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

moved to Brooklyn to be closer to his parents and to Carmen. Recently, there have been a few incidents—roaming teens vandalizing properties and shoplifting from local stores. Not big-time serious gangs, but still.
    Miguel would just as soon stay alone in the apartment, especially given his plan to take off to Madison Square Garden once everyone is gone. He doesn’t know how to get there from Brooklyn, but he’s sure he can find out by asking. What was that saying his aunt told them in the car about going to Rome? Once there, he’ll find José and José’s papi and go in with them. The other four tickets they can sell.
    But just his luck: Carmen offers to take off at lunchtime from her job as a lawyer in a law firm to stay with Miguel. “I’m fine,” he keeps saying, but he is going to lose his voice all over again, protesting his good health.
    Just before they depart, Papi calls Carmen. She’s leaving the office right now, catching the subway. Papi and Tía Lola and Juanita can go ahead to lunch, as she’ll be there in less than twenty minutes.
    Finally, with one last round of Papi’s admonitions to lock and chain the door, not to open it to anyone except Carmen, to look in the peephole first, Papi and Tía Lola and Juanita depart. Miguel watches them as they come out the front door of the building, cross the street, and then turn at the corner and disappear. Quickly, he gets out of bed and puts on his clothes. As he is pulling on his Knicks sweatshirt, he feels a pang. Carmen is going to come back to the apartment and go crazy over his absence. Still, Miguel can’t let himself think about that. It’s their fault for being overly protective. He’s been housebound now for five days, and soon winter recess will be over and he’ll have spent his whole vacation in bed.Besides, he is leaving a note. He addresses it to Papi & Tía Lola & Juanita , and only as an afterthought adds & Carmen .
Please don’t worry!!! I’m meeting José and his father at the game. I’ll be back as soon as it’s over.          Miguel
    He props the paper on his pillow and feels his heart beating hard. This is really his first major act of disobedience, and he knows he will probably get in big trouble. But just the thought of his parents’ unfairness in denying him one single fun thing on his vacation puts him back on track. He strides out, turning only to check that the door is securely locked.

    Once on the chilly street, Miguel stops a man in a leather jacket and asks him, “Which way to Madison Square Garden?” The man shrugs. Either he doesn’t know or he doesn’t understand English.
    The next person he stops is an elderly woman walking a tiny dog and carrying a little bag and scooper. Someone that careful and tidy must know directions really well.
    “Madison Square Garden?” she repeats, narrowingher eyes as if she might see the complex from here in Brooklyn. “Let’s see. Madison Square Garden …,” she says again. “Madison Square Garden.” Perhaps she thinks that the more she repeats the name, the more likely she is to remember where it is. “What are you going to do at Madison Square Garden by yourself, young man?” she finally asks, sounding irritated, as if she’ll only make the effort to remember directions if Miguel can give her a good enough reason why he wants to go there.
    So much for Tía Lola’s saying that if you have a mouth, you can get to Rome. Miguel can’t even get to Manhattan from Brooklyn!
    He might as well start walking until he finds a subway station. Otherwise, Miguel is going to be standing in front of his father’s apartment building when Carmen arrives.
    But once he finds the familiar sign and descends, he discovers that the token booth is empty. A notice at the window directs customers to buy MetroCards at the machine. If he wants directions, he’d best head back up and try his luck at one of the little shops that line the street.
    As he bolts up the stairs, he smacks