El Farolito, 10:30 a.m.
[Three young women are standing in front of El Farolito waiting for it to open. One has “Will” tattooed in swirly letters on her chest. The “i” is dotted with a heart. I figure she might know something about love.]
Megan: Oh that? It’s my baby’s daddy’s name.
Paris: [laughing] She fell for his cheap-ass line!
Megan: He said, “If you really love me you would get my tattoo.”
[EL Farolito opens its doors and we go inside.]
Paris: I used to fall for that stuff too. Now I know it’s their way of controlling us.
The craziest thing my man ever talked me into was buying a car. You know how it is, men start tripping when they don’t have shiny cars.
Frida: How many cars did you end up getting?
Paris: I bought two Cadillacs and two Toyotas. Then I got into an accident and now I have $3,000 in fines. I didn’t need a car! I would just as well have taken the bus.
[Megan and Frida sit down with their order. Paris remains standing. “I’m a bit of a health freak,” she explains.]
Mission Local:What is some of the best love advice you received?
Megan: My mother would say if he loves you he will not put his hand on you.
Paris: And If he loves you, he will provide for you…yaddadada BULLshit! [They explode with laughter.]
Frida: Nowadays people just like each other for their money.
Megan: No money, no love.
Paris: I was homeless two months before my son was born, and his father left us. If he really loved me he would have ridden those hard times out.
Mission Loc@l: What will you tell your kids about love?
Paris: I would tell them to stay as far as they can away from it. Love hurts.
Mission Local: What about marriage?
Megan: A wedding is sacred. You can’t break your vows ever. That’s why I don’t want to get into the marriage thing.
Paris: I’m supposed to get married on Valentine’s Day. But I have some trust issues and pushed the date down. [She pauses.]
But what woman doesn’t think of their big-ass wedding? I want my daughter to be the bridesmaid. She will be perfect.