1They came with the wind that blows in August, thin

2as a spider web and barely noticed. Three who did not

3seem to be related to anything but the moon. One with

4laughter like tin and one with eyes of a cat and one with

5hands like porcelain. The aunts, the three sisters, las comadres, they said.

6The baby died. Lucy and Rachel's sister. One night a

7dog cried, and the next day a yellow bird flew in through

8an open window. Before the week was over, the baby's fever

9was worse. Then Jesus came and took the baby with him

10far away. That's what their mother said.

11Then the visitors came . . . in and out of the little

12house. It was hard to keep the floors clean. Anybody who

13had ever wondered what color the walls were came and

14came to look at that little thumb of a human in a box like

15candy.

16I had never seen the dead before, not for real, not in

17somebody's living room for people to kiss and bless themselves and light a candle for. Not in a house. It seemed

18strange.

19They must've known, the sisters. They had the power

20and could sense what was what. They said, Come here, and

21gave me a stick of gum. They smelled like Kleenex or the

22inside of a satin handbag, and then I didn't feel afraid.

23What's your name, the cat-eyed one asked.

24Esperanza, I said.

25Esperanza, the old blue-veined one repeated in a high

26thin voice. Esperanza . . . a good good name.

27My knees hurt, the one with the funny laugh complained.

28Tomorrow it will rain.

29Yes, tomorrow, they said.

30How do you know? I asked.

31We know.

32Look at her hands, cat-eyed said.

33And they turned them over and over as if they were

34looking for something.

35She's special.

36Yes, she'll go very far.

37Yes, yes, hmmm.

38Make a wish.

39A wish?

40Yes, make a wish. What do you want?

41Anything? I said.

42Well, why not?

43I closed my eyes.

44Did you wish already?

45Yes, I said.

46Well, that's all there is to it. It'll come true.

47How do you know? I asked.

48We know, we know.

49Esperanza. The one with marble hands called me

50aside. Esperanza. She held my face with her blue-veined

51hands and looked and looked at me. A long silence. When

52you leave you must remember always to come back, she

53said.

54What?

55When you leave you must remember to come back

56for the others. A circle, understand? You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. Y ou can't

57erase what you know. You can't forget who you are.

58Then I didn't know what to say. It was as if she could

59read my mind, as if she knew what I had wished for, and I felt ashamed for having made such a selfish wish.

60You must remember to come back. For the ones who

61cannot leave as easily as you. You will remember? She asked

62as if she was telling me. Yes, yes, I said a little confused.

63Good, she said rubbing my hands. Good. That's all. You can go.

64I got up to join Lucy and Rachel who were already

65outside waiting by the door, wondering what I was doing

66talking to three old ladies who smelled like cinnamon. I

67didn't understand everything they had told me. I turned

68around. They smiled and waved in their smoky way.

69Then I didn't see them. Not once, or twice, or ever

70again.