The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

Frankie blossoms into a disciplined musician under El Maestro’s tutelage. They become close.

One day, Frankie goes with Baffa to the sardine factory. While Baffa works, Frankie wanders into the woods. There, he meets Aurora York sitting in a tree. At first, he thinks she’s a boy, but once he climbs up beside her, he’s captivated by her beauty. The two bond when they watch soldiers dump dead bodies into an unmarked grave. After the soldiers leave, Frankie plays the deceased people a song, and he and Aurora make them flowers out of bent guitar strings.

Frankie goes back to Baffa’s factory, but the police are there. When Frankie asks for his papa, Luis, one of Baffa’s employees, lies and tells the police that his papa is sick at home today. Frankie realizes something is desperately wrong, and he runs towards home. Tired from the run, he takes a ride from a group of gypsies, but he must pay for the ride with his guitar. Music says, “On the same day Frankie Presto found love, he lost his home” (107).