Geography

Entries from Interstate 19

Notes · · Interstate 19

Curly All The Time

Emergency exit

The Sinaloan woman on the Tucson to Nogales shuttle does not care for Sonora: “There are no trees and the dry heat of the desert is inferior to the humid heat of Culiacan, which keeps one’s hair wonderful and curly all the time.”

A Sonoran woman tries to be diplomatic: “There is a lot of life in the desert, but it’s different life. Also, when I go to Sinaloa, I immediately miss carne asada. I need tacos.”

Another woman from somewhere else gets on the shuttle as we are leaving South Tucson and sits with them. They arrange their purses, hold hands, and start praying, asking for a safe trip and thanking God for all they have.

Once they have said amen, the Sinaloan laments how much Tucson has changed. “The quality of the stores is so bad now.”

The Sonoran says, “I like Macy’s and JC Penney. I always find things I like.” Then she maneuvers to the front of the van and sits in the passenger seat.

The Sinaloan continues without missing a beat: “Everything at Dillard’s is awful.”

The driver puts on Spanish language Christian music.

The Sonoran turns to the Sinaloan and asks: “Is it true that el Chapo financed Peña Nieto’s campaign?”

“No. That is absolutely not true.”

Blah, blah, blah. Then the three women begin talking about God and Jesus and who will go to heaven the way people talk about their favorite basketball players and who will make it to the playoffs. Children are going to heaven, of course they are. However, people who find ways to get the government to pay for their sex change operations are not going to heaven.