The Very Mischievous Miss Coco

By A. C. Gonzales

The Very Mischievous Miss Coco is a book brimming with humorous stories about a very inquisitive little girl. She lives with her mother, grandmother, little brother, and her five uncles in a barrio (neighborhood) where she is surrounded by family and friends who love her. Coco's family is just like any other family with problems, tribulations, and triumphs. This story portrays an honest and realistic setting as the reader experiences the customs and traditions of a Hispanic family in south Texas.Through Coco's stories, join the family eating and sharing funny anecdotes at the dinner table, also visiting with neighbors on the front porch in the warm south Texas evenings. Coco will introduce you to many different characters, who will remind you of people in your own life. They make each day interesting, and incite Coco's natural curiosity of the world, in the adventures of The Very Mischievous Miss Coco.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098021368

Book preview

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The Very Mischievous Miss Coco

A. C. Gonzales

Copyright © 2020 by A. C. Gonzales

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

The Very Mischievous Miss Coco

Black Dog or White Dog

The Adventure of the Quarters

The Frontier Theater and the Playground

A Trip to Walgreens

Sunday Surprises

Mom, the Excellent Driver and Instructor

Grandmother Torey’s Driving Lessons

The Trip to Corpus Christi

Susanna Drives the Car

Always Mischievous Coco

The Church Visit

The Apology

The Real Story of Loro the Parrot

The Marbles and a Lesson Learned

The Evening

A New Doll and a New Visitor

A Name for My Doll

A Visit to Delia’s House

A Melancholy Evening

The Love of Family

A Boy Named Freddy

A New Lesson to Learn

Some Very Sad News

The Unexpected News

The Approaching Wedding

The Wedding Day

I dedicate this book to my precious family whom I love with all my heart.

I thank God every day for you, my dear family, who have been with me on this earthly journey. I still cherish the memories of family members that have long passed away. They will always have a very special place in my heart, as I recall their love and care for me. All of you were the inspiration for this book, The Very Mischievous Miss Coco.

Deuteronomy 6: 4–7

I want to acknowledge and thank my daughter, Diana Gonzales Olson, for editing this book.

Chapter 1

The Very Mischievous Miss Coco

My dad called me Coco when I was born because I had cocoa-bean eyes. I had curly blonde hair that came from my Spanish ancestors. My real name is Consuelo Amanda Briones. Consuelo means comfort in English. My mother gave me her name, Amanda, as my middle name. Everyone has always preferred to call me Coco, and I preferred it too. My grandmother Torey has always said that Coco fits me perfectly.

I have never liked the name Consuelo. My mother says I can’t change it. It’s on my birth certificate and baptismal certificate, so I am stuck with it. So now I am Coco to everyone I meet.

For a long time, my brother didn’t even know I had another name. My brother’s name is Alonso, after my dad, but we all call him Sonny. Sonny is eighteen months younger than I, and he has always been my best friend. I can always make Sonny do just about anything I want, but my grandmother makes sure I don’t cross the line by taking advantage of him.

My mother has five brothers and one sister. Sonny and I love our Aunt Alicia and our five uncles. None of our uncles are married, so they all live with us at our grandmother’s big white house. My grandmother has a big porch in the front of the house with a swing where we spent most of the evenings visiting and talking to our family, friends, and neighbors after dinner when the kitchen had been cleaned.

Uncle Adan, the oldest of the uncles, is in the military and stationed in another state called Nebraska. I loved saying that word, Nebraska. It sounded so pretty, and when I said it, I thought of the beautiful postcards from Nebraska that Uncle Adan sent to us. I thought of snow on the ground. I thought of the trees, the ground, and the rooftops all covered in white snow. Snow made me think of Christmas and beautiful Christmas cards, and Christmas always made me happy.

My Aunt Alicia lives in Lubbock, Texas. It is very far away from Brownville. At least, that is what my mother says every time I ask her if I can go visit my Aunt Alicia. Aunt Alicia and her husband, Uncle Leonardo, are also my godparents. So on special occasions, I receive presents by mail from them. My aunt always sends me unusual gifts, so I look forward to receiving them.

