Genre:Fiction(realistic)Topic:Gonzaloreflectsonhisimmigrantfamily’sexperienceadaptingtolifeintheU.S.Author:PaulFleischmanSource:Seedfolks(1997)SpecialNote:usedonG4MCAS2004

GonzalobyPaulFleischman

1Theolderyouare,theyoungeryougetwhenyoumovetotheUnitedStates.

2Theydon’tteachyouthatequationinschool.BigBrain,Mr.Smoltz,myeighth-grademathteacher,hasn’tevenheardofit.It’snotinGatewaytoAlgebra.It’sGarcia’sEquation.I’mtheGarcia.3TwoyearsaftermyfatherandImovedherefromGuatemalaIcouldspeakEnglish.IlearneditontheplaygroundandwatchinglotsofTV.Don’tbelievewhatpeoplesay—cartoonsmakeyousmart.Butmyfather,heworkedalldayinakitchenwithMexicansandSalvadorans.HisEnglishwasworsethanakindergartner’s.Hewouldonlybuyfoodatthebodega1downtheblock.Outsideofthereheloweredhiseyesandtriedtogetbyonmumblesandsmiles.Hedidn’twantstrangerstohearhismistakes.SoheusedmetomakephonecallsandtotalktothelandladyandtobuythingsinstoreswhereyouhadtouseEnglish.Hegotyounger.Igotolder.4ThenmyyoungerbrothersandmotherandTíoJuan,heruncle,camenorthandjoinedus.TíoJuanwastheoldestmaninhispueblo2.Butherehebecamealittlebaby.He’dbeenafarmer,butherehecouldn’twork.Hecouldn’tsitoutintheplaza3andtalk—therearen’tanyplazashere,andifyousitoutinpublicsomegangdrivingbymightuseyoufortargetpractice.Hecouldn’tunderstandTV.Sohewanderedaroundtheapartmentallday,inandoutofrooms,talkingtohimself,justlikeakidindiapers.5Onemorninghewanderedoutsideanddownthestreet.My

motherpracticallyfainted.Hedoesn’tspeakSpanish,justanIndianlanguage.Ifinallyfoundhimstandinginfrontofthebeautyparlor,staringthroughtheglassatawomanwithadrieroverherhead.Hemusthavewonderedwhatweirdplanethe’dmovedto.Iledhimhome,holdinghishand,thewayyouwouldwithathree-year-old.SincethenI’msupposedtobabysithimafterschool.6OneafternoonIwaswatchingTV,gettingsmartonTheBradyBunch.4SuddenlyIlookedup.Hewasgone.Icheckedthehallsonallfivefloorsoftheapartmenthouse.Irantothestreet.Hewasn’tinthebodegaorthepawnshop.Icalledhisname,imag-iningmymother’sfacewhenshefoundouthe’dfallenthroughamanholeorbeenrunover.Iturnedthecorner,lookingforthewhitestrawhathealwayswore.TwoblocksdownIspottedit.Iflewdownthesidewalkandfoundhimstandinginfrontofavacantlot,makinggesturestoamanwithashovel.7Itookhishand,buthepulledmethroughthetrashandintothelot.Irecognizedthemanwiththeshovel—hewasthejanitoratmyoldschool.Hehadalittlegardenplanted.Differentshadesofgreenleaveswerecomingupinrows.TíoJuanwassmilingandtryingtotellhimsomething.Themancouldn’tunderstandhimandfinallywentbacktodigging.IturnedTíoJuanaroundandledhimhome.8Thatnighthetoldmymotherallaboutit.Shewastheonlyonewhocouldunderstandhim.Whenshegothomefromworkthenextdaysheaskedmetotakehimbackthere.Idid.Hestudiedthesun.Thenthesoil.Hefeltit,thensmelledit,thenactuallytastedit.Hechoseaspotnottoofarfromthesidewalk.Wheremymotherchangedbussesshe’dgoneintoastoreandboughthimatrowelandfourpacketsofseeds.Iclearedthetrash,heturnedthesoil.IwishedwewerefartherfromthestreetandIwasprayingthatnoneofmyfriendsorgirlfriendsorenemiessawme.TíoJuandidn’tevennoticepeople—hewastotallywrappedupinthework.9Heshowedmeexactlyhowfaraparttherowsshouldbeandhowdeep.Hecouldn’treadthewordsontheseedpackets,butheknewfromthepictureswhatseedswereinside.Hepouredthemintohishandandsmiled.Heseemedtorecognizethem,likeoldfriends.Watchinghimcarefullysprinklingthemintothetroughshe’dmade,IrealizedthatIdidn’tknowanythingaboutgrowingfoodandthathekneweverything.Istaredathisbusyfingers,thenhiseyes.Theywerefocused,notfarawayorconfused.He’dchangedfromababybackintoaman.Style:Thenarrator’svoiceispronounced,bringingthecharacterofGonzalotolife.FAST-R:FormativeAssessmentsofStudentThinkinginReading.ThepassagetextbyPaulFleischmanisfromSeedfolks.Copyright©1997byPaulFleischman.SomequestionsweredrawnoradaptedfromtheG4MCASSpring2004test.AllothermaterialsareCopyright2007bytheBostonPlanforExcellence.