Free Going Home by Nicholasa Mohr Page A

packed away.”
    The buzzer sounded from downstairs and we all filed out of our apartment. Chuco, my father’s friend from work, was driving us to the airport in his car.
    When we got to the airport, I felt so excited, because even though I’ve been there before, it’s always been to greet somebody coming in or say good-bye to somebody going out. Now it was my turn to travel.
    On the plane I got a window seat next to my parents. Tio sat next to Tito and Johnny in another window seat. They sat directly in front of us. When the engines started and the plane took off, I got so scared I held on to Mami’s arm with both hands.
    â€œIt’s gonna be all right, Felita. In a moment we will be high up and you won’t even feel like you are moving.” She was right. After a while all the buildings and water down below disappeared and all I could see outside was a white fog. The plane felt like it was standing still. When the drink cart came around, I ordered a ginger ale and the flight attendant put a cherry in it for me. Later we had lunch. The food looked a whole lot better than it tasted. Still, it was fun to get my very own tray. It made me feel like a grown-up. I got up and walked around, but there wasn’t any place to go to. I saw that Tio Jorge was sleeping. My brothers were reading sports magazines and listening to music on the headphones. I went back to my seat, put the headphones on too, and before I knew it I fell asleep. Mami woke me to tell me that we were going to land in San Juan in a few minutes.
    â€œLook, Felita,” Mami said. “There are palm trees!” When the plane landed, all the passengers applauded. We got our luggage and went toward the exit. In the airport lots of people were waving and calling out names in Spanish. We heard somebody call out our names. From the pictures we had at home I recognized my mother’s sister, Aunt Julia, and her brother, Uncle Tomas. They came running over with Mami’s father, Abuelo Juan, followed by two little kids, a boy around nine and a girl around seven, as well as two older boys around my brothers’ ages. I knew from the pictures at home that they were my cousins: Carlito, his little sister Lina, and José and his brother Tony. Mami and Aunt Julia began to cry, but it was Abuelo Juan who was crying the loudest.
    â€œAt last!” he said, wiping his eyes and blowing his nose, “I’ve seen my daughter and my grandchildren. I’m content now and ready to meet my maker anytime.” Abuelo stepped back and looked carefully at me and my brothers. “Now, do you children understand your grandfather? Do you understand Spanish?” We all said yes. “Very good,” he said in English and laughed. “I know a little English too, listen: ‘How much it costs, please? Sorry, is too much money!’ ” Everyone laughed with Abuelo. Then Uncle Tomás picked Mami up and spun her around.
    â€œRosita, you look as beautiful as ever!” I noticed that Aunt Julia, Uncle Tomás, and Mami all had dark complexions like Abuelo Juan as well as his same smile.
    We split up into two cars. It was very hot and the sun was so strong that I had to squint to see clearly. But once we got into my uncle’s car, he put on the air conditioner and it got cool and comfortable. All through the ride to Abuelo Juan’s, Lina kept on holding and squeezing my hand.
    â€œFelita,” said Uncle Tomás, “ever since Lina heard you were coming here, she has talked of nothing else. Every day she asked us, ‘When is my cousin, Felita, coming from New York?’ ”
    â€œThat’s right”—Lina hugged me—“you are going to be my very best friend, right?”
    â€œSure”—I looked over at Carlito—“and your brother’s friend too.”
    Lina whispered in my ear, “You don’t wanna be his friend, all he’s interested in is