“What can I do for you?” said the deep voice of Mr. Pherson as he entered the living room.
Rosa jumped to her feet. For a few seconds, she could not remember the first words of the next speech she had memorized. Finally, she found her tongue. As she described her idea, her own excitement helped her to know just what to say.
One hour later, Rosa ran home. Number one on the list of important things to do was done. Mr. Pherson would let them use the church for a school if Rosa could find teachers.
The next morning, Rosa was ready to start on number two on the list of important things to do. Tía Natalia was getting better every day. She told Rosa that she could take care of Isabella by herself all day.
“Go have a good time,” Tía said to Rosa. She thought Rosa would like to go play. She did not know what Rosa had planned, but Rosa was off down the road, happily humming to herself.
She pulled a list of names out of her dress pocket.
Papá had always said that Señor Hernandez was good with figures, and Rosa knew that he spoke English well. He would be a perfect teacher for mathematics, she decided. His son Miguel would be proud.
Miss Cordray, the second-grade teacher from the old school, said that she would help for as long as she could, even if she did not get paid. She could teach the little children how to read. She was going to get married soon, and she hoped that her children would care about learning as much as Rosa did.
Señora Rodriguez had moved from Mexico and become an American citizen ten years ago. She could teach history and citizenship.
When Mrs. Pherson found out what Rosa’s idea was, she asked if she could help. Rosa was happy to say that she needed someone to discuss literature with the older students. Mrs. Pherson had her own library in her home and thought that was a perfect idea.
Mr. Roth was a carpenter, and he agreed to rebuild any furniture that had been ruined in the old building. His daughter Angela had told him that the furniture was falling apart even before the roof fell in.
Rosa spent three full days going around to all the people on her list and telling them about her idea. Some people said it would never work. There was no point in trying, so they did not want to help. But enough people agreed to help that Rosa was sure her idea would work.
The next thing on the list of important things to do was to talk to Mr. Orvid, the only member of the school board who was still in town. Rosa remembered when Mrs. Madden talked to the school board about letting the Mexican children go to school with the white children so they would all get a good education. Mr. Orvid had not been too sure that was a good idea. Rosa was afraid he would not like this idea, either.
“But I have hope,” she told herself. “I will take a chance.”
Mr. Orvid was a banker who helped many of the ranchers in the area. He was busy helping ranch owners and farm renters figure out how they could have enough money to keep going. Some people he could not help, but others he could. Rosa used a neighbor’s telephone and called to make an appointment. Mr. Orvid’s secretary did not want to give her an appointment at first. But Rosa would not give up until she had one.
Papá went with Rosa to Mr. Orvid’s office. When he found out about Rosa’s appointment, he did not want her to go by herself. Rosa was glad to have Papá with her. As she waited in Mr. Orvid’s office, her stomach jumped up and down, and she had a hard time taking a deep breath. I’m not finished banging pots, she thought. I have to make a lot of noise with this pot.
At last Mr. Orvid invited Rosa and Papá to come into his office, where they sat in black leather chairs that were nicer than anything Rosa had ever seen.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Sanchez?”
Papá gestured toward Rosa. “My hija will speak.” Rosa knew Papá was nervous about speaking English. He would not say much, but she was glad to have him there.
“Oh?” Mr. Orvid said, looking at Rosa. “Are you going to translate for your father? He really should learn English, you know.”
Rosa sat up straight. “I am not here to translate, Mr. Orvid. I am the one who made this appointment.”
Mr. Orvid sat back in his chair behind the desk and laced his fingers together across his stomach. “Is that so? Then what can I do for you?” Rosa thought Mr. Orvid looked like he was going to laugh, but she pressed ahead.
“You are the last member of the school board. I would like very much for you to listen to an idea,” Rosa said. “I would like to explain the whole idea. Then I will be happy to answer any questions you have.” Rosa hoped she sounded serious and grown-up.
“Please, go ahead,” Mr. Orvid said, still looking amused.