My favorite uncle is Uncle Alex because he always brings Sonny and me surprises. The youngest of the uncles is Artie, whose real name is Arthur. Artie is a real stinker and can sometimes make my life miserable. He is fifteen years old, and his favorite pastime is to tease Sonny and me.

Granny Pilar is my great-grandmother and Grandmother Torey’s mother. She lives next door in a smaller white house with a small white porch in the front of the house. She is one of my most favorite people in the whole world!

Besides Artie, my three uncles that still live at home are Uncle Alex, Uncle Bertie, and Uncle Andy. All three are young, handsome, and kind.

Sonny and I live the happiest of days with our family. Each day is a special day for us with new and exciting adventures and experiences.

So, dear reader, let me share with you those special moments that made my life interesting and wonderful.

Chapter 2

Black Dog or White Dog

It looked like it was going to be another boring day. Sonny and I could not go anywhere near the backyard as long as the painters were still painting. Just as I was thinking about what Sonny and I could do for fun, Uncle Alex arrived with a big surprise.

Come here you two, he called, I have a present for you!

We ran eagerly to meet him to see what it was. Out popped a small black dog from the back seat of his car. Sonny was delighted. He jumped up and down and so did the dog.

Look, Coco, he likes me!

Well, Coco don’t you like your dog? Uncle Alex asked, puzzled.

Well, yes. I like the dog, but I wanted a white dog with black spots, I answered with a tone of disappointment and a frown on my face.

Oh, I see, he answered with a smile on his face. Well, I went all over town looking for a white dog with black spots, but they were all gone. He had a smirk on his face. I knew he was teasing me. So, I had no choice but to take the black dog. It’s too bad you can’t paint him white. Oh, and don’t forget the black spots. He was laughing as he walked toward the kitchen door.

When are the painters going to finish? he asked my grandmother.

I hope soon, she answered. Right now, they have gone home for lunch. They said they would be back in an hour.

As I watched Sonny hugging the dog and the dog licking his face, I could imagine a white dog with maybe one or two black spots. Then an idea popped into my head! The painters were gone, but they left the white paint.

"Sonny, have you thought of a name for our dog?"

No, Coco. What should we call him?

I think we should call him Whitey.

But he is black, Coco.

Well, I thought of that too. I think the dog would like to be called Whitey. See how he jumps up and down when I say ‘Whitey’? He likes that name, and so do you. Right? So, I have an idea.

I whispered in his ear, and he nodded with a big smile on his face. Then he took hold of the dog around the neck and said, Come on, Whitey.

I grabbed the dog tightly as Sonny reached for the brush in the white paint canister.

Don’t you dare paint that dog, Coco! Grandmother Torey said firmly as she looked out the kitchen window at us.

Sonny answered, We want a white dog so we can call him Whitey.

It would kill the dog, Sonny. Paint has poison in it, that is why I don’t want you and Coco near it. I want you both in the house now before Coco thinks of another mischievous idea!

Sonny was eighteen months younger than me, and he was my best friend. I could make Sonny do just about anything I wanted, but my grandmother always made sure that things ended up fair and square.

As soon as my grandmother left the kitchen, I sneaked outside and looked for Whitey.

Come here, sweetie, I said. Have I got a surprise for you!

I reached for the white paint, and I gently reached for Whitey when suddenly I heard a loud yell, Coco is painting the dog white, Mother. She is going to kill him!

It was Artie tattling on me again. Grandmother came rushing out of the house and grabbed me by the arm and scolded me all the way to the bedroom.

She pinched me so hard, I kept saying, Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Grandmother made me kneel in the corner of the bedroom where she could watch me. Eventually, I was allowed to get up but could not leave her presence.

At dinner all anyone could talk about was how I nearly killed the dog by trying to paint him white.

Naughty Coco, naughty Coco was Artie’s response to all comments about me.

Maybe she is just not ready to have a pet dog, said Uncle Andy.

She is absolutely not ready for a black dog. That’s for sure! replied Uncle Bertie.

Alex, it was genuinely nice of you to bring her a pet, my mother commented with a sweet smile. Perhaps a fish might be a better pet.

No, said Uncle Alex. She just might try to drown it.

Or paint it white, said Uncle Andy.

Everyone started laughing at my expense!

The next morning when I woke up, Whitey