Grandpa Walt’s head dropped. “I don’t know.”
“I do!” Starr raised her hand as if she were in a classroom. “Her full name is Nina Rosarita Lopez!”
Grandpa Walt frowned.
“Grandpa, you failed the BFF quiz,” said Ivy.
Starr nodded. “I guess you don’t know Abuela very well.”
Grandpa Walt turned to Abuela with sad eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Abuela took his hands.
“Don’t worry, sweetie. We may not know everything about each other now, but we have plenty of time to learn. Think about how much fun that will be!”
Grandpa Walt smiled.
“I have an idea,” Abuela said. “Let’s get some ice cream.”
Starr’s and Ivy’s eyes widened.
“You don’t like ice cream!” said Grandpa Walt.
“But you love it. I’d like to try it again. It’s part of getting to know you.”
Abuela looked at the girls. “Would you like to join us?”
Ivy and Starr were speechless. Their mouths were open, but no sound was coming out. Finally, Ivy muttered, “Maybe later.”
After the grandparents left, Ivy shook her head. “Our plan failed. They don’t care that they barely know each other.”
Starr shrugged. Their plan may not have worked, but she thought it was sweet that Abuela would try ice cream for Grandpa Walt.
“What are we going to do now?” Ivy sounded desperate.
“What about swimming or ping-pong? There’s a lot to do on this ship.” Starr was ready to have some fun.
“That’s it!” Suddenly, Ivy was digging through her bag. She pulled out papers from the ship’s Welcome Aboard! packet.
“If Abuela is willing to try one of Grandpa Walt’s favorite things, then he should try something she likes too.”
“That seems fair,” said Starr. She watched Ivy search through the papers.
“Aha!” Ivy held up a colorful flyer. “Let’s show them how different they really are!”
Chapter Five
“What’s this?” asked Grandpa Walt, when Ivy handed him the flyer after lunch.
Abuela glanced at the paper. Her eyes lit up.
“It’s a cooking contest in the ship’s kitchen!” said Ivy. “The winner’s dish will be served to all the guests at dinner tonight!”
Grandpa Walt wrinkled his nose as he read the flyer. “A mole contest? Why would anyone want to eat food made out of squinty-eyed rodents? Yuck!”
Starr giggled. “It’s pronounced moh-lay. It’s a Mexican sauce, and the main ingredient is chocolate. It’s yummy!”
“I make the best mole,” said Abuela proudly.
“I bet you do!” Grandpa Walt smacked his lips. “I can’t wait to try it!”
“Grandpa, we entered you into the contest too,” said Ivy.
He tilted his head. “Ivy, you know I’m a terrible cook.”
“It will be fun! I can be your assistant. Starr and I are too young to enter on our own. I’ll help you, and she’ll help her grandmother.”
Abuela and Starr slapped a high five.
“But there’s a soccer game on TV,” he said. “I love watching sports.”
“And Abuela loves cooking,” said Starr. “Don’t forget, she ate ice cream for you.”
“That’s true!” said Abuela.
The girls crossed their arms and waited for Grandpa Walt to respond.
“Okay!” he said, throwing his hands in the air. “Let’s get cooking!”
The ship’s huge kitchen included a separate area for demonstrations and contests. There were five mini-kitchens, each one set up with a stove and cooking tools. Abuela chose kitchen #4, while Grandpa Walt took kitchen #5. Starr watched him pick up a blender to examine it. She wondered if he had ever seen one before.
Ivy gave her grandfather a piece of paper. “I found a recipe online.”
Grandpa Walt shrugged. “I’m not good at following recipes.”
“I know,” Ivy said.
The cruise director, Jenny, stood in front of the contestants. “Is everyone ready for the contest to begin? When I start the timer, you’ll have sixty minutes to cook your sauce. On your marks, get set, go!”
Grandpa Walt looked like a wild chicken as he flapped around, trying to locate all the ingredients. Onions, chiles, tomatoes, garlic, tortillas, and chocolate needed to be chopped, diced, and cooked. Soon, his space looked like a refrigerator had exploded all over it. Ivy helped, but she mostly let Grandpa Walt make a mess.
