What is The Laughter of My Father about?

The Laughter of My Father was written by Jose Antonio Villarreal as a sketch that describes events in the life of a boy named Richard. It is a narrative story that takes a snapshot in time in the boy's life. Richard, a Mexican American, his parents, and a Chilean man (el Brujo) are the main characters in the story. The gravamen of the story is about what Richard learned on a Sunday regarding his father and an intimidating Chilean man. When the man approached him, Richard would be frightened and usually ran away from him.
Richard began to wonder whether the man might be the devil. Richard explained his fear of the man to his parents on a Saturday night. Richard's parents laughed when he confessed his fear. Richard was upset at his parents' reaction, especially since his mother, a devout Catholic, had taught him to watch out for the devil's ways. As a curious young boy, Richard also wondered if God can contain or influence the devil. His parents were concerned about disrespecting God, so they ended that conversation and changed the subject.
The laughter of Richard's father seems to take on special meaning in the story. Whenever his father laughs, it is usually due to his own confidence in his knowledge and wisdom of what he is about to express to Richard next. Richard notices this, and he respects his father for it. For instance, after Richard and Juan Manuel, Richard's father, left the mysterious Chilean man's house where they did some trading, Richard was upset with his father for what he perceived to be cheating the Chilean man, but his father laughed when he reacted to Richard.
In a typical self-confident manner, Juan Manuel told Richard that the price he charged for the stones was a fair and reasonable trade because all parties made a decent profit. So the story's title suggests that Richard remembers what his father teaches him by his laughter, since what his father expresses next is usually an opportunity for Richard to learn, as a curious young boy who is developing his own identity and beliefs.