A few minutes later, he did not look so amused.
“You are the little girl that Mrs. Madden made such a fuss about, aren’t you?” he asked.
Rosa nodded.
“And now you come to me with this preposterous notion that you can organize a school?” Rosa was silent. She did not think the idea was preposterous, and it made her angry that he said that, but she held her tongue.
“I suppose you can do whatever you like for the Mexican children,” Mr. Orvid said. “But this will never be a real school, so let’s not waste any more of my time.”
Rosa stood up. “Mr. Orvid, if you have questions, please ask them. I will answer them. This can be a real school if you will help us. The parents will do whatever it takes to meet the state laws for having a school.”
“Well,” Mr. Orvid said, still shaking his head, “it still seems far-fetched to me. Can you expect me to take this seriously—a child coming in here saying she can organize a school?”
“I am serious, Mr. Orvid.”
“I suppose I can play your little game,” Mr. Orvid said. “How about if I agree to think about it and let you know?”
Rosa knew that Mr. Orvid said that just to get her out of his office. He would not think about her idea for a single minute. She felt her face flush with anger. Papá saw the expression on her face. He stood up and put his hand on Rosa’s shoulder.
“Mr. Orvid,” Papá said, “my Rosita, she is not playing game. She want this. She work hard this. We come back three days, and you give answer.”
Rosa could hardly believe her ears. Papá was speaking English, and he was standing up for her to the only person who could make an important decision. She stood up tall and threw her shoulders back.
“I’ll see you in three days, Mr. Orvid.”
CHAPTER 18
Rosa’s School and Papá’s Dream
Rosa straightened up the fifth-grade history books and stacked the first-grade reading books in a neat pile. She sharpened pencils and collected papers that students had left on the desks. Rosa was in the seventh grade with three other students. The seventh graders were the oldest students in the school. When they were not studying their own lessons, they helped younger students with theirs.
The first month of school had been a success. Señor Hernandez came in the mornings and made math fun by giving students real items to measure and problems to solve. Miss Cordray came before lunch and worked with younger students learning to read while older students read some of Mrs. Pherson’s books. After lunch, Mrs. Pherson came to discuss what the students had read while Señora Rodriguez taught history lessons to the other students.
When students saw the new desks Mr. Roth had built, some of the boys asked if they could learn to build things, so Mr. Roth came with tools twice a week after school to teach them. Parents volunteered to come and help students who were having trouble with a certain subject. Rosa herself decided that all the Mexican children would learn proper English, and all the white children would learn a little Spanish.
School had opened right on time. Mrs. Pherson volunteered to be on the school board and filled in all the forms so that the state of Texas would recognize the school as a real school. Mr. Pherson came down the stairs at the church every few days just to see how things were going and make sure no one caused damage to church property. On Sundays, the church members w
ho still lived in town gathered for church services, even if they did not have a minister. Rosa went as often as she could. Church members were more and more proud to have a school in their building.
Rosa usually stayed behind after school to be sure everything was put away properly and cleaned up. At the end of the fourth week of school, she looked up and saw Papá standing in the doorway of the large basement room.
“I was in town trading eggs for beans,” Papá said. “I thought I would walk my Rosita home.”
“Thank you, Papá. I will enjoy your company.”
Papá gazed around the room. “You have done a big thing, hija. You are helping the whole town. I did not understand how important going to school was. You have helped me know that education is important for everyone. When I saw you work so hard to make a new school, I knew that you had learned how to dream big dreams.”
Rosa smiled. Papá had never talked about that day in Mr. Orvid’s office, but he had helped Rosa in his own way. He went back with her three days later, and Mr. Orvid did not dare to say no. Then Papá gave some of her chores to Juan so she would have time to organize the school. He even said that Juan had to help take care of Isabella. Juan thought that was a job for a girl, but Papá insisted. He said that Rosa had a real job to do.
