Read How Tía Lola Learned to Teach for Free Online Page B

answer. “Carmen is just so nice,” she adds—unnecessarily, in Miguel’s opinion. It has been great to have Papi around, period. But even he has to admit that he did appreciate Carmen’s exclaiming that Miguel Ángel is such a wonderful athlete, and ohmy-goodness! so brave to come down a steep mountain on a small board.
    “She said my pliés were like a real ballerina’s.” Juanita stands up and executes a couple of graceful bends, holding on to the bedpost.
    “Carmen was right!” Tía Lola claps approvingly. “The truth is, Carmen is a good visitor. Did you see how she gobbled up my pastelitos at lunch? She said they were the best she’d had in months.”
    “I love how she calls us by our whole names: Miguel Ángel and Juana Inés,” Juanita says, pointing to her brother and to herself. “She says they’re the best names on account of yours was the greatest painter and mine the greatest poet.”
    Something is beginning to bug Miguel like a pebble in his shoe: Carmen seems to be spreading her compliments around a little too generously. Does she reallymean what she says, or is she just trying to be nice to everyone?
    “You know what they say,” Tía Lola says. She always seems to be able to read Miguel’s thoughts. “Más moscas se cogen con una gota de miel que con un cuarto de vinagre.” You catch more flies with a drop of honey than you do with a quart of vinegar.
    Instead of Tía Lola’s helping to shake the annoying pebble from Miguel’s shoe, her saying adds another pebble. Who wants to think of himself as a duped fly?
    Juanita has stopped her plié-ing to look squarely at her aunt. “Tía Lola, do you have a saying for everything?”
    “Just about,” Tía Lola says, laughing. “Now, let’s get downstairs. You know what they say—”
    “I know, I know,” Juanita pipes up. “ ‘The shrimp who falls asleep is carried away by the current.’ And that goes for flamingos, too,” she adds, picking up Tía Lola’s piñata by the loop in its center. The flamingo dangles from her hand, its neck and legs boinging up and down. It looks like it is trying to dance the merengue, which is hard to do with a tennis ball knotted at each knee and two others holding down its feet.
    “On the other hand,” Miguel offers, “ ‘waking up early doesn’t make the sun rise any faster.’ ”
    “Right!” Juanita gives her brother a high five. “So we might as well ‘dress slowly if we’re in a hurry’ ”—another saying of Tía Lola’s.
    Their aunt stands before them in her bright floral dress, shaking her head at her niece and nephew. “Youtwo don’t need to go to a party. You’re having such a good time already!”
    “That’s because we love you, Tía Lola,” Juanita says, just to make sure her aunt doesn’t take offense at their teasing. “Don’t we, Mr. Flamingo?” The pink bird bobs, agreeing with everything. Kind of like Carmen, Miguel can’t help thinking.

    As they drive over to the party, a soft, celebratory snow begins to fall. Already the parking lot is full of cars—the whole town must be here. The invitation that Mami and Tía Lola sent out instructed everyone to congregate in the library parking lot at five-thirty. A few folks are selected to go across the street into the restaurant ahead of the others, like regular clients, just so Rudy doesn’t get suspicious. Then, as planned, Dawn calls Rudy into the kitchen to help with some “emergency.” Shauna blinks the lights, and that’s the signal! Everyone hurries over—potluck platters and baskets stuffed with homemade goodies and other gifts in hand. When Rudy comes out of the kitchen, scratching his head, the dining room is packed with well-wishers yelling “SURPRISE!”
    Except for Tía Lola, who is yelling “¡SORPRESA!”
    Meanwhile, at the back door of the restaurant, a van has pulled up. Woody, Rudy’s son, unloads several flats of sodas and pizzas and ice cream he couldn’t deliver beforehand since his dad