Cilla Lee-Jenkins: The Epic Story

by Susan Tan

  “What?” I gasped. My dad put a hand on my shoulder.

  “Cilla, sweetie, you don’t have to go. Maybe next they’ll offer older classes, or—”

  I looked at him with big eyes.

  “I’m going to be THE BABYSITTER for an ENTIRE CLASS?!” I said. “When does it start? This is going to be the BEST SUMMER EVER!”

  “Oh,” my dad said. “Right.” And then he smiled along with me. “Yes—it will be.”

  Before we left, we made sure to take photos right in front of the giant gold-and-red dragon on the wall of the restaurant.

  “Smile!” Dad said, as the camera clicked, and we all stood there: me, my mom, Gwendolyn, Essie, Nai Nai, Ye Ye, Auntie Eva, Uncle Paul, and Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins.

  “Now one with you, Nathan,” my mom said.

  “Wait, I just want to play with the camera angle,” he said.

  “Ay yah,” Nai Nai said, grinning at me. “Artists are so picky.”

  “It’s true.” I nodded. “Also, while you test, can we take a Silly picture, Dad?”

  “Yes!” he said. So we did, with tongues sticking out and making faces.

  “Another!” Ye Ye said. “A…” he looked for the word, and then posed instead, puffing his chest out and putting his arms by his side.

  “Batman!” Gwen said, clapping.

  “YES, Ye Ye!” I said with a gasp. “A HEROIC one!”

  “Wow,” Uncle Paul said. “It runs in the family.” And then, “Let’s do it!”

  My dad gave the camera to Auntie Stella and raced to be in the picture too.

  So that’s how we ended the evening. My whole family, posed in front of the dragon in the Chinese restaurant. My dad standing like Superman, holding Gwen, who waved Batman in the air; my mom and Essie raising their fists; my Nai Nai and Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins pretending they could fly; Auntie Eva and Uncle Paul pretending they were fighting in a superhero battle. And there, at the head of the dragon, were me and my Ye Ye, Ye Ye posed with his cane in front of him, facing off with the dragon like the cane was a sword while he held on to my shoulder with the other hand for balance. And I, Cilla Lee-Jenkins, future author extraordinaire, stood next to him, my hands outstretched, fending off the dragon with him, my best, fiercest, most Epic face on.

  We made a great team.

  Because my Ye Ye, as it turns out, is a hero, just the way he is.

  And so am I.

  Which is a stupendous, legendary, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious thing to have in common.

  And an Epic end to our story after all.

  AFTERWORD

  My story is almost over.

  But we all know it isn’t.

  Even if there is only a little more in this particular book.

  We drove Ye Ye and Nai Nai home at the end of the night and went upstairs to help unpack their gifts.

  And we were all tired.

  So when we got there, we marked the occasion the only way we know how.

  But don’t worry.

  There will be more from all of us.

  From me, Cilla Lee-Jenkins, future author extraordinaire; from Gwendolyn Lee-Jenkins, future dance legend; from Essie Lee-Jenkins, future painting prodigy; and from Ye Ye, Nai Nai, Grandma Jenkins, Grandpa Jenkins, Mom, and Dad, and Daisy.

  And of course, from Batman.

  Who knows how to watch over his family,

  And knows how to end a story.

  GLOSSARY: CILLA’S GUIDE TO AN EPIC VOCABULARY

  Drama:

  When you make something into as big a deal as possible. So, for example, when Gwen jumps on my stomach, I could just say “Oof,” which is a normal reaction. But, I could also be Dramatic and yell, “Alas, I am slain!!” And then I pretend to perish, and she giggles, and it’s really fun.

  Epic:

  This is the most exciting kind of story there is. Epics involve Adventures and Quests, and usually you have to go on a long journey on a boat or in a spaceship or on the back of a flying horse. Epics have lots of Struggles and Trials, which can be hard. But they always end in Triumph and Victory (which is a BIG relief!).

  Foe:

  A bad guy or enemy. Also a Synonym for Villain.

