Jasmine Toguchi, Flamingo Keeper

by Debbi Michiko Florence

  I turned around. Mrs. Reese sat on a chair, reading. Usually she sat on her front porch to read, but today was especially hot and sunny. Her backyard had more shade.

  “Do you need to do some thinking this afternoon?” Mrs. Reese asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Go ahead, then,” she said. “I won’t bother you.”

  That’s another thing I like about Mrs. Reese. She lets me do my thing without lecturing me or giving me a bunch of rules.

  I climbed the tree up to my favorite spot, in the crook of a branch. I could sit with my back against the trunk and think. I stared at the leaves. What should I wish for? There was a whole wide world of possibilities. How would I be able to choose just one thing? I grinned so hard my cheeks hurt. This was very exciting!

  I loved chocolate. I could wish for a lifetime supply of chocolate. Or I could wish for Mrs. Reese to bake me brownies without nuts every week. I rubbed my tummy. Then again, maybe that would be too much chocolate. Was there such a thing?

  I could wish for books. Or for a new babysitter. I sure would have liked to have a babysitter who was fun and nice instead of boring Mrs. Peepers. I could wish that Sophie liked me again. That would be a great wish, but that might take a long time to come true. I wanted to color in the other eye of my daruma fast. Thinking of only one wish was hard!

  Maybe I should wish to find my flamingo-egg rock. Although Linnie didn’t seem to miss it, especially now that she had her very own pet.

  Oh! That’s what I could wish for. My very own pet! Not just any pet, but my very own flamingo! Once I had it, Mom would see what a great pet a flamingo could be. I was so happy I felt like I would float into the sky.

  I shimmied down the tree and hopped over to Mrs. Reese. When I’m full of energy and excitement, I like to hop. I hopped twice on my left foot, twice on my right, and then for fun, I jumped up and down three times.

  “That must be some great idea you have there, Jasmine,” Mrs. Reese said with a smile.

  “It is! Thank you for letting me use your tree!”

  “Anytime,” Mrs. Reese said.

  I ran all the way home. Dad was mowing the front yard and he waved to me as I zoomed past him into the house. I grabbed my daruma from the kitchen table. I ran past Mom, who was needlepointing in the living room. When I got to my room, I set the daruma on my desk. I opened my drawer full of markers. I had every color of the rainbow for my collages.

  I dug around in the drawer and my fingers hit something that did not feel like a marker. It was the flamingo-egg rock! I must have put it in my drawer when I was cleaning up. Sometimes I rush when I clean up, especially if Mom tells me I can’t do something I want to do until my room is clean. Good thing I didn’t waste my wish on finding the rock!

  I put the pink rock next to my daruma. “I think you’re good luck,” I said to the doll. How perfect that I found my flamingo-egg rock at the same time I was about to make my special wish!

  I chose a purple marker because purple is my favorite color. I uncapped the marker and carefully colored in an eye with purple. When I was done, I picked up the doll to check it out. Perfect!

  I held him up and said out loud, “I wish I could have a pet flamingo.” And then I kissed the top of his head for extra luck.

  PET STORE

  On Sunday, Linnie invited me to go with her and Mrs. Green to the pet store. Linnie was planning to use her allowance to buy a toy for Trixie.

  The pet store smelled like pine shavings. The first area we passed was the fish section. I stood in front of a large tank filled with fish.

  “So many goldfish!” Linnie said. “And so many colors!”

  “Look over here,” I said. “The sign says these are called angelfish, but they don’t really look like angels.”

  I watched the fish for a few seconds longer. They seemed like they were flying through the water—so graceful, like when my friend Daisy Wang dances ballet.

  After the fish, Linnie and I wandered over to the bunnies and guinea pigs. Then we walked all the way to the back where the birds were. They had parakeets, canaries, finches, and a parrot. I loved watching the birds.

  “Guess what?” I said to Linnie as she chirped to a lovebird.

  “What?”

  “I got a special wishing doll from Obaachan and I wished for a pet flamingo,” I said with a grin.

