Tropic of Orange

On Monday June 22, Rafaela sweeps the porch of Gabriel’s dream house near Mazatlán. Every day she sweeps up a pile of living things: mice, lizards, scorpions, and even iguanas. Gabriel bought the property due to its proximity to the Tropic of Cancer; however, his ineptitude undermines his romanticism. Though he speaks Spanish, the locals take advantage of him. Rafaela ran away from her husband, Bobby Ngu, with their son, Sol. Gabriel let Rafaela and Sol stay at the house as a favor. To repay his kindness, “she was going to help finish what his romantic impulse had begun” (9).

Rafaela tells Gabriel over the phone about the status of his property. After they hang up, Rafaela speaks with Doña Maria. Rafaela begins to miss Bobby. After Doña Maria leaves, Rafaela inspects Gabriel’s property. He has unsuccessfully tried to grow a variety of fruits trees, including a navel orange tree from Riverside, California. Gabriel planted this tree to mark the Tropic of Cancer. However, it is sickly and has only grown one orange. Rafaela sees Sol following “The path of a very thin but distinct shadow stretched in a perfectly straight line along the dirt and sand” (15).