"Uh, Si."

"Uh, si." I said mastering my shock at what the little tree house we had erected as children had become in my absence.

"Ah-ah, your back north of the border, got to get used to speaking English again!" Elli declared, and I bristled.

*By right all the land we now stand on belongs to the people of Mexico,* I huffed but Angelica set me straight.

*Wrong Mi-Amigo. By right it belongs to the Tongva, we Latinos stole it from them just as surely as the Ammericanos stole it from us, so, since none of us speak Tongva: Habla Englasias,* she stated firmly.

Somehow I couldn't help but both agree and see the humor in her statement, so I barked a brief laugh and nodded. "Ha! Si, you are right, I will stick to English." I stated, and Elli smiled triumphantly.

"Come on! You have to see the Master Bedroom!" Elli said, and we went up to the rope ladder that granted access to the structure.

The tour was brief but thorough, Even as massively over enginerd as my friends and sisters had made the thing it was still moored to a tree, and thus far smaller than a proper Hacienda. However, for the moment it seemed it was home. (Thank God, it had indoor plumbing!) Just before we got to the "master bedroom" however Angelica begged leave to go use the restroom, and I went into the bedroom with Ellie alone...