Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

Gabi is ecstatic after the poetry reading. She is Martin’s girlfriend now and she turns 18 years old on January 23. Martin gives Gabi an autographed book by Sandra Cisneros, one of Gabi’s favorite writers. Gabi’s father continues his tradition of gifting her a small doll, and Gabi’s mother finally gives her a cell phone.

Gabi contemplates why her mother places so much value on a woman’s sexual past: “Does she think that since she slept with my dad and never got married (at least in the Catholic church) that she is stuck with him for the rest of her life? That no one else would want her? That is really sad” (146). She drafts a list of questions she would like to ask her mother but feels like she can’t because many of them concern sex.

Just days later, on February 3, Gabi finds her father deceased in the family’s garage, the result of an overdose. At the wake, Gabi reflects upon the clean version of her father with combed hair, clean fingernails, hidden rotten teeth, and makeup covering his scarred face” (153). Gabi is expected to speak at the funeral, but her thoughts trail off and she breaks down, and Beto comes to comfort her. At school, Cindy and Sebastian protect Gabi from the stares and questions of other students. When nosey Georgina calls Gabi’s father a “crackhead,” Gabi slaps her across the face and finally feels some relief (158). Martin supports Gabi in her grief, connecting with her over the shared experience of having lost a parent.

Cindy is no longer attending school because her due date is very close. Gabi reflects on how strange it is that life continues moving forward: “My dad died, but babies are still being born” (161). Meanwhile, Beto copes with his grief by drinking. He gets into a late-night fight with their mother, triggering her to go into early labor. Tia Bertha, who had moved out after the death of Gabi’s father, rushes back and arrives in time to help Gabi’s mother through the labor. Gabi’s baby brother Ernesto Julian Hernandez—“Ernie”—is born on March 1 and stays in an incubator until his lungs develop further.

Gabi recognizes that she’s in a slump and Martin suggests they go jogging together, which brings her mood up. Cindy goes into labor on March 14 and Gabi is there to witness the birth, which she describes as both utterly disgusting and utterly beautiful at the same time (173). Cindy names her baby Sebastian Gabriel after her two best friends.

At school, Georgina confesses to Gabi that she is now pregnant with Joshua’s baby. Despite their history of not getting along, Gabi offers advice as best she can and gives Georgina a hug. When Georgina decides to have an abortion, she turns to Gabi to drive her to the clinic. Gabi’s family is using the car, so Gabi asks Martin to drive her and Georgina. Hiding Georgina’s pregnancy and abortion raises suspicion from Sebastian, who wrongly thinks Gabi doesn’t want to hang out with him and his new boyfriend.

Baby Ernie comes home from the hospital and Tia Bertha moves in again to help the family. Gabi receives her first college acceptance, which gives her hope that perhaps more college opportunities will come. Gabi’s mother finally gives Gabi her blessing to go to college, and on March 29 Gabi learns that she’s been admitted to UC Berkeley, her dream school. With college now a closer reality, Gabi’s mother begins raising objections to her going so far away. Gabi is frustrated but turns her focus to a zine project for her poetry class, the focus of which will be “the truth about the female body from the female point of view” (192).