Meanwhile, Abuela’s station was spotless. As she worked, her eyes were fixed on Grandpa Walt. “Look at him, Starr. He’s using a coffee mug instead of a measuring cup. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
But Starr wondered if Abuela knew what she was doing. Her grandmother kept adding spicy peppers to her pan.
“Do you really want to use all those chiles?” Starr asked. She had never seen Abuela use so many before.
Abuela didn’t answer. She was still focused on Grandpa Walt. “Now he’s eating the chocolate. Silly man! He won’t have enough for the sauce!”
Starr watched Abuela add even more peppers to her pan.
“Grandpa Walt!” Ivy snickered. “You put a lot of sugar into the sauce. The recipe calls for three tablespoons.”
“You can never have too much sugar!” Grandpa Walt grinned.
“That’s what you always say,” Ivy grinned back.
Whirrrrrrr! Blenders were chopping at all five workstations. The loud humming sound added to the crazy chaos of cooks working fast.
Then suddenly—Ding!
As Jenny said, “Time’s up!” Grandpa Walt quickly threw more sugar and spices into his sauce.
“We have a special surprise,” Jenny continued. “We’ve invited a celebrity chef to judge the event. Please welcome Conchita Consuela!”
Abuela gasped as a stern woman dressed in a white chef’s coat stepped forward. Conchita Consuela was Abuela’s favorite chef. And now this celebrity was about to sample her mole!
With her nose in the air and a wooden spoon in her hand, Conchita began to taste the sauces. She gave kitchen #1’s sauce a slight smile and an “Mmmm.” Kitchen #2’s sauce received an “Ahhh.” Kitchen #3 only received a head nod.
“¡Bienvenida!” Abuela squealed as the chef approached her counter. “I hope you like my sauce!”
Conchita raised an eyebrow. She dipped her spoon into Abuela’s sauce and then placed it into her mouth. Within seconds, the chef started gasping for air. She managed to choke out two words: “Too spicy!” Abuela froze, but Starr leaped into action. She thrust a glass of milk at the flailing woman. The celebrity chef quickly slurped it up.
Conchita cleared her throat. “Thank you,” she said to Starr. “You saved my life.” Then she turned to Abuela, “No thanks to you.”
Abuela’s face turned as red as a tomato.
Conchita approached Grandpa Walt’s station. He swallowed hard as she scooped up a small amount of sauce and carefully placed it on her tongue. She smacked her lips. Quickly, she stuck her spoon into his dish again.
“This is the best mole I’ve ever tasted!” she announced.
“Huh?” asked Grandpa Walt.
“The combination of chocolate and chiles is perfect. It’s sweet and not too spicy.” Conchita glared at Abuela, who quickly looked away.
Conchita held Grandpa Walt’s hand in the air. “We have a winner!”
The room erupted into applause. Grandpa Walt looked more confused than happy. He glanced at Abuela and shrugged his shoulders. She crossed her arms and shook her head.
Grandpa Walt followed cruise director Jenny into the main part of the kitchen to share his special recipe with the kitchen staff. Conchita left with a group of fans begging for her autograph. Only Starr, Ivy, and Abuela remained in the kitchen.
“Congratulations,” Starr said to Ivy.
“Thanks,” she said. She looked as stunned as Grandpa Walt. “I can’t believe he won.”
>
“Neither can I,” said Abuela. “Because of his crazy cooking, I didn’t pay attention to my own sauce.”
Starr thought she sounded hurt, angry, and ashamed all rolled together.
“I’ll be in my room.” Abuela left the kitchen with her head hanging low.
Starr wondered why Ivy wasn’t celebrating. The scheme to drive the older couple apart seemed to be working.
“I thought Grandpa Walt would mess up and Abuela would win, not the other way around. Conchita was so mean to Abuela. I don’t like when people hurt other people’s feelings.”
“Me neither,” Starr said.
“Do you think Abuela will go to dinner?” asked Ivy.
Starr felt a lump in her throat. “I don’t know.”
“Do you think they’ll break up?”
“I don’t know,” Starr said again. But she was thinking, I hope not.
Chapter Six
That night at dinner, Abuela did some things Starr and Ivy hadn’t expected: she smiled, laughed, and made a toast to celebrate Grandpa Walt’s big win.
