Canutito got en el bós that morning to go to school. As he got on board, el Mr. Gonzales smiled at him muy friendly. He had hardly sat down en uno de los asientos near the front of the school bus cuando su amigo el Freddy ran past him and up to the bus driver and asked if he could be el bus monitor. Unfortunately ya el Mr. Gonzales had given that job to Tonita and so el Freddy had to settle for the job of volteando el cranque that put the stop sign out cuando el bós would stop to pick up a alguien.

After picking up un bonche de muchitos in Las Colonias, the bus made a brief stop to let a los más jóvenes off el la escuelita de El Prado before continuing pa'l Junior High. While the students got settled, el mestro would read los announcements de un mimeograph page que tenía letras purples that always gave you un buzz si lo ponías too close to your nose.

Esa mañana el Mr. García read en los announcements de que there was going to be un sock hop en el gym during lunchtime. Canutito had no idea qué era un "sock hop" so de suerte que el Freddy leaned over and told him que it was un baile where everybody took off their shoes pa' no scratchear the gym floor. Canutito wasn't sure de que he wanted to do this porque he was almost sure de que tenía big holes in his socks and si tenía las medias rotas, the girls would surely not want to be seen con él. Pero el Freddy assured him de que the lights were turned down low y nobody would be able to tell.

Las clases de la mañana seemed to drag on forever. La Mrs. Wilson les enseñaba spelling pero de suerte que Canutito already knew cómo espeletear real good. Finally first period was over, and Canutito had to walk around the hall to his next class. Se le hacía real strange que even though his next class was only one door back, he had to go all the way around el hall completamente porque it was one-way traffic only. He could hardly concentrar in this class porque he could smell un queque that the girls were baking en la clase de 'Hom-Ecomomix'.

De allí Canutito went to his third-period class que era P.E. He could hear a las girls doing exercises in the little gym mientras que la mestra would teach them how to say cosas como "we must, we must, we must increase our bust," y también he could hear que decían: "the boys are getting bolder; we must increase our shoulder." None of this would make much sentido to him por muncho años. Finally se llegó el tiempo del sock hop.

This year había un new musical group llamado Los Monarchs of Melody. They could always be counted on to play "Proud Mary" at least cinco veces, "Louie Louie" tres veces and "My Girl" dos veces. Pero este año they were pretty killer con un new number called "Knock Tres Veces en el techo if you love me". Y naturalmente there were some Spanish numbers también como "La Bamba" and "La Mula Bronca".

De repente la banda began to play el Mexican Fox Trot. Una muchita named Gladys grabbed al Canutito de la mano and dragged him out onto the dance floor. Si de suerte que she knew what she was doing porque el pobre del Canutito didn't have a clue qué hacer. She put her arm around his waist and then she grabbed his hand and said "Agárrame de aquí", and off they went running back and forth with the other plebecita.

Suddenly the música stopped and la banda began un slow waltz. Right away todos locked arms. También la Gladys grabbed al Canutito and hugged him murre close. She was nice and soft pero el Canutito didn't feel right about holding her tan cerquita. He had heard tell que en el Catholic school las hermanas would make the students dance con un balloon between them. If the balloon busted then the nuns would rush over y decirles "Leave room for the Holy Spirit! Leave room por el Holy Spirit!"

After a little while, judging from el sock hop, Canutito decided que maybe esta escuela was a little bit more avanzada ...

¿Le gustaría compartir sus propias anécdotas o comentar con Torres sobre esta columna? Envíele un correo electrónico a lartor@unm.edu.