Tío worked on the truck. Dust was everywhere under the hood. He had to take the whole engine apart and clean every piece of it. When he needed money to buy parts, he did odd jobs for people who lived in town. The tires were thin, and the windshield was cracked from rocks thrown up by the storms. Even after Tío’s hard work, the engine was noisy, and it choked and sputtered all the time.
Rosa was not at all sure that the truck would get Tío and Tía and Isabella all the way to California. He would have to stop and fix it again and again. In her heart she thought that Tío knew that, too. But he said things would never be perfect, so he had to do the best he could. He and Tía tied their belongings in the back of the truck and made a bed for Isabella on the seat between them.
When the day came for Tío and his family to leave, Rosa stood next to the truck, holding Isabella tight and crying. Téodoro had left and only wrote one letter. No one really knew where he was. Now Tío, Tía, and Isabella were leaving. Would she ever see her sweet little cousin again? Tío did not know how to read and write very well, but he promised that he would find someone to help him, and he would send letters all the time. And he would go to the place where Téodoro’s letter had come from and try to find him.
Juan and Rafaél walked around and around the truck, inspecting and deciding what they thought. Mamá cried. Every time she wiped her nose and stopped, she just started crying all over again. Papá stood with his hands in his pockets, looking somber, and did not speak very much. Isabella did not understand what was happening and wanted Rosa to climb into the truck with her.
With Tía and Isabella in the truck waiting, Tío shook Papá’s hand.
“I hope Natalia will be healthy in California,” Papá said.
“And I hope your dream of renewing the land comes true,” Tío said. “When the drought is over and the land comes back, perhaps we will come home.”
Papá nodded without saying anything. Rosa knew Papá did not think Tío would ever come back.
With Mamá crying, they waved good-bye as Tío pulled the rattling truck out onto the road. Mamá turned around and went into the house without speaking.
“Hijos,” Papá said, “you have chores to do.”
“Yes, Papá.” Juan and Rafaél headed toward the barn and the henhouse.
“I will miss them so much,” Rosa said.
Together Papá and Rosa watched Tío’s truck disappear from their sight.
“You have taught me to have hope,” Papá said quietly. “I am so proud of you for making your dream come true. Now it is my turn to work hard. I will study at the government project, and I will learn the methods that will bring the land back to us. Someday we will stand out here and look at fields of wheat and pastures of hay. We have many obstacles ahead of us, but I must take this chance to make my dream come true.”
Rosa smiled. That was about the longest speech she had ever heard Papá give.
“I’m glad, Papá. Mrs. Madden told me to take a chance on God. And Henry banged his pot and said, ‘Hope, hope.’”
Papá nodded. “Perhaps I will go to church with you sometime.”
“Papá! I would love that!” Rosa threw her arms around Papá and whispered, “Thank You, God.”
Mandy the Outsider
Norma Jean Lutz
A NOTE TO READERS
Although the McMichael and Mikimoto families are fictional, the events they find themselves in are real. As America pulled out of the Great Depression, rumblings of war were all around. Japan was conquering countries in Asia. Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, was taking over nation after nation in Europe.
Many people in the United States didn’t want to be in another war. But as time passed, attitudes toward going to war changed. Prejudice against Japanese-Americans also increased. Sometimes people vandalized Japanese-Americans’ businesses and threatened their safety.
The good news was that during this time more people had jobs. Because of this, school attendance went up. There weren’t special programs for extremely bright students. Instead, those children “skipped” grades. Some students finished school as much as two years early.
In Memory of Elizabeth Morgan Mattson:
A grand lady! To know her was to love her.
CONTENTS
1. Labor Day Picnic
2. The Golden Ring
3. Library Day
4. Mephibosheth
5. Lora’s Surprise
6. The Lie
7. Back to the Fairfax
8. Mandy Speaks Up
9. In the Library
10. Quiz Contest
11. Take Me Out to the Ball Game
12. John’s Fight
13. Jujitsu
14. In the Limelight
15. Summertime
16. Helga’s Visit
17. New Friends
18. A Leader for the Future
CHAPTER 1
Labor Day Picnic
Pic–nic. Pic–nic. We’re going on a picnic. It didn’t rain. It didn’t rain. We’re going on a picnic.”