  Haiku:

  A poem with five

  Beats in a line, then seven,

  Then five. Just like this!

  Nonfiction:

  When you’re writing about facts, which means the things you’re talking about really happened. So for example, when I tell Colleen the story of how Essie chewed on the corner of my notebook and made it all mushy, that’s unfortunately nonfiction because how was I to know she’d pull it out of my bag when I left it on the floor?

  Metaphor:

  When you compare two things that aren’t really alike and don’t use “like” or “as.” So, I could say, “Daisy’s bark is music to my ears” (which is true for me, less so for my dad). Or I could say, “Melissa is a star” (which is true for everyone, because she is).

  Nai Nai:

  The Chinese word for “grandmother.” This is pronounced “Nigh Nigh,” like if you were saying “sigh sigh” (which my Nai Nai does a lot, especially when I try to help clean up but get distracted and build a teacup tower instead of doing the dishes).

  Simile:

  When you compare two things using “like” or “as.” So “Ms. Clutter is as strong as a mountain” (probably true). Or “Zebulon 5’s three suns sparkle like giant glowing disco balls.”

  Synonym:

  A word with the same meaning as another. So I could say that Essie’s diaper “smells,” or I could use synonyms and say it “reeks,” or is “odorous,” or “made me run out of the room gasping for fresh air.” All of these say the same thing but use different words to do it.

  Ye Ye:

  The Chinese word for “grandfather.” This is pronounced “yeh yeh,” like “heh heh” (which is, incidentally, how Villains and Foes sometimes laugh).

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  I was much younger than Cilla when my Ye Ye had his stroke—in fact, I was only three and a half years old. But my Ye Ye’s stroke forms some of my first vivid memories. I remember the hospital visits, and the worry, and most of all, the differences in my Ye Ye before and after. My Ye Ye always used a cane after his stroke, and he couldn’t lift us up and spin us around like he used to, or run with us on the playground. But he found other ways to be there for me and my sisters. From hallway races that he’d referee, to long games of Chinese checkers, to sitting together and reading the English-Chinese newspaper—him reading the Chinese section, me reading the English—we found ways to be together and understand each other, from the silly to the serious.

  After his stroke, my Ye Ye continued to serve the community where he’d built his American home and career. Even in his seventies and eighties, he was a frequent figure in Boston’s Chinatown, visiting anyone who needed help, counsel, or even just company.

  My Ye Ye had another stroke, more than a decade later. I was older then, and these experiences, coupled with my earlier memories, form the basis for many of Cilla’s feelings in this story. This second stroke didn’t affect his English as much as his mobility. But even then, he was still making jokes, telling stories, and having us sneak him his favorite Chinese dishes.

  My Ye Ye passed away many years ago, after living to a very old age. And, as I finished writing this Cilla book, I decided to reread his memoirs (he wrote them in Chinese a few years after his initial stroke, and my cousin, aunt, and mom all banded together to translate them to English).

  Imagine my surprise when, as I read his account of his first stroke, I found a whole paragraph about a painting I’d made for him. We lived far away from my Ye Ye and Nai Nai at the time, so during a phone call in his early hospital days, I’d told him I had a “special surprise” for him. My Ye Ye wrote: “Her words made me wonder for days as to what this special gift would be and this thinking helped me to pass the time when I couldn’t fall asleep in the quiet room.” Later, he devoted a who
le paragraph to the painting made by three-and-a-half-year-old me, from the name he gave it: “Autumn Leaves on the River Banks” to the way “the water seemed to be moving and reflected the bright red color of the leaves.”

  Even now, in my adult life, my Ye Ye is still leaving me gifts: letting me know that just being there for him, in the only way I knew how, was a lasting act of love.

  It can be hard to know what to do when the people we love are affected by something like a stroke. But it’s important to know that you’re allowed your own feelings, whether they’re feelings of worry, sadness, anger, or anything in between. There are people around you who can offer you support, from your family to your friends to your teachers and librarians (who, let’s face it, are all probably superheroes in disguise).

