Category: \u00a0Grade 3-5<\/p>\n
by Gwendolyn Lopez, Grade 4<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In the 1950s, my grandfather Rub\u00e9n was a young man in M\u00e9xico. He and his twin brother Salvador were working as miners in the small town of Hostotipaquillo in Jalisco. After the day\u2019s work was done, they were all dirty, sweaty, and tired. Then, they would walk home to take a shower and have dinner. While eating, they would discuss the same subject:\u00a0 How can we have a better future?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere should we go for a better job?\u201d asked Rub\u00e9n.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. How can we make more money?\u201d asked Salvador.<\/p>\n
Their father V\u00edctor (my great-grandfather), who was in another room, overheard them talking. \u201cYou need to go to America,\u201d he said. \u201cYou boys have an aunt, my half-sister, who lives there in Pasadena, California. Her name is Andrea. I could give you her address so you can contact her. I\u2019m sure she will help you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rub\u00e9n and Salvador were full of hope! This was the opportunity that they had been waiting for! However, since calling her by telephone would be too expensive (and there was no internet, Skype, email or text messages in those days), Rub\u00e9n and Salvador took out a pen and a sheet of lined paper and wrote a letter to T\u00eda Andrea asking for her advice on getting jobs in America.<\/p>\n
The letter would take a long time to arrive, almost a month, since it was going all the way to Pasadena, CA in the United States. Then, they would have to wait another month to receive her letter, since it was coming all the way back to M\u00e9xico. So, every day for the next 2 months, after coming home from work, they checked their mailbox before taking a shower and eating dinner.<\/p>\n
Finally, one day, they received the letter from the U.S.A. that they had been waiting for.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does it say? What does it say?\u201d asked Rub\u00e9n eagerly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt says\u2026\u201d said Salvador, as he read the letter:<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dear Rub\u00e9n and Salvador,<\/p>\n
I hope you are all doing well when you receive this letter.<\/p>\n
I talked to my husband, and he might be able to help you<\/p>\n
with the paperwork. We are still not certain if it will be<\/p>\n
a \u201cyes\u201d or a \u201cno.\u201d I will send you another letter in 30 days.<\/p>\n
Your Aunt,<\/p>\n
T\u00eda Andrea<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
Rub\u00e9n and Salvador were happy. Then, their father came into the room and said, \u201cI overheard Chava (Salvador\u2019s nickname) reading the letter. If your aunt says \u2018yes,\u2019 you\u2019re going to need a lot of money for that trip, so you better keep working and saving your money.\u201d They agreed.<\/p>\n
Later that afternoon, Rub\u00e9n went to visit his girlfriend (my grandmother). Her full name was Mar\u00eda del Refugio. Her nickname was \u201cCuca.\u201d Not \u201ccuckoo\u201d or \u201ccookies\u201d but \u201cCuca.\u201d<\/p>\n
He took her out for some ice-cream. He told her about his plans to go to America. When she heard this, she became sad, because she thought he would be away for a long time, and she would miss him.<\/p>\n
But she cheered up quickly when he said that he wasn’t planning on going alone. He suddenly got down on one knee and taking Cuca\u2019s hand, he asked her to marry him! She was so surprised!<\/p>\n
Rub\u00e9n told her to think about it. In 30 days, when he received the letter from t\u00eda Andrea in America, he would come back for her answer.<\/p>\n
For Rub\u00e9n and Salvador, the days seem to pass slowly and the work seemed harder. For Cuca, the nights seemed longer as she lay in bed, tossing and turning.<\/p>\n
Finally, one day the letter arrived. The twins held their breath, opened the envelope, unfolded the sheet of paper, and read together:<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dear Rub\u00e9n and Salvador,<\/p>\n
I have arranged to help you with the paperwork.<\/p>\n
Review the forms I have enclosed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
Rub\u00e9n and Salvador reached into the envelope and each took out a form. Then, they returned to reading the letter.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And I hope you have enough money to make the trip.<\/p>\n
Your Aunt,<\/p>\n
T\u00eda Andrea<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
They were very happy! Salvador immediately began packing his suitcase.<\/p>\n
Rub\u00e9n ran to Cuca\u2019s house. He knocked on her door and she answered.<\/p>\n
She said, \u201cDid you receive the letter? What did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rub\u00e9n couldn\u2019t speak because he was all out of breath!<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say? What did she say?\u201d screamed Cuca.<\/p>\n
All Rub\u00e9n could do was nod his head, \u201cYes! Yes!\u201d<\/p>\n
Cuca smiled and jumped excitedly.<\/p>\n
Then, Rub\u00e9n finally caught his breath, and gasped, \u201cAnd what about you? What do you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cuca also nodded her head, and her brown eyes twinkled, \u201cYes! Yes!\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, they both laughed and hugged each other.<\/p>\n
Rub\u00e9n and Cuca, mis abuelitos (my grandparents), were married shortly after that. They packed all their things and didn’t say \u201cgoodbye\u201d but \u201csee you later\u201d to their family and friends. Although they were going to live in the United States, they said they would never forget about M\u00e9xico and come back to visit.<\/p>\n
Chava hugged his father and told him that once he got a job, he would send him a letter, too.<\/p>\n
Afterwards, they all got in the car and drove off to Pasadena to begin a new life.<\/p>\n
THE BEGINNING\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n