  “Awesome!” Linnie said. “How do you get a flamingo? Will it come in the mail, or does it fly to you? I wonder when it will happen. Oh! Maybe you should get a toy for your new pet today, too! I’m so excited for you!”

  Linnie grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the dog section.

  I thought about what Linnie had said. How would the flamingo get to my house? Was the daruma like Santa Claus, and he would bring the flamingo to me down the chimney? Or was it magical like wishing on birthday candles? Maybe the flamingo would just POOF appear in the living room one day soon. Tomorrow, I hoped!

  While Linnie looked at the dog toys, I wandered down the aisle. When Linnie and I took Trixie for a walk yesterday, Trixie had pulled and tugged us all over the place. Sometimes Trixie sat down and refused to move. I wondered if my flamingo would need a leash. Our neighbors probably wouldn’t appreciate having a flamingo running through their yards. I stopped and stared up at the collars. Flamingos had really skinny necks. Would there be a collar small enough?

  “What are you looking for?” Mrs. Green asked me.

  “A flamingo collar,” I said, pointing to the top row.

  Mrs. Green reached up for a little purple collar. Because she is the mom of my very best friend, she knows that my favorite color is purple and that I love flamingos. I held the collar and squinted at it. I slipped it onto my wrist.

  “How skinny is a flamingo’s neck?” Mrs. Green asked. Good question.

  “I don’t really know,” I said. Come to think of it, I didn’t know a whole lot about flamingos, but I loved watching them. We saw them every time we went to the zoo. I loved how they strutted around like they were proud of their bright pink feathers. They made a lot of great sounds, too. Muttering, but also calling out in loud honks. But I didn’t know what they ate or liked to do. If I was going to be a good flamingo keeper, I would need to know those things. I handed the collar back to Mrs. Green. I realized I should do some research before I bought anything for my new pet.

  Linnie danced up to us with a stuffed squirrel.

  Mrs. Green laughed. “Yes, Trixie does seem to want to catch a squirrel.”

  “Trixie chases them through the yard, but she isn’t fast enough. This one,” Linnie explained, holding up the stuffed toy, “Trixie will be able to catch, at least.”

  In line at the register, a family ahead of us was buying a rabbit. The boy was very happy about his new pet. I was getting excited about my soon-to-be new pet! I had no idea how or when it would appear, but I knew I’d better figure out how to take care of it before then.

  A PROJECT

  Bong bong bong bing!

  On Monday morning, Ms. Sanchez, my third-grade teacher, played the start-of-the-day song on her xylophone. Everyone in room 5 sat up straight and got quiet.

  “Buenos días!” Ms. Sanchez said. “I have a special announcement. This week we are going to do a fun project. You will each get a chance to be a teacher.”

  That sounded exciting! I imagined standing at the front of the room, playing Ms. Sanchez’s xylophone to get class started. I would make reading time longer.

  “You each will pick something you want to learn about,” Ms. Sanchez said. “We’ll go to the library and you’ll find a book about your topic. You’ll read the book, and then you will do an oral report to teach the rest of the class about it.”

  Hmmm. That didn’t sound as fun as I had imagined, but then I got an idea. I would learn all about flamingos so I would know how to take care of mine when I got it. Then the next time I went to the pet store, I would know what to buy. Mom would be impressed with my flamingo knowledge and then she’d be happy t
o let me keep my pet!

  A few minutes later, room 5 lined up and we followed Ms. Sanchez down the hall to the library. It is like a big bookstore, but everything is free. I borrow books, read them, and then return them to the library and get even more books. It’s the best!

  When we got there, Ms. Groff, the librarian, greeted us as we sat down. Ms. Groff has curly hair and is very tall, probably so she can reach books on the higher shelves.

  “Good morning, room 5,” Ms. Groff said. “Remember, when you go to the computer to look up your topic, find the call number for the subject and write it down. Then use the call number to find the section in the library where your book is. Once you get your books, bring them to me so I can help you check them out. Have fun looking for your books and if you need help, you can ask me or Ms. Sanchez.”

