Born with heart-shaped ears

It was easy to love her. From the very start, Shine Molina filled her space with enjoyment. She was present for every moment. The late summer picnic at the Prairie Front punctuated a decision her sister-mother had made with exclamations. Yes, there were changes coming! Yes, my father had a second family! Yes, this button-eyed girl was here to make a difference!

Linda Molina's sixtieth birthday was celebrated in all three of her bakeries at the same time, and it started with changing the names back to Molinas' Bakery. The subtle change was the position of the apostrophe. This place was owned by a family of Molinas--a mother-sister, daughter, and lots of calabash cousins.

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Miki, the curlicued brunette who always saved the first and best of the scones for Dumpling was part of Linda M's original staff. She worked the front of the house, but was also the bookkeeper. She kept the books for all three of The Beanery.

"Who knew. You're the second half of the business brain." Dumpling was helping to set the tables for the birthday bash, snapping out newly stitched circles of bright yellow and purple table clothes. Miki was Dumpling height and nearly as round as Linda's long-time friend. Her language was peppery, and witty. She had a twang, the kind of accent that was Latin plus something.

"I'm the Spanglish daughter who ain't afraid to sprinkle it heavy," Miki Alvarez was one of the belongers. She was born on the island, had deep roots and an even longer memory. "It's really no secret." Miki said in a matter-of-fact clip. "My mother was Mexican, worked the fields. Migrant picker. She had a strong back, a nose for dirt and recipes for making money stay with her!" The laugh and open face Dumpling had known from behind the pastry counter relaxed her shoulders. She listened. Once Estella Alvarez found her way into the first of Pop Molina's bakery back in 1955, it was like trees talking to one another. A strong and forever bond began. The two families became a grove, what was done for one family was passed to the other. There were, and are six Alvarez siblings, two in each of the Molina's bakeries. Patrick could have been Miki's twin. "He is my twin!"

"Ma was a farmer and her family back in Mexico made pastry, conchas the beautiful shell-like goodie with a sugar design unique to each bakery, and unique to each baker. Part of the secret behind the Molina scone has a touch of Ma's concha." Just which part, and how much of a touch remained a trade secret. Dumpling had no wish to dip into the alchemy of recipes like that. She knew where the lines were drawn on magic.

Shine was seven years old when Linda adopted her as her daughter. Miki Alvarez had turned forty-seven in January of that year. What Dumpling Woman noticed the night of the big shindig, was both, the girl, Shine and Miki Alvarez had ears shaped like hearts. Big hearts. Since Dumpling was a woman who rarely missed the clues that appeared obvious only to those of her kind ... those Muli transitional beings, she pulled up a memory of Shine signing the beginning of a story about beans. "Beans start out with two heart-shaped leaves." Dumpling couldn't wait to get a look at Patrick Alvarez's ears.

Funny she thought as a loud and harmonizing hum wafted through the cool evening air. Maybe tonight the rest of that story would continue? How exciting. Language is a mystery particularly when metaphors are thick and welcome in their singing. Inclusive rather than exclusive, language was not a science. It was family. Conchas. Shells. Ear-shaped. Dumpling loved the song coming through.

Here's some more.