Amanda—“Mandy” to almost everyone—slipped farther down beneath the covers in an attempt to drown out the silly song that her sister Susan was singing. The bouncy five-year-old woke up bright and cheery nearly every morning. Today, Labor Day, she was more excited than usual.
“Come on, Mandy. Get up. Help me tie my shoes.” Susan was standing close enough to Mandy’s bed to make it jiggle. The jiggling was irritating, especially this early in the morning. Mandy lay still, pretending she was still asleep.
“Please, Mandy. I’m saying ‘please.’ You said ‘please’ is the magic word.”
Susan now resorted to tugging on the bedcovers.
“Go away,” Mandy muttered. “Get John to tie your shoes. Or Caroline.”
“They’re all downstairs. You’re the last sleepyhead. Please hurry. Ben’s been calling for me to come on.”
Ben was Susan’s twin and constant companion. The two of them were like a couple of bear cubs rollicking into mischief wherever they went. Both could be real pests at times. Especially when Mandy wanted to be left alone—which was now!
The bed bumped and creaked as Susan crawled up on it, placing both her feet close to Mandy’s head. “Mama says if I walk downstairs with my shoes untied, I might fall.”
Slowly, Mandy uncovered her head. As she did, the aromas of coffee and bacon accosted her sleepy senses. She sat up and found herself nose-to-nose with the grinning face of her curly haired little sister. “Hi,” Susan said, giving a little wave.
“How can you be so noisy this early?” Mandy tried unsuccessfully to stifle a big yawn.
“It’s not early. Please hurry and tie my shoes. Please?”
Pushi
ng back the covers, Mandy swung her feet over the side of the bed. “If I tie them, will you leave me alone for a while?”
Susan nodded and her glossy dark curls bobbed. “Sure I will. I’m going to help pack the picnic basket. Mama said I could.”
Mandy felt a twinge of guilt for lying in bed while the rest of the family joined in the preparations. Pulling Susan’s foot into her lap, she tied first one little brown oxford, then the other.
A picnic at the park on Labor Day hadn’t gotten her vote. Mandy was hoping they would go back to the Fairfax Hotel, where they used to live. Not that she’d voiced her opinion. What good would it do when everyone else was so gung-ho on this picnic idea? She would have been terribly outnumbered.
“Your buttons are buttoned wrong.” Mandy pointed to the front of Susan’s playsuit.
Susan giggled as she looked down at her front. “They’re all cockeyed, aren’t they?”
“For sure. Here, let me fix them for you.” Mandy unbuttoned and rebuttoned the playsuit. “You’re all ready. Now scoot out of here and leave me alone.”
Susan looked up at Mandy. “You’ll hurry, won’t you? You don’t want to make us late for the picnic, do you?”
Mandy wanted to ask how a person could be late for a picnic, but she didn’t. “We won’t be late,” Mandy assured her. “I promise.”
With that, Susan threw her arms around Mandy’s neck and planted a wet kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Mandy.”
Mandy smiled in spite of her sour feelings. “You’re welcome. Now get!”
Susan could be such a pain, but as soon as she was gone, their big bedroom suddenly took on a hollow, empty feeling. Mandy got up and began to straighten the chenille bedspread. The spread was patterned with pink rosebuds and a trim pink border on a mint-green background. She’d helped Mama pick out the colors for the room. The vanity table with its large gold-frame mirror flanked the white bureau against the far wall. A ruffled mint-colored skirt hung on the vanity, and a matching tufted stool sat in front of it. Pink and mint green were repeated in the floral wallpaper and the priscilla curtains.
American Triumph: 1939-1945: 4 STORIES IN 1 Page 11
