Free How Tía Lola Learned to Teach by Julia Álvarez Page A

totally recovered. The only fever he has is cabin fever! Man, he can’t wait to get out of this apartment. Good thing the Knicks game is tonight. It’ll be the one fun thing he gets to do before they have to head home early Sunday. Miguel is going to make tonight’s outing count for a whole week of lost vacation time!
    But when Mami calls that morning before going to work, his bigmouthed little sister blabs that Miguel still had a fever last night.
    “Mami, it wasn’t a real fever,” Miguel argues. “It was only ninety-nine.”
    But Mami has made up her mind. “I’m sorry, Miguelito. I know it means a lot to you. But you’re still weak, and this game is at night and it’s winter.… It’s for your own good,” she adds. The old excuse.
    “But it’s the Knicks game,” Miguel protests. His voice is back, but it might as well be gone. His mami refuses to listen. “I’ve been in bed all week! I’m sick of being sick.” Miguel keeps pleading, but sometimes you can just tell when a parent is not going to budge.
    When he gets off the phone, Miguel is ready to kill his little sister. But Juanita is already feeling horrible. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she keeps blubbering, like that’s going to change anything.
    There’s only one person with the power to turn things around. “Please, Papi, can’t you just take me?” Miguel asks.
    Papi shakes his head sadly. “It’d just cause trouble, believe me. Like your Tía Lola says—How does that saying go, Tía Lola, about the soldier and the captain?”
    “Donde manda capitán, no manda soldado.”
    “That’s right.” Papi nods. “Where the captain is in charge, the soldier can’t give orders. Your mami is the boss.”
    “But, Papi, you’re the boss, too!”
    “Try telling that to your mami ,” Papi mutters.
    “We can watch the game on TV,” Juanita offers. “You can have all my turns, okay?” Usually, she and Miguel alternate who gets to watch what program.
    Miguel knows his little sister is trying to make it up to him. But Juanita doesn’t get it again . Watching a game on TV in a small apartment with your family is not the same as being at the actual live game in a huge arena with your best friend and other fans, cheering on your home team!
    Only Carmen seems to understand. She looks at Miguel with sad eyes, as if she wishes she could defy captains and soldiers and whisk her future stepson away to watch the Knicks play the Bulls at Madison Square Garden.
    Miguel tries a new tack. “Carmen’ll lose all that money she paid for our tickets.” Maybe championing his girlfriend’s pocketbook will make Papi change his mind?
    But his father has already thought up a solution. “I’ll call José’s dad and explain. He and José can go to the game and scalp our tickets. We’ll probably make enoughmoney on our five to cover the cost of all seven tickets. Next time you come down, mi’jo , I promise you—”
    But Miguel has already rolled over in bed and pulled his blanket over his head. Who cares about seeing a game months from now? He has had it with his family! As he lies there under his covers, he begins plotting his escape. He is going to make it to Madison Square Garden to see the game no matter what Captain Mami or Officer Papi have to say. After all, Miguel is not in the military, so why does he have to obey?

    Later that morning, Papi takes Tía Lola and Juanita to lunch over at Abuelito’s and Abuelita’s. Miguel would love to see his grandparents, but Abuelita’s health is fragile. She has had one cold after another this winter. It’s probably best not to take any chances by bringing Miguel along, in case he is still contagious.
    “I don’t know about leaving you alone.” Papi worries. He has taken most of the week off from his day job, window-dressing department stores, to be with his children and their aunt. Although Papi isn’t usually that protective, he is still unsure about his new neighborhood. It was only January when he