I ate an ice cream sundae.
At one of the schools I visited they had a surprise for me: A beautiful girl in sixth grade told me I am her cousin. Her Mother is Morales, daughter of a Morales, who was related to a Morales, who died a while ago and couldn’t testify for our family relation anymore, but was my relative. I believe her!
I met Aliki. Sublime.
Things I heard in Visalia and Fresno:
“I like your teeth. I mean, the ones that are still there.” Aliki to a tooth gaped child.
“I imagine things” Karen Cushman.
Things I brought home from Visalia and Fresno:
A drawing from a boy who can’t stop drawing.
A poem from a girl.
My portrait by another girl at the library.
A handmade afghan from Kate.
A branch of cotton that George P. picked up from the fields.
One thing a teacher told one of her students really wanted to ask, but didn’t get a chance to:
“What would you like to be if you weren’t an author and illustrator?”
Here is my short answer:
A filmmaker. A Leon tamer. A landscaper. A dressmaker. A street clown. A scuba diver. A trapeze artist. A guitar player. A psychic. A dancer. A doll maker. A puppeteer. A singer. A poet.
And so, here is the poem I brought home
And a photo with Aliky taken by Kate Nelson.