  And, most of all, know that sometimes, the greatest gift you can give someone else is just being there for them. The simple fact of you—in all your Struggles, Fuhstrations, and Triumphs—is an Epic story, and Epic gift, all on its own.

  The Cilla Lee-Jenkins series is semiautobiographical, which means it’s based in part on my own life and family. So I thought it would be fun to show you pictures of some of the real, live people who inspired Cilla and her adventures!

  Like Cilla, I was bald as a baby, and for quite some time as a kid. This is one of the earliest pictures we have of me—check out the Chinese baby outfit my Nai Nai and Ye Ye got me!

  This is a picture of me with my parents when I was about seven months old.

  This is a picture of me with my Nai Nai and Ye Ye. In this photo, I’m wearing my first ever cheongsam, which is what the stories in Future Author Extraordinaire are based on.

  These are my grandparents, who are the inspiration for Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins! In real life, my grandmother also has a PhD and is a professor of art history. My grandfather, like Grandpa Jenkins, wears bowties, is the best lawyer in the business, and LOVES baseball.

  This is me as a baby with my E-Pah, which is the Chinese term for great-aunt. E-Pah was my Nai Nai’s older sister, and her name was, in fact, Priscilla Lee!

  My aunt, uncle, and cousins are the inspirations for Auntie Eva and Uncle Paul, and all the fun and love they show Cilla.

  These are two of my best friends growing up—Ben and Courtney. They were the inspiration for Ben and Colleen, and as you can see from this photo, we had A LOT of fun together!

  This is me and my friend Annalee. We were the Harry Potter books for Halloween, just like Cilla and Colleen were Selena Moon in Future Author Extraordinaire.

  When my youngest sister was born—the one who Essie is based on—we spent a lot of time in the hospital. A lot of The Epic Story is based on memories of playing in the hospital, and here you can see my other sister (the Blob) and I playing dress up. The nurses were very nice to us (and gave us a lot of costume material, and of course, TONS of popsicles).

  This is one of the pictures that the photo described at the end of this book is based on! The one with her hands in the air is The Blob, and the youngest one with the baseball is who Essie is based on.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  It’s hard to believe that Cilla is drawing to a close and harder still to name all the very many people who have made this series possible. Given the themes of this book, it feels appropriate to begin with a giant thank-you to the librarians in my life. Thank you to the real, live Ms. Clutter who noticed a shy girl in the library every morning and began asking her questions about what she was reading and what she’d recommend. And thank you to all the many librarians, teachers, and educators who have gifted me with their time, care, and superhero powers.

  The fact that Cilla exists on the page for everyone to read is thanks to the efforts of the incredible team of people who have accompanied me on this journey. Thank you to Dan Lazar, the most wonderful agent, for your constant faith and advocacy. Thank you, too, Torie Doherty-Monro.

  It’s hard to find words for my deep gratitude to Connie Hsu, who has brought Cilla so far, taught me so much, and who brings such insight and fun to the writing process. Huge thanks to Megan Abbate, who answers all my questions and cheers me on continuously, and Mekisha Telfer for her work on this book. Thank you, too, to Mary Van Akin, Lucy Del Priore, Melissa Croce, and the fabulous team at Macmillan.

  I am indebted to Dana Wulfekotte for bringing Cilla to life. It still feels like she’s reached into my head and plucked out exactly what I was seeing. Her insight and compassion shine through in every illustration.

  Thank you to my UMass community. Thank you to Jes, Lynn, and Susan, the best dinner crew. And thank you to Louise and Timothy, the most encouraging of office neighbors and friends. Thank you to the Writers Room of Boston, Debka, Alexander, and so many others.

  Thank you to my friends, old and new, who have been with me throughout this process. Thank you to Hannah, Yanie, and Ashley. Thank you to Ben, Courtney, Colleen, Laura S., Melissa, Patrick, and Annalee. Thank you to Becky and Kate, who make Boston home, and to Valerie, Erica, Perri, Emily J., and Emily R. A huge thank-you, too, to all my writer friends: to Marika, Debbi, Rob, Katie S., Jarrett, Katie B., Lisa, Sarah, Karen, Elly, and so many more.

