YOU MAY BE LIKE ME WHEN JOHNNIE AND I GOT AN INVITATION FROM OUR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR TO ATTEND HER DAUGHTER’S QUINCEANERO. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THAT WAS. OUR NEIGHBORS ARE FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE FIRST THING THAT CROSSED MY MIND WAS, IS THAT SOME KIND OF BLACK MAGIC VOO DOO?

NO, THAT’S SILLY, THESE ARE GOOD GOD FEARING PEOPLE. THEY WORK HARD DURING THE WEEK, THEIR KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL AND THEY GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS. THEY ARE GOOD NEIGHBORS. SO HOW AM I GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT A QUINCEANERO IS?

WELL I’VE GOT A CYBER FRIEND IN PUERTO RICO, SO I’LL E-MAIL NORMA AND ASK HER WHAT A QUINCEANERO IS. THE DAY AFTER I E-MAILED HER, I HADN’T HEARD FROM HER. SO I SENT AN E-MAIL TO GERALDINE IN MEXICO. ANOTHER OF MY CYBER FRIENDS, ASKING HER THE SAME QUESTION.

THE FOLLOWING EVENING I GOT AN ANSWER FROM BOTH OF THEM. IT SEEMS THAT QUINCEANERO IS A FORMAL CELEBRATION OF A GIRLS 15th BIRTHDAY. IT IS WHAT AMERICANS WOULD CALL A COMING OUT OR A SWEET SIXTEEN PARTY. THE WAY PUERTO RICANS DO IT, IS THE GIRL DRESSES UP IN A WHITE FORMAL GOWN AND HAS MAIDS OF HONOR AND CABALLEROS ESCORT HER INTO THE ROOM. IT IS ALMOST LIKE A WEDDING.

THEN THERE IS A BIG PARTY WITH FOOD AND DANCING. IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF FUN FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS AND IT SOUNDS EXPENSIVE FOR THE PARENTS. I DON’T KNOW IF JOHNNIE WILL GO OR NOT. I’M NOT ABLE TO GO, DUE TO HEALTH PROBLEMS, AND THAT DISAPPOINTS ME BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT. WE WILL BUY ZULEIKA A BIRTHDAY PRESENT ANYWAY.

ZULEIKA HAS TWO YOUNGER SISTERS, AGES 13 AND 11 YEARS OLD, SO I GUESS WE WILL BE GETTING TWO MORE INVITATIONS TO QUINCEANEROS. BUT THAT WILL BE A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME. ANYWAY WE WILL KNOW WHAT WE ARE GETTING INVITED TO NEXT TIME.