Real Surprise at the Surprise Party - "Motorcycle" Is Not What You Expect!

      Take a look at the cover to Motorcycle ride on the Sea of Tranquility and amidst the mosaic of bright and happy colors you‘ll catch the blast of a street bike and a young girl’s naked thigh.  What you don´t get is a frightening story that takes place along the mean streets of an East San Diego Barrio. Yoli is 14 and is feeling it -  emotion,  culture and  sex – on the verge of her coming out party.  For Chuy, her favourite brother and returning Vietnam veteran, the party is over.  Patricia Santana paints a picture of a young girl´s innoncence that she will never get back. 

You see, her brother has changed since returning from overseas.  His voice is distant. The gleam in his eye is violent.  The picture is dark and brooding.  Chuy’s soul has  gone up in smoke like the exhaust out of a tailpipe.  

 Santana takes us back to a family reunion cerca April 1969.  A huge pachanga has been planned to celebrate their conquering hero, and  everyone has got their patriotic spirit on.  There`s red, white and blue streamers, frosted sheet cake and Ray Charles on the box. Of course, Yoli´s house is a ten-minute motorcycle ride from Tijuana, so you know there will be  the Mexican colors and plenty of carne asada.  Everyone is singing and dancing and eating.  The Sagahun family has “thrown the house out the window for this one,”   and the only person not digging it, is of course the man of honor, Chuy.  He`s not at all into peace and relaxation.  He’s still a soldier at heart.  He’s not going to give up himself up without a fight.  

He spends his time at the celebration trying to insult and disrespect anything and everything he can.  The world is his piñata.