  “What are you going to learn about?” I asked Linnie.

  “I think I will read about training puppies,” she said.

  “How about the rest of you?” I asked my friends as we stood up to look for our books.

  “I already know about a lot of things,” Maggie Milsap said. Maggie was a know-it-all, but I was getting used to her. She moved here to Los Angeles from Portland, Oregon, at the start of the school year. Now we are friends, kind of. “It’s going to be hard for me to find something I don’t know much about,” she said.

  Tommy rolled his eyes. He had the least patience for Maggie, but he tried to be nice, too. “I’m going to learn about karate.”

  Tommy said it the Japanese way: kah-rah-teh. I don’t speak Japanese like my parents, but I know some words. And I know how to pronounce them the right way.

  “I didn’t know you liked karate,” I said.

  “My cousin started taking lessons and it looks fun,” Tommy said.

  We all turned to Daisy Wang. She was already very good at ballet dancing. Her mom is a baker and makes the most delicious treats, which Daisy always shares with us. “I will read about sunflowers. I want to grow them in our garden this summer.”

  “What are you going to do your report on?” Tommy asked me.

  “I know, I know,” Linnie said, smiling. “Flamingos!”

  There was only one book on flamingos at our library. I copied down the call number and went to look for it.

  After Linnie, Tommy, Daisy, and I found our books, we helped Maggie.

  “How about this?” I asked, holding up a book about cats.

  “I’m allergic,” she said.

  “Since you’re from Oregon but live here now,” Linnie said, “maybe you can learn about California.”

  Maggie shook her head. “Oregon is the best state in the world. I don’t need to learn about California.”

  “Chocolate?” Daisy asked, holding up a book. “Everyone loves chocolate.”

  “Sweets aren’t good for you. They rot your teeth.” Maggie’s mom is a dentist.

  “Okay, class,” Ms. Sanchez announced. “Five more minutes. If you haven’t checked out your book yet, now is the time to see Ms. Groff.”

  “Help!” Maggie said to us.

  “They’re trying,” Tommy said.

  Maggie sniffed. “Fine! I’ll close my eyes and pick a book. It doesn’t really matter anyway.”

  Maggie reached onto a shelf and pulled out a book. We crowded around her to see what it was. Tommy started laughing.

  “Things That Explode.” I read the title for everyone.

  Maggie scrunched her face at Tommy. “Why are you laughing? This is a fascinating topic! I’ll become an expert. Just you wait!”

  I took my pretty book about flamingos to Ms. Groff, who scanned it into the computer and handed it back to me.

  “I hope you enjoy your book,” she said.

  I definitely would! Maybe my flamingo would be waiting for me at the house today. I’d better get reading!

  RESEARCH

  When I got home after school, I looked in the backyard to see if my flamingo was there. Nope. I ran into the house and checked the fireplace. Nothing. I peered up into the chimney. I hoped he wasn’t stuck or something. I searched my bedroom, the bathroom, and even the closet. No flamingo. Maybe it wasn’t time yet. Maybe the daruma was waiting to make sure I would know how to take care of my pet.

  I went back to my room with my book. For homework, Ms. Sanchez had told us to start reading the books we’d checked out.

  I set my daruma right in front of me so he could watch me learning about flamingos. I flipped through the pages to look at the photographs. On the first page was a picture of a group of pink flamingos with black-tipped beaks and long skinny legs. Just looking at them made me happy. I turned the page. Baby flamingos are gray. I didn’t know that. On the next page was a picture of flamingos flying!

  After I looked at the pictures, I started to read. There is more than one type of flamingo. The biggest one is called the greater flamingo. That’s the one I wanted! They need to be near calm, salty water, like certain types of lakes. They hang their heads upside down to eat, swishing their beaks to catch little shrimpy things. Their food is what gives them pink feathers! Wowee zowee!

  I didn’t know where the closest salty lake was to our house. Tommy Fraser has a swimming pool in his backyard. Maybe he would let me fill it with salt water for my flamingo. I would teach my flamingo to play fetch like Linnie plays with Trixie. I could throw a shrimp toy for him. I imagined my flamingo flying across my yard to chase his toy. I smiled and hugged myself.