“Congratulations to my wonderful Walter! The man I love makes a magnificent mole!”
Abuela was no longer upset. In fact, she was full of joy. She treated Grandpa Walt like he was a celebrity chef. She raced from table to table, making sure that everyone tasted his sauce. “My sweetie made the mole!” she told the other passengers. “Isn’t it delicious? Would you like a second helping?”
Starr had to agree—the sauce was yummy. She gobbled up a whole chicken enchilada smothered in it. Ivy ate her sauce on top of rice and beans.
At one point, Starr glanced over at Grandpa Walt. He gave Abuela a kiss on the cheek. This made her grandmother smile…which made Starr smile too. She was starting to think the two of them were a perfect couple.
After dinner, all the guests went to the ballroom for a dance party. The DJ skillfully mixed tunes ranging from pop to rock ‘n’ roll. Ivy played air guitar while Starr showed off her best hip-hop moves. When it came time for the chicken dance, both girls couldn’t stop laughing as they clucked and flapped their wings.
The music slowed. “It’s time for a romantic dance,” announced the DJ.
Starr and Ivy watched Grandpa Walt lead Abuela to the dance floor. The couple twirled gracefully, clearly using steps from their ballroom dance lessons.
“They look so happy,” Starr said to Ivy. “Like a prince and princess at a ball.”
Ivy nodded.
“Maybe they’re a good match after all,” Starr said. She hoped that Ivy would agree.
Ivy sighed. “My plan to break them up didn’t work, that’s for sure.”
“The plan was good,” said Starr, “but we can’t break up a couple who wants to be together.”
“I guess you’re right.” Ivy took a long, deep breath. “I want Grandpa Walt to be happy, and Abuela makes him very happy. But I’m going to miss him when he’s not around.”
“I’m going to miss her too,” said Starr. She hugged her friend.
Suddenly Ivy perked up. “I just thought of something. When they get married, we’ll be part of the same family.”
“And that means we can see each other all the time!” said Starr.
A smile spread across Ivy’s face. “Maybe this wedding is a good idea after all!”
Chapter Seven
Wooooooooh! Wooooooooh!
The foghorn wailed as the cruise ship entered the harbor. Today they were making a stop at the Mexican port of Cozumel. Passengers could get off the ship and explore the town’s beaches, shops, and cafés.
“Come on, girls, we don’t want to be late!” said Abuela as she rushed Starr and Ivy off the ship.
“Where are we going?” asked Starr.
“I’m taking you two on a surprise outing,” said Abuela before hailing a taxicab.
As they drove, Starr looked out the taxi window and saw a town full of color. The buildings were painted in rich yellows, oranges, and purples. Vendors sold ripe melons, candy, and piñatas from carts along the street.
The taxi stopped in front of a store, El Vestido Bonito.
“The Pretty Dress,” Starr translated for Ivy. And inside, that’s exactly what they discovered. Racks and racks of pretty dresses in every style, color, and size.
“¡Hola!” A woman with a bright smile greeted them. “May I help you?”
“We’re here for a very special reason,” said Abuela.
Starr and Ivy glanced at each other.
“I’m buying these girls flower girl dresses to wear in my wedding!”
Starr and Ivy squealed with joy. Starr was happy that Ivy no longer had bad feelings about the upcoming wedding.
The store owner directed the girls towards dresses in their size. Starr and Ivy dug through the racks as if they were searching for gold.
“This one is pretty,” said Starr, holding up a hot pink gown with a big poofy skirt.
“I like this one!” Ivy clutched a short black dress.
Abuela shook her head with a smile. “You girls are so different!”
“That’s for sure!” Ivy and Starr giggled.
“Let’s have a fashion show,” suggested the store owner.
Starr and Ivy grabbed five dresses each and headed back to the dressing rooms. Abuela sat on the sofa to enjoy the show. Every few minutes one of the girls came out wearing a different dress. Starr’s picks were always colorful and shimmery, while Ivy’s choices were dark and edgy. They cheered each other on as they pretended to be supermodels on a runway.
“How will you ever decide on a dress?” asked the store owner.
