Floor Show (Sandi)
- Mami is giving her four girls a lecture on how to behave on a fancy night out to dinner with "the important Fannings" (2.5.6).
- Fifi, the youngest, starts to cry that she doesn't want to go to the dinner.
- "But why on earth not?" Mami asks. Um... maybe because you're making sound about as much fun as going to the dentist, Mom.
- Mami is like: No, really! It's going to be so much fun! The restaurant will be fancy! And Spanish!
- No one is believing this act.
- Mami starts doing her best flamenco impression, but stops when she remembers the cranky neighbor downstairs, La Bruja—the Witch. She doesn't like the Garcías because they are foreigners, and calls them "Spics!" Not cool, Bruja. Not cool.
- Papi comes home in a good mood. Time to get dressed up and go out.
- It's nice to see Papi in a cheerful mood, because lately he's been really stressed. You know, what with his relatives in the Dominican Republic being imprisoned and murdered and all.
- Plus he's having trouble getting an American medical license, and he's running out of money.
- Dr. Fanning is helping Papi get a job, which is why he's so important.
- Sandi figures if she's really good, maybe the Fannings will adopt her and she can give her allowance to her real family.
- At dinner, Dr. Fanning tells Papi about a job he found for him. Papi is grateful, and a little embarrassed.
- Mrs. Fanning starts to drink heavily.
- Sandi checks out the restaurant. See, La Bruja is an idiot. All these Americans paid money to come to a Spanish restaurant. Spanish is cool.
- Sandi has to go to the bathroom. Papi and Mrs. Fanning accompany her.
- Outside the restrooms, Mrs. Fanning starts flirting with Papi. Then she actually kisses him—on the lips.
- What is a married American lady doing kissing her father? That is so uncool.
- Sandi looks at herself in the mirror, and realizes for the first time that she's actually pretty. And with her light hair and eyes, she could totally pass for an American. She knows what this means: she'll never have to go back to where she came from, if she doesn't want to.
- Father asks Sandi to keep the kiss a secret from her Mami. Mrs. Fanning was just drunk. Papi can't risk embarrassing the Fannings.
- Back at the table, Mrs. Fanning keeps drinking a lot of wine. Finally, Dr. Fanning cuts her off.
- Finally, the floor show starts. The six caballeros (gentlemen) and six damas (ladies) dance passionately with one another. Sandi thinks the ladies look like they want to take their clothes off in front of the men.
- The dancers make Sandi feel full of joy; her "heart soared" (2.5.77).
- Mrs. Fanning ruins it, though, by jumping on the stage and clowning around with the dancers. The crowd goes wild.
- But Sandi is upset. Mrs. Fanning has "broken the spell of the wild and beautiful dancers" (2.5.87). That jerk.
- After the dancing fiasco, a dancer approaches the table with a basket full of little-girl bait: Barbie dolls dressed as tiny flamenco dancers. To a six-year-old, they are totally irresistible.
- When the dancer offers her a doll, Sandi ignores her mother's death-glare and says "yes, please!" She figures her dad owes her for asking her to keep his secret.
- Papi says yes, but we know he's in a tough spot. Dr. Fanning is already paying the bill, and Papi doesn't even know if he has enough money to pay for the dolls.
- The drunken Mrs. Fanning asks what's going on.
- Sandi sees her opportunity, and she takes it. She tells Mrs. Fanning that she would like a doll.
- Mami and Papi object, but in the end, Mrs. Fanning gets her way. The Fannings pay the bill, doll included.
- Mami forces Sandi to thank Mrs. Fanning. She really doesn't want to. But Mami insists.
- So Sandi makes her new doll do the work. The doll hops up to Mrs. Fanning and gives a little bow.
- Then she holds the doll right up to Mrs. Fanning's face, so that she has to cross her eyes to see it. She makes the doll give Mrs. Fanning a kiss on the cheek: Smack. And then she says: "Gracias."