Going Home Read Online Free PDF

watched you and thought, all right, she’s the one! Felita is really smart and speaks Spanish, so I can talk to her.”
    Vinny stopped and looked at me with a hurt expression. “Some of the other students make fun of me and call me names. I want to speak correctly. I don’t want to stay speaking English the way I do now. Will you help me, Felita?”
    â€œMe—but how?” I couldn’t imagine what I could do to help.
    â€œTeach me to speak English just like you and the other kids do.”
    â€œYou know, Vinny, they got extra classes in school where foreign people learn English. I know because some of my parents’ friends from Puerto Rico went there. Let me ask for you. Maybe they might even give you special instructions because you are a kid. Tomorrow I’ll ask Mr. Richards—”
    â€œNo”—he cut me off—“I’m not interested in learning any more grammar or English out of books. I can do that myself. What I need is to talk like any other kid. Not out of books, but just regular conversation. Will you help me, please?”
    â€œI still don’t know what I can do.” I was getting pretty confused.
    â€œIt’s very simple. We can meet after school, not each day, but perhaps two times a week. We can just talk about anything. This way I can begin to sound like everybody else.”
    â€œI really don’t know about that.” Vinny stopped and stood before me, his pale green eyes staring sadly at me.
    â€œPlease. Look, Felita, you say that you are going to Puerto Rico this summer. And that your Spanish isn’t all that good, right? Well, what if I help you out with Spanish? Wouldn’t you like to speak it better and learn to read and write it? In this way we can help each other out.”
    I thought about his offer and felt a rush of excitement going right through me. Imagine, out of all the kids in our school, it was going to be me teaching English to Vinny Davila, who all my girlfriends like and act silly around and drool over. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed almost too good to be true. And then I remembered my parents, especially Mami. How could I ever convince her I should have lessons with a boy? And worse yet, a stranger she’d never even met!
    â€œDon’t you think it’s a good idea, Felita?”
    â€œSure I do. In fact I miss not being able to speak to my grandmother in Spanish, and I am going to Puerto Rico, so I would like to speak it as good as possible.”
    â€œSo, do we have a deal?” I didn’t know how to answer Vinny. I mean tackling Mami was a heavy order, and yet I didn’t want to say no to this opportunity of having lessons with Vinny Davila.
    â€œLet me talk to my mother and see what I can do.” I could hardly believe what I’d just heard myself say.
    â€œWonderful! Thank you so much!” Vinny got so excited he spun around and clapped a few times.
    â€œHey, wait a minute, Vinny. I’m telling you right now I can’t make any promises. I still have to figure out a few things and get permission.”
    â€œAll right, but you will let me know soon?”
    â€œI’ll let you know when I know what’s happening. We can talk in school in a free period or you can come to the library when I’m there, okay?”
    â€œThat’s really great. Thank you so much.” He paused and glanced at me, looking a little embarrassed. “There’s just one more thing. I don’t want the other kids in school to know about our lessons—at least not in the beginning. I’d like to wait until I’m speaking better in English. Can we keep this to ourselves?”
    â€œSure,” I said. This was even better than I thought. The fact that Vinny Davila and me shared a secret made me feel special.
    â€œI have to run or I’ll be late.” I turned and ran up the steps. “See you!” I called out to him in