“I’ll choose,” said Abuela, walking over to the racks. After a quick search, she pulled out two dresses. One was black and the other was pink. But they were both traditional Mexican dresses with lace and ribbon.
Starr’s and Ivy’s eyes lit up.
Starr reached for the pink one, and Ivy took the black one. They emerged from the dressing room a few minutes later looking like princesses.
“Shall I wrap them up?” asked the store owner.
“¡Sí!” exclaimed the girls.
Chapter Eight
Back on the ship, Starr, Ivy, and Abuela went looking for Grandpa Walt. They found him in the sports lounge watching a soccer game on TV. He looked tense as he rooted for his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lions.
“Grandpa Walt,” said Ivy as they approached. “Look at our flower girl dresses. Aren’t they pretty?” The girls held them up for him to see.
“That’s nice, dear,” said Grandpa Walt, his eyes still glued to the TV.
“Walter!” Abuela said loudly to get his attention. “These are the dresses the girls will be wearing in our wedding.”
“Oh! They’re pretty.” He turned back to the television.
Abuela grimaced. “What’s so important about this silly soccer game?” she snapped.
“It’s a very important game,” said Grandpa Walt, raising his voice.
Starr had never heard him do that before.
“The score is very close. The Lions have to win,” he added.
“Who are they playing?” Ivy asked.
“The San Antonio Sharks,” he said.
Abuela’s eyes opened wide.
“You’re right. This is an important game,” she said with a devilish smile. “Go Sharks!” She pumped a fist into the air.
Grandpa Walt snorted. “‘Good luck, Sharks’ is more like it.”
Starr and Ivy exchanged startled looks. Their grandparents had always been kind to one another. But now, as they watched the game together, the older couple began to taunt each other while cheering on different teams.
“Yes!” Grandpa Walt yelled whenever the Lions would steal the ball.
“Hah!” Abuela squealed whenever the Sharks would steal it back.
As the game wound down to the final seconds, the score was tied 2 to 2. Grandpa Walt had to wipe his sweaty forehead with a napkin.
A Sharks player kicke
d the ball toward the Lions’ goal, but his aim was off. Suddenly, his teammate jumped up into the air and hit the ball with his head. Everyone in the lounge gasped as they watched the ball fly straight into the Lions’ goal.
Buzzzz! The game was over. The San Antonio Sharks had won.
Abuela started a victory dance. She waved her arms in the air and chanted, “We beat the Lions! San Antonio is the best!”
Grandpa Walt scowled. “San Antonio isn’t the best. Los Angeles is a much better city.”
Abuela froze. “What?”
“Los Angeles has the beach, Hollywood, Disneyland—”
“San Antonio has the river walk, beautiful Spanish missions, and, most importantly, my family!”
“Los Angeles has my family!” said Grandpa Walt.
“Are you saying your family is more important than mine?”
Starr blinked in surprise. “I don’t think that’s what he meant, Abuela,” she said quickly.
“Both cities are great,” Ivy added.
“Girls, stay out of this!” Abuela hissed.
“Go back to your rooms,” Grandpa Walt ordered. “The adults need to talk.”
As Starr and Ivy walked away, Grandpa Walt and Abuela started arguing again.
“I don’t like this,” said Ivy.
“Me neither. I hope they make up soon,” said Starr.
But Grandpa Walt and Abuela did not make up soon. That night they stayed in their rooms, not even coming out for dinner. There was no sign of them the next day either. They missed making sand sculptures in the morning, playing bingo in the afternoon, and an Italian dinner buffet that night.
Ivy and Starr picked at their pasta dishes.
“Grandpa Walt loves Italian food,” Ivy said. “He never misses a meal.”
“It must have been a very bad fight,” said Starr.
After dinner, the girls and the rest of their families went to the theater to watch a comedy show. The comedians told clever jokes, sang silly songs, and fell down over and over again. They had the whole audience cracking up. Everyone, that is, except Starr and Ivy.
“I’m too sad about Abuela and Grandpa Walt to laugh,” said Starr after the show.
“Me too,” said Ivy. “Everything has changed. I actually want them to get married now. They seemed so happy before.”
Starr and the High Seas Wedding Drama (Flower Girl World chapter book) Page 2
