Pig Park by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez

Author:Claudia Guadalupe Martinez
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press
Published: 2014-03-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

My dad and Felix sat on the stools in front of the counter. I hovered at arm’s length. My right foot tap-danced. I grabbed the coffee pot handle and poured coffee into their mugs, stirring in evaporated milk and sugar.

I didn’t want Felix to think that I was just some dumb kid. Of course, I still longed for my mom to come back, but there wasn’t much I could do. I finally had a chance to make a real difference this summer. Maybe I could actually help save the bakery and Pig Park. Josefina would have to stick around. No more licking envelopes.

“Masi, tell Felix what you told me,” my dad said.

I put the coffee pot back in its place and picked up the sugar bowl. The spoon clinked against the porcelain. I clasped my forefinger around it. “I thought we could order shirts with the bakery’s name and our names embroidered on them. It would make us look more professional.”

Felix scribbled into his notebook. “That’s fantastic. See. I knew you’d have something good.”

“Thank you.” I stood a little straighter and felt more at ease. I hadn’t made a fool of myself.

“What happens now?” my dad asked.

“I’m going to finish talking to all of the businesses. There’s a neighborhood meeting in a week. I’ll present everyone’s ideas there. That’ll be your chance to come together and discuss which suggestions the larger group can also benefit from.”

“Are you nervous?”

Felix chuckled. “Only a little.”

My dad laughed too. Their laughter rang in my ears. I put the sugar and milk away. I grabbed a dish rag and wiped down the counters. I tuned out the rest of the conversation.

The boys had made a great deal of progress with the pyramid. I thought about what Pig Park would be like with all those new people coming. Maybe they wouldn’t all be new. Maybe some of the old Pig Park residents like Otto would return. That would make Josefina happy. It would be like the American Lard Company never left. They would even reopen our old school.

“Masi,” my dad called. I woke up from the daydream. “Grab the computer when you’re done. Felix is going to show you some websites.”

I pulled the laptop from its drawer and waited for it to turn on. My dad pushed his stool back. The metal legs scraped against the floor. He excused himself into the kitchen.

Felix leaned into the computer. His campfire smell hung in the air. I held my breath. I giggled for no reason at all.

Felix got closer and typed something. “There,” he said. “This is a good site for supplies. It’s affordable, and they offer free shipping. Never pay for shipping.”

“Okay,” I said. “How do you know all this anyway?”

“Experience.”

“But you’re smart too.”

“Well, they didn’t let me skip a few grades for nothing. Just kidding. My mom pushed for that. I wanted to stay with my friends in the fourth grade. I guess it worked out. I’ll get out of school faster and be able to work sooner.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.