  To my family: Your love has meant the world and is the substance this book is made of. Thank you to my mom, who is brilliant, beautiful, and fierce in everything she does. Thank you to Grandmom, who sets an example for everything from cooking a great risotto to getting a PhD. Thank you to Catherine and Sarah, the best of sisters. Thank you to Nai Nai, whose warmth I will always carry with me. Thank you to E-Pah, DeDe, Enoch, and the family who watches over me. Thank you to Dr. B., for your gentle wisdom and guidance. Thank you to Auntie Esther, Jenn, Yvonne, Kimmy, Mike, Paul, Jeff, and Ezra, Noah, Rachel, Jeremy, Emmett, and Elly. Thank you to Ethan—hanging out and discovering our shared love of all things Hamilton, horror, and Stephen King has been the best—and to Martina.

  And finally, thank you to the people this book is dedicated to—Dad, Bobby, Ye Ye, and Uncle Paul. I am so lucky to have you all—you look out for me, teach me, and accept me for all the parts of myself (even the part of me that still has no clue what’s happening when a baseball game is on). Uncle Paul, you are such an example and such a model of family and strength. Ye Ye, this book is shaped by the love, kindness, and compassion you modeled every day. You taught me that love, faith, and trust can surmount any difference—be it a difference of religion or, for much of our lives, the different languages we spoke. Bobby, our walks together and the stories you tell are some of my most treasured things. Your warmth, care, and humor set an example for me to follow, and I am in awe of your intelligence, your voice, and the ways in which you embrace change, and change others as a result.

  And to Dad, thank you for being the best of dads and teaching me that it’s okay to be anything from silly to a rebel and everything in between. Thank you for teaching me to see beauty and craft in every sky, and showing me that I was strong and capable enough to climb the highest ladder safely. Your love for your art and love for your family make me who I am today.

  Praise for

  CILLA LEE-JENKINS:

  FUTURE AUTHOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

  *“Anyone who spends time with Cilla Lee-Jenkins will look forward to reading her in the future.”

  —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

  “[Cilla] brings to mind favorite characters such as Junie B. Jones, Ramona Quimby, and Fancy Nancy but is still all her own.”

  —School Library Journal

  “Meeting Cilla felt like making a new best friend.”

  —Grace Lin,

  author of Newbery Honor book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to Silver

  “This is a book just bursting with love.”

  —Kate Milford,

  New York Times–bestselling author of Greenglass House

  “Cilla Lee-Jenkins is brilliant.”

  —Kate Beasley,

  author of Gertie’s Leap to Greatness

  “[Cilla Lee-Jenki
ns is] a charmer from start to finish of this laugh-out-loud-funny book.”

  —I. W. Gregorio,

  author of None of the Above

  Praise for

  CILLA LEE-JENKINS:

  THIS BOOK IS A CLASSIC

  “Feels like a modern classic.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “Fresh and funny. Expect to see more of Cilla.”

  —Booklist

  “A jubilant story that will leave young readers wanting to hear more about Cilla’s adventures.”

  —School Library Journal

  Also by Susan Tan

  Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire

  Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic

  About the Author

  Susan Tan has lived many places in her life, but calls Concord, Massachusetts, home. She grew up in a mixed-race family, and, like Cilla Lee-Jenkins, had very little hair until the age of five. After studying at Williams College, she earned her PhD from the University of Cambridge, where she studied children’s literature. She currently lives in Somerville, enjoys frequent trips to Chinatown to eat tzuck sang, and teaches at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. You can sign up for email updates here.

  About the Illustrator

  Dana Wulfekotte is a children’s book author, illustrator, and animator. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Queens with her boyfriend and two rabbits (whom she now regrets not naming Supernova and Sparkledust). You can sign up for email updates here.

  Thank you for buying this

  Roaring Brook Press ebook.