the Sunday deadline.
“That’s so unfair!” Essie is beside herself. “First we don’t get to go to Disney World. Now we don’t get to move to Vermont.” Her gloomy side is back. The glass is not half full, it’s almost empty. The roller-coaster ride will never, ever go back up again.
Her older sister won’t give up so easy. “Come on, Essie. We have until Sunday.”
But Sunday is only two days away! “So what do you propose?” Essie says, hoping against hope that someone will come up with a solution.
“I have an idea, I have an idea!” Juanita pipes up. She explains that earlier today at Stargazer’s shop, she bought something called a mood ring. She already showed it off to Cari and Essie and Tía Lola. “You put it on and the stone changes colors to show your deepest, most secret feelings. See, like right now, it’s kind of red?” Juanita unfolds the little piece of paper that came with the ring. Oh no! Redmeans she is anxious and stressed. But actually, that makes perfect sense, given that Juanita is worrying about Mami. If the stone were to turn violet, it would mean romance, passion, marriage. “So, what if we get Mami to wear it tomorrow? Then we check at dinner and see if she’s really in love. What do you think?”
Miguel thinks it’s the craziest thing he’s ever heard of. Wouldn’t Mami already know if she loved or didn’t love someone?
“But maybe your mami isn’t sure she really loves Papa as much as he loves her, you think?” Victoria ventures. She would not want her father to get hurt for anything in the world. “I’d hate for your mother to get hurt, too,” she adds. Sweet Victoria. Not wanting anyone to be unhappy. Growing up is not going to change her.
“But how are you guys going to get Mami to wear the ring?” Miguel asks. They are so rah-rah with the idea, they’re forgetting this minor logistical detail.
After a moment of consideration, the girls turn to Tía Lola. “Please, por favor , Tía Lola,” they plead. “You are our last, our only hope.” They clutch their hands like damsels in distress. Tía Lola keeps shaking her head and repeating, “Everything will be fine, trust me.” But finally she can’t resist the pleading damsels. “Okay, I’ll get her to wear it.” She takes the ring and slips it on. In a second, the stone gleams pure gold!
“What in the world does that mean?” Juanita checks the instructions. But gold is not listed among the colors.
“Tía Lola, you are off the charts,” Victoria declares.
For some reason, this strikes everyone’s funny bone. They roar with laughter.
“All that glitters is not gold, sometimes it’s Tía Lola!” Essie jokes, recalling the rhyme from the treasure hunt their first night in Vermont.
More loud laughter.
“What’s going on up there?” Mami calls up from the deck, which makes them laugh all the more.
By the time they show up for breakfast next morning, Mami is wearing the ring. They try not to stare, but each time they look at each other, they can’t help themselves. There are several giggle attacks during the waffle breakfast.
“How did you do it?” the girls ask Tía Lola once they’ve regrouped in their adjoining rooms. They are packing up their bathing suits and towels for today’s camp outing: a morning trip to Lake Champlain, a picnic, then back in time for afternoon practice and the arrival of their guests from the city.
“I told her it was a mood ring that would help her sort out her feelings.”
That’s all it took? Mami didn’t require any further explanation? But of course, Tía Lola has persuasive powers, even in the way she smiles!
Mami has agreed to wear the ring, so maybe if the stone turns violet or even blue (happy) or green (calm), she willrealize she is really in love. Mami’s monster will be slain, the Espadas can move to Vermont, and they can all get on with the rest of the summer, and whatever wonderful adventures Tía Lola has in store for them.
They
“That’s so unfair!” Essie is beside herself. “First we don’t get to go to Disney World. Now we don’t get to move to Vermont.” Her gloomy side is back. The glass is not half full, it’s almost empty. The roller-coaster ride will never, ever go back up again.
Her older sister won’t give up so easy. “Come on, Essie. We have until Sunday.”
But Sunday is only two days away! “So what do you propose?” Essie says, hoping against hope that someone will come up with a solution.
“I have an idea, I have an idea!” Juanita pipes up. She explains that earlier today at Stargazer’s shop, she bought something called a mood ring. She already showed it off to Cari and Essie and Tía Lola. “You put it on and the stone changes colors to show your deepest, most secret feelings. See, like right now, it’s kind of red?” Juanita unfolds the little piece of paper that came with the ring. Oh no! Redmeans she is anxious and stressed. But actually, that makes perfect sense, given that Juanita is worrying about Mami. If the stone were to turn violet, it would mean romance, passion, marriage. “So, what if we get Mami to wear it tomorrow? Then we check at dinner and see if she’s really in love. What do you think?”
Miguel thinks it’s the craziest thing he’s ever heard of. Wouldn’t Mami already know if she loved or didn’t love someone?
“But maybe your mami isn’t sure she really loves Papa as much as he loves her, you think?” Victoria ventures. She would not want her father to get hurt for anything in the world. “I’d hate for your mother to get hurt, too,” she adds. Sweet Victoria. Not wanting anyone to be unhappy. Growing up is not going to change her.
“But how are you guys going to get Mami to wear the ring?” Miguel asks. They are so rah-rah with the idea, they’re forgetting this minor logistical detail.
After a moment of consideration, the girls turn to Tía Lola. “Please, por favor , Tía Lola,” they plead. “You are our last, our only hope.” They clutch their hands like damsels in distress. Tía Lola keeps shaking her head and repeating, “Everything will be fine, trust me.” But finally she can’t resist the pleading damsels. “Okay, I’ll get her to wear it.” She takes the ring and slips it on. In a second, the stone gleams pure gold!
“What in the world does that mean?” Juanita checks the instructions. But gold is not listed among the colors.
“Tía Lola, you are off the charts,” Victoria declares.
For some reason, this strikes everyone’s funny bone. They roar with laughter.
“All that glitters is not gold, sometimes it’s Tía Lola!” Essie jokes, recalling the rhyme from the treasure hunt their first night in Vermont.
More loud laughter.
“What’s going on up there?” Mami calls up from the deck, which makes them laugh all the more.
By the time they show up for breakfast next morning, Mami is wearing the ring. They try not to stare, but each time they look at each other, they can’t help themselves. There are several giggle attacks during the waffle breakfast.
“How did you do it?” the girls ask Tía Lola once they’ve regrouped in their adjoining rooms. They are packing up their bathing suits and towels for today’s camp outing: a morning trip to Lake Champlain, a picnic, then back in time for afternoon practice and the arrival of their guests from the city.
“I told her it was a mood ring that would help her sort out her feelings.”
That’s all it took? Mami didn’t require any further explanation? But of course, Tía Lola has persuasive powers, even in the way she smiles!
Mami has agreed to wear the ring, so maybe if the stone turns violet or even blue (happy) or green (calm), she willrealize she is really in love. Mami’s monster will be slain, the Espadas can move to Vermont, and they can all get on with the rest of the summer, and whatever wonderful adventures Tía Lola has in store for them.
They
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