  I took out a piece of paper and started making a list of things I would need for my pet flamingo, like a Frisbee for fetch. I didn’t know where to get the shrimpy things they ate, but I knew the Japanese market sold yummy shrimp chips. I added that to my list. I worked hard until Mom called me for dinner.

  When I sat down to dinner, I cheered. We were having not only roast chicken and mashed potatoes, but also edamame, my favorite vegetable. It’s my favorite because it’s fun to eat! Edamame are soybeans that you pop from the pod into your mouth. One time, back when Sophie used to play with me, we had an edamame war. We popped the beans at each other during dinner. Mom didn’t like that at all. Now we have a rule that edamame can only be popped onto your plate or into your mouth.

  As I ate my dinner, I thought about my list of things I needed for my flamingo.

  “Dad?” I asked. “Can you build a lake in our backyard?” It would be easier to have my own lake than to have to take my pet to Tommy’s house.

  “Why do you want a lake in our backyard?” Dad asked.

  I didn’t want to say anything about my wish at dinner. Mostly because Sophie hadn’t told me hers, so I didn’t want her to know mine. Plus, a small part of me worried that Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me keep a pet. Better to wait until my flamingo was here.

  “I’m just asking if you could do it,” I said. “You know, since you’re so good at building things.”

  Dad smiled. “Well, I suppose if I put my mind to it, I could build a lake.”

  “That’s good to know,” I said.

  “What are you up to?” Sophie asked.

  “I’m not telling you,” I said.

  “Whatever.” Sophie went back to eating her chicken.

  After dinner, Sophie came into my room. I wasn’t allowed to go into her room without asking first, but I was happy to have her in mine.

  She picked up my daruma. “What did you wish for?” she asked.

  “What did you wish for?” I asked.

  Sophie flipped her hair over her shoulder and stared at me, not in a mean way, though. “I’ll tell you soon. First, tell me your wish.”

  “You’ll tell me? Promise?”

  “Yes, eventually. Just not yet.”

  “Why can’t you tell me now?”

  “I want to keep it to myself a little longer,” she said. “Once I share it, it will become everyone else’s wish, too.”

  Interesting. But I had liked sharing my wish with Linnie. She was happy and excited for me. I wanted to share it with my sister, too.

 
“I wished for a pet flamingo,” I said.

  “You can’t keep a flamingo for a pet,” Sophie said. “Mom and Dad would never let you.”

  I nibbled my bottom lip. I suddenly understood why Sophie might not want to share her wish after all. “It’s my wish,” I said. “They can’t stop it from happening.”

  “Good luck with that,” Sophie said, leaving my room.

  I didn’t need luck. I had my daruma wish. I opened my flamingo book again and looked at a picture of a bunch of flamingos together. I read the words under the picture. Flamingos liked to live in a big group, or flock. Walnuts! I wondered if Mom and Dad would let me get more than one. I didn’t want my flamingo to be lonesome.

  I patted my daruma. I hoped he knew what he was doing. “Please make my wish come true soon,” I whispered.

  OBAACHAN’S LESSON

  “Girls,” Mom called to me and Sophie from her office.

  When I got there, she had the computer turned on.

  “Let’s call Obaachan so you can thank her for the gifts,” Mom said, opening the video-chat program.

  “But it’s nighttime,” I said. Whenever Obaachan stayed with us, she liked to go to bed early and read. Sometimes she went to bed at the same time as I did, and I had an early bedtime.

  “Remember, in Japan they are sixteen hours ahead of our time,” Mom explained.

  “So it’s morning there now,” Sophie said.

  I counted in my head. It was seven o’clock here, so that meant it was eleven o’clock in the morning there.

  Sophie and I jostled in the one chair in front of the computer. Mom sighed and pushed two chairs together and made us each sit in our own chair.

  “Ohayo gozai masu,” Mom said when Obaachan appeared on the screen.

  It was weird to hear Mom say good morning when it was night for us.