Gil's Furniture Bought and Sold
- The narrator describes a junk store in the neighborhood, where her family once bought a used refrigerator and Carlos sold a box of magazines.
- The store is dark and crowded with junk that Nenny and Esperanza go to look at.
- The owner is an old, black man. Nenny asks him lots of questions, but Esperanza never talks much.
- One day Nenny asks the owner about a music box – Esperanza thinks it's going to be a pretty music box with a ballerina inside, but it's just an ordinary looking wooden box with a brass record in it.
- The old man starts up the music box, and it makes a beautiful sound.
- Even though Esperanza is impressed, she turns away and pretends she doesn't care about the box because she doesn't want to look stupid in front of her sister.
- Nenny asks the old man how much the music box costs, but he tells her it's not for sale.