Once Again

Chapter 14

I sit in the corner of Elizabeth's room. It is pink and white with a white bed & pink blankets. There are toys everywhere. I watch Rosa from the corner. She is sitting by the window, looking at the sky. It was sunny outside. I get up and walk over to her.

"Hi Rosa."

She looks at me. "Don't talk to me."

I am set back by her comment.

"I am sorry. I will not bother you." I walk back to the corner. Elizabeth comes in.

"Marcela, come play with me!" She motion me to her. I get up. Rosa looks at me. Her eyes still look mean. I sit down with Elizabeth.

"Do you have dolls? Or any kind of toys?" I don't know what she says. I shrug.

"No English?" She asks me. I don't say anything. She gets up and gets a book. She sits down again and gives it to me.

"Have it. You can read it and it will help you with English." I take it and open it. I didn't understand it. She takes it back.

"Here, let me help you." She scoots next to me and opens the book.

"This is the letter A. Say "aye"." I look at the letter. I know these letters so why is she showing them to me?

" "Ah". "

"No, "aye" "

"Aye"? I think. "Aye"...

" "Aye" " I say.

"Yes! That's it Marcela!" She hugs me and she continues to show me. I finally get the words.

"ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ." She sings that to me. I copy her as well as I can. She still praises me.

"Okay. Now I am going to teach you simple sentences." I nod as she gets a pencil & notepad. She comes back and sits down next to me. At that moment Maria & Mama come in.

"Let's go girls. It's time to go home." Rosa gets up & walks over to her mom. I get up, but Elizabeth grabs my hand.

"You can't leave now!" She whines while she pulls back my hand.

"Sweetie she has to go." Maria grabs my hand and takes it from Elizabeth.

"They'll come back next week." Elizabeth looks at us as we leave, ready to cry. I look away so I am not tempted to cry. We reach the living room & Heather stands there to thank us.

"Thank you Anise & Maria." She grins as we leave and walk back to our cabins.

"I live in the 5th cabin if you ever want to come by." Maria offers Mama.

"That would be nice. I am in the 3rd cabin." Mama says. Maria smiles. I look over at Rosa. She still has that mean look on her face. I do not know why she does not like me. I do not want to try to talk to her again. We stay silent until we reach her cabin. Pepe is outside her cabin, with a boy.

"Hola mi amor. Hello my love." Pepe comes forward to Maria & gives her a kiss. Rosa comes forward and he gives her a kiss on the cheek. The boy just stands & stares at me, just like Rosa, but without the mean look. He must be her brother.

"Hello Anise," Pepe offers his hand to Mama.

"Well we need to get going. Come Marcela. Thank you Maria. See you tomorrow." Mama shakes hands with Pepe & Maria and we leave. Papa waits for us outside. Chano is inside, watching TV I suppose.

"Hola, Anise." Papa gives Mama a kiss.

"Hola mi'ja," he gives me a tight hug. Daniel shrieks with happiness in Mama's arms.

"Come here boy," Daniel waddles out of Mama's arms & into Papa's. Daniel looks just like Papa with his dark wavy hair & brown eyes & his same skin color. I walk inside. Chano is on the couch, watching TV.

"Hello Marce." He says.

"Hola Chano," I say as I sit next to him. We both look like Mama, except I am a girl so I look more like Mama. Chano is four years older than me. He is a whole lot taller than me also. But we both have the same dark hair as Papa but the same face as Mama: little mouth and little nose and big brown eyes. He has it on the Spanish channel but I don't know what he is watching. I get up and go to my room. I grab a towel & a clean dress and make way to the bathing room. I take a quick bath & go to the kitchen to start dinner.