The Trouble Begins Read Online Free PDF Page A

arms in the air and pointing at my house. They talk to him and the lady policeman puts a hand on his arm to calm him down. He's still sputtering after them when they get in their black and white car and drive away. That old man called the police because I took a few of his berries. I'm going to call the police next time he looks in our window. Thuy marches back to her studying but she yells, “Du, you stupid!” when she walks past me.
    I put the blanket down. I go in the kitchen to get some food. My grandma's there in the hallway. She has her big straw hat on, rounded on top with the brim like an umbrella. Americans don't wear them. She's scared because the police came. I know she meant to go too if the police took me away. I tell her what happened.
    “Berries?” she asks, not quite believing me. “Berries?” She can't understand that someone would call the police about berries. I shrug. Neither can I. “It's okay now,” I say as I help her back to her room. “Don't worry.”
    “You buy berries, Du,” she says. “All you want.” She gives me money from her pocket to buy berries but it's Vietnamese money. She forgot. Then she adds, “This country has bad food but nice police.” I don't tell her it has mean old men too. Everybody in the Philippines said, “America, America, it's a wonderful place, the best in the world.” So Ba and Ma and Thuy and Lin and Vuong came here but the Americans wouldn't let my grandma and me come. That old spy didn't want us to come, I'm sure. Now maybe he wants to send us back so he spies and calls the police.
    My dad comes home late like always. Thuy hurries to tell him about that old man spy calling the police about the berries. My dad slumps in the kitchen chair but his face sets into anger. “You stay in our yard from now on,” he orders me. He goes to get something to eat. I make a face at Thuy. I guess I won't go out of the yard unless I get hungry and want some more berries. I don't care about staying in the yard. My dad'll forget about it anyway. He's too busy working to worry about a couple of berries. But that oldman scared my grandma. I wonder if she worries we'll get sent back.
    Later I take her tea and she tells me a story about a monkey in Vietnam who picked berries and when a snake bit him he thought it was a thorn from the berries so he didn't pay attention and the snake ate him. Usually in her stories I am a dragon, lordly and smart and powerful, not a stupid monkey. I laugh because we both know she's trying to teach me not to pick the berries.

    I'm lying here thinking that some ripe berries would be very good for breakfast. It's so early that that old man is sure to be asleep. It's still mostly dark outside but I don't even need a light. I'll just toss my blanket in the closet, feel around for my clothes here on the floor, and I'm getting out of here.
    It's nice outside in the time before morning. It's cool and quiet. Those berries must be fresh and wet from the dew. The old man's not even awake but I'll still go over the wall in back. It's so easy for me.
    I'll just back up to get a run across the alley. Run. Jump as high as I can to grab the little crack in the blocks near the top. I strain with just my fingertips holding until my feet can find a rough spot to give me a boost up to the top. This is so easy. His big wall can't keep me out. It's easier than last time. I just reach over the top now and pull.
    My hands flail around to get a grip but there's nothing tohold on to, just slippery ooze all over the top. I'm going to fall. Oof! Ow! I can't breathe. I'm flat on my back in the alley gasping for breath and I know as soon as I can think that it's that old man who did it.
    Finally I can pull some air into my lungs. I put my hand to my face and my hand is covered with black slippery oil. I look up at the top of the wall. At the end near our yard sits that cat, looking down at me. “Did you see that? He tried to kill me,” I call to the cat.
    I don't want