I reach for the walker picture with my claws.
“Hey, don’t rip my drawing!” Miguel says. “I hope you don’t hate art like my parents.”
I sit on the walker to cover it up.
Miguel tilts his head and looks at me. “Oh … you don’t like the walker, right? You always jump when you hear it coming. Did a walker hurt you before you came to live here, Lolo?” He rubs me behind the left ear.
That feels good. I close my eyes and purr.
“That’s right,” Miguel says. “There aren’t any walkers here. You’re safe.”
CHAPTER 20 Miguel
I stomp into Tío Diego’s apartment on Friday afternoon.
“Ay, Miguelito, come in, come in!” He smiles real big. “You brought Lolo!”
I take Lolo out of my bag and sit him on the couch next to my uncle. Then I step back and watch so I can see where Lolo runs off to when he springs away. But he doesn’t go anywhere.
“Such a sweet gatito.” Tío Diego uses his good arm to scratch Lolo behind the left ear. Lolo closes his eyes and purrs. “Oh, he likes me now! Quick, Miguel, get the treats from the cabinet!”
I hand him the treats, then I put away the containers of food Mami sent over.
“Mami made sancocho,” I mumble. “Do you want some now?”
“Yes, thank you, mijo.”
I heat up Tío Diego’s food and bring him a steaming bowl.
“Gracias,” he says. “Have some cookies! Bárbara made them. Also, open that drawer over there.”
Inside the drawer is a small sketch pad and a box of colored pencils. I look at Tío Diego.
“I keep art supplies handy for when Juan and Bárbara bring the girls over,” he says, “but you can use them now if you want.”
“Thank you!”
I always feel like Tío Diego wants me to like the things he likes, but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he’s just trying to understand me. Maybe, like Ms. Miller, he sees that I have the heart of an artist.
Lolo rests his head on Tío Diego’s lap while my uncle eats and watches a court show on TV. Tío Diego thinks I don’t see him slip Lolo some chicken, but he sure is obvious about it. Surprisingly, this is turning out to be a pretty good afternoon for all three of us.
“Miguel!” Tío Diego gasps. “Did you draw all that?”
Uh-oh. Will he tell my parents I’m wasting time on silly little dibujitos? Should I have used the paper for math equations instead? I’m going to be in so much trouble.
“That’s fantastic, Miguel! What marvelous talent you have!”
Did he really just say that? I must have heard wrong.
“Um, thanks. It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?! Young man, you need to be proud of your gifts. I’m sure your parents are very proud of you!”
I shake my head. “They hate art.”
“Bah!” Tío Diego flaps his good arm at me. “Art is beautiful!”
“I know, right?” I sit next to my uncle. “They made me quit art club.”
Tío Diego tsks and shakes his head. “They should know better than to discourage your talents. They’re so busy they probably aren’t thinking straight. Why don’t you give them extra help at the bodega tomorrow and see if you can change their minds?”
Weird. Didn’t my parents tell him he’s supposed to keep me trapped here tomorrow? Maybe he forgot. Hmm, that might be a good thing. A brilliant idea hits me like lightning.
“Well … I need to stay here with you all day tomorrow, don’t I?” I bat my eyes like an innocent kitten.
“No, no, no, your tío Juan is coming over in the morning to prepare my breakfast. I just need you to help me with lunch and dinner. The rest of the day, you can go help your parents!”
I break out into a big smile. This is my lucky day!
“Okay, well, I’ll come at lunchtime for a little while, and then I’ll be back before dinner.” That should give me enough time to go see the exhibit. I’ll have to find my own way there and back since I don’t have a permission slip, but that’s okay. As long as I get to see all that great art, I’m happy. My heart pounds with excitement just thinking about it. “Is that okay, Tío?”
“Of course, of course. I know you’re needed at the bodega.” Tío Diego hands me his empty bowl. “Now, tell me, how did you learn to draw like that?”
Should I tell him I won’t be needed at the bodega tomorrow afternoon? That Yesenia is coming to help my parents so I can stay with him? I think he would be okay with me going to the museum for a little while, but he might mention it to my parents.
