in addition to the usual report of the necessary payments for their household needs. Despite the upsetting news, Jerome’s usual grin is slightly creviced, allowing a smile to creep out since even he cannot ignore Señor Delgado’s loud and witty banter. Meanwhile, sliding into the front seat of a station wagon, Gerry already has an early start to the workday by joining four others to repair the roof of a building. By 7:30, most men have arrived. They stand on the corner and wait for the “beep-beep” of the horn from the first car that drives by that day . . .
