Selinda Solinski

**Selinda Garcia Solinski**, also called **Mama** (by her daughter Mari Ashley Solinski) or **Mama Selinda** (by her daughter Mari Ashley Solinski's best friend Zandra Marie Niko) is the mother of Mari Ashley Solinski, the Improbable Girl, and wife of Lester Solisnki. She works as an accountant and general finance manager of Solinski Auto Repair, which is located across an alley from her home. Selinda is a passionate mother and sometimes a bit overbearing and somewhat over protective. She also fills a mother role for Zandra Marie Niko who lost her own mother at an young age.

## Background

Selinda Garcia was born in 1967 and raised in Kingsville, Texas. She is a the youngest of 6 children and only daughter of Policarpio and Tomasita Garcia. Policarpio served in the US Army in World War II having served in the European Theater. Policarpio favored Selinda over his sons and so Selinda was a sort of "jewel" of the Garcia family earning the nickname "Gema."

As a middle school and high school aged girl, Selinda would spend summers in Kenedy, Texas with he Aunt and Uncle. Selinda was a decent student of moderate popularity. She was a bit shy and generally kept to herself, family and friend group.

## Marriage to Lester Solinski

Sometime in 1982, Selinda spent the summer with her aunt, uncle and cousins for the summer. While there, she met and was initially extremely annoyed by Lester Solinskiwho was not on the best terms with Selinda's cousins. Selinda's cousins did not like Solinski because of some athletic rivalries at school. Selinda had many somewhat negative encounters with Les, who was working at Janocek's Hardware Store. During the summer of 1983 on the day before Selinda was to leave back to Kingsville she attracted the unwanted attention of a local bully named Sylvester Polanski who had taken a liking to her despite her objections increasingly forcing his presence on her again and again.

Lester Solinski overheard Polanski's unwanted advances and, after initially considering walking off, realized that Selinda was about to be sexually assaulted. Solinski intervened in the situation calling out Polanski and was beaten senseless for his efforts. Polanski then walked away after calling Selinda some foul and racist names. Selinda, who was touched by Lester's actions assisted him to his truck and realized she actually had had fallen in love with him. She then returned to Kingsville and they began to write each other during Selinda's senior year.

Selinda returned to Kenedy, Texas in the Summer of 1984 where she began to see more and more of Les. Les brought her to a family gathering where his father did not approve of his son associating romantically with someone who was not of their ethnicity, however, Les' mother took an instant liking to Selinda despite inviting her to sit with her and other Solinski matriarchs. Despite this, where was some strife. Selinda brought Les to Kingsville to met her parents, Policarpio and Tomasita Garcia. Policarpio took a negative stance to Les with blatant disapproval and disparaging words. Policarpio and some of Selinda's brothers threatened to beat Les to a pulp in order to scare him off. When Selinda got wind of this, she announced that she was in love with Les and, if she had to leave he family and marry Les without her father's approval, she would. She then told her father he would have to disown her. Les asked Selinda to marry him and they married in June of 1985.

The two made a home for themselves in Kingsville with Les finding a job in a local auto garage and Selinda going to work at The Pizza Parlor. There was struggling and hard times with bad news mounting throughout the Fall of 1985. Les' father died in October and they got the bad news in November of that year that Selinda could not have children. This news was extremely hurtful to Selinda who cried for weeks. Selinda's father also took this hard stating that he couldn't stand to see his little girl so sad.

The couple continued to struggle through the holiday season and on into 1986. Les did get some encouraging news in March 1986 as he secured a job in the local Chrysler Dealership where his pay would increase and he would rise saving money to hopefully have enough money to open his own shop. Through all this, Selinda's father and brothers continued to put down Les with insults and discouragement hoping to shatter their marriage. This was so until late February 1987 when Selinda was informed that she was, in fact, pregnant. This news shocked everyone, including Les and Selinda's father. In August of 1987 Mari Ashley Solinski was born, named for Les' grandmother, Maria Wallek Solinski. Selinda added Ashley to Mari name so she could have middle name.

The birth of Mari, seen as a miracle baby, caused Policarpio to reconsider his ways as he came to love Mari very much. After all, she was the daughter of his favored child, Selinda. In time, Policarpio, now named Papo Garcia by Mari, came to admire and assist Les greatly even assisting him in setting up his own shop, Solisnki Auto. Les' business thrived had he gained much renown as a sensible and helpful mechanic.

In May 2003, after finding out he had cancer, Policarpio Garcia, who initially resented and outright hated Les, called him to his death bed. With tearful eyes and a quivering voice the old man apologized and asked Les for forgiveness. He acknowledged that Les was like a son to him...one of his many...and that he was the best thing that could have happened to Selinda. He thanked him for giving them Mari, who saved his soul. Then the old man died.

Selinda did not take her father's death well, however, she was glad that her father had accepted her husband.