Gaby, Lost and Found

by Angela Cervantes

  For a minute, Gaby forgot about her conversation with Dr. V. and laughed.

  “You should write your next profile on Puck so that he can lick someone else’s nose,” Alma said.

  Gaby opened her notebook. Puck sat at her feet and gazed up at her with wide, bulging eyes and a wagging tongue. Gaby hoped he wasn’t planning to lick her nostrils, too.

  “Don’t get any ideas, Puck.” She turned away, clicked her pen, and wrote. If Puck could talk, he’d probably recite poems about kisses, squeaky toys, and warm breezes.

  The next day, Gaby had put the last slice of bread they had into the toaster when her mom called.

  “What’s for breakfast, princesa?”

  Gaby gulped hard. If her mom knew that Gaby’s father wasn’t home and that she had nothing in the house to eat but toast and a packet of hot chocolate, she’d freak. Gaby didn’t want to add to her worries. Her mom had more important things to focus on — like traveling hundreds of miles to get back home.

  “Scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, waffles, and orange juice.”

  “¡Que rico! Sounds delicious! I’m glad to hear your dad is taking good care of you. I was worried. So everything is okay?”

  “Yes. Where are you calling from, Mom?”

  “I’m at work.”

  Gaby sighed loudly. “I thought you’d be on your way home by now. You haven’t called in a while so I thought maybe you were traveling and couldn’t get to a phone …” Gaby’s voice choked. Sometimes during Mrs. Kohler’s long lectures, Gaby would look out the classroom window and imagine her mom making her way through Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico by train and then walking across the Mexico-United States border with no problems. Her mother’s perfect English and bright smile would convince the border agents that she belonged on this side. Just like that, her mom would be home and they’d never be separated again.

  “I’m sorry, princesa. I’ve been working day and night trying to earn more money. Crossing is more dangerous than when I did it fourteen years ago. I need to hire a coyote to help me make the journey, and the good ones with experience demand more money. You understand, right?”

  Coyotes were men paid to smuggle people across the U.S. border. It was a fitting name. Real coyotes traveled in packs and were nocturnal animals. These men would also lead a pack of people, like her mom, across Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and finally over the U.S. border, under the cover of night.

  Gaby squeezed her eyes closed. “I just want you to come home like you promised.”

  “I know, Gaby. I miss you so much.”

  “I miss you more,” Gaby whispered. She wished she were a powerful wizard that could wave a wand and have her mom instantly back at her side.

  “No llores, mi princesa. Please.”

  Gaby let the tears stream down her cheek. Why wipe them away? It didn’t stop anything. Not the bad dreams. Not the bullying from Dolores and Jan at school. Not the long days that passed without her mom.

  “When do you think you’ll have enough?”

  “I don’t know, Gaby. My aunt is sick, so I’ve taken over her work at the market on weekends, but it’s still not enough. I don’t want you to worry about that, though. Let me worry about the money. Tell me something new that’s going on in your life.”

  Gaby pulled on a thick strand of her hair and twisted it. “Well … I heard Dad on the phone the other night whispering to someone about money. Maybe you could ask him for some.”

  “Gaby, you shouldn’t listen in on your dad’s phone conversations.”

  “At first, I thought it might be you, but you don’t call that late.”

  “Don’t give it one more thought. Tell me something good to keep me strong.”

  “There is nothing good.”

  “There must be something, princesa.”

  Gaby thought about Feather. “Our class is volunteering at an animal shelter.”

  “Oh, Gaby!” Her mom squealed. “That’s great!”

  “I’m in charge of writing stories for the animals. I could read one for you, if you —”

  “Yes! Read me one!”

  Gaby felt warm all over. Her mom always had this effect on her. When her mom was home, just waking up in the morning earned Gaby a hundred little kisses. Getting an A on a test called for a full five-minute “happy dance,” which was really a funkier version of the chicken dance. Gaby opened the notebook to Bonita’s profile, a young Chinese shar-pei that Dr. Villalobos had trained to shake hands and roll over.

  Gaby backed away from the phone receiver. She knew what was coming.

  “Ooooooh, Gaby! I love it!” her mom screamed. “I love it soooooooo much!”

  “See? If you hurry up and come home, you could help me with the animals at the shelter,” Gaby said. “There’s this cat named Feather. She is so beautiful. You’d love her. We could adopt her.”

  “I’m sure I would love her …” Her voice trailed off. “I better say good-bye. I know Mr. Gomez and Alma will be there soon to take you to school. Have a good day, prin —”

  “Mom, you haven’t changed your mind or anything, have you? You’re still coming home, right?”

  Her mom was silent for a few seconds.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, Gaby,” her mom finally said. “I promise.”

  Before her class headed to the shelter, Gaby found herself unable to take her eyes off the map of the world that hung on the wall in the library. The map was new. Gaby would know, because she visited the library several times a day. She didn’t have a computer at home like most of the girls, so she used the library’s computers to do homework and write e-mails to her mom.

  She zoned in on Honduras. Nestled between Nicaragua and Guatemala, the small country was shaded in purple, one of Gaby’s favorite colors. She located San Pedro Sula on the map. Her mom’s route would start there. She traced a path with her finger from San Pedro Sula through Guatemala. Her mom rarely spoke about her first journey to the United States, but a few times she had mentioned a train that coursed through Central America. Many migrants, like her, rode it to get to the United States. Then her mom would close her eyes, cover her face with her hands, and shake her head slowly. Her mom was only six years older than Gaby when she made the trip to the United States. Gaby shivered. She couldn’t imagine traveling alone across desserts, mountains, and rivers. Whenever her mom recalled something bad about that journey, Gaby threw her arms around her mom’s neck and hugged her for a long time. Gaby called this the “eraser hug.” One full embrace and everything that hurt would disappear. Only happiness remained. It always worked on her mom, who after a few minutes would smile and tell Gaby that the journey was worth it and she’d do it again if she had to, because “you are here.” Now, Gaby was counting on that.

  She continued to trace a path through Mexico, where she passed over states with names that seemed to use every letter in the alphabet and took her entire mouth to pronounce. Gaby was practicing Tapachula, Oaxaca, Zacatecas, and Chihuahua out loud when she was nudged by Dolores.

  “Let me guess, you’re trying to figure out a way to break the rest of your family into the States?” said Dolores. She put her arm around Gaby’s shoulders like they were pals.

  Dolores was not her pal by any means. Gaby pulled out from under Dolores’s arm. When she did, she bumped into Jan and dropped her notebook full of profiles. Before Gaby could grab it, Dolores scooped it up and started flipping through the pages.

  “Give it back, Dolores,” Gaby demanded.

  “Make me,” she said. The two eighth graders hovered over the notebook and giggled. “What are these little animal stories and sketches?”

  Gaby felt her face flush.

  “Probably for their service project at the animal shelter.” Jan snickered. “I heard they have to clean up dog poop. So disgusting.”

  “She’s probably good at that kind of work.” Dolores smirked. “Your mom cleaned toilets, right?”

  The comment stung Gaby. Sure, her mom cleaned toilets if that’
s what the job called for. Her mom was a hard worker. She cleaned homes and watched after babies so those babies’ parents could work. She also did ten-hour shifts at the dry-cleaning factory. No one had the right to talk about her mom that way.

  “Give it back, Dolores.” Gaby lunged forward and grabbed at the notebook, but for a skinny girl, Dolores’s grip was tight.

  “These are hilarious! Check this one out. ‘My name is Feather. I was left at a rest stop by my owners, who no longer loved me.’” Dolores’s head fell back as she burst into a fit of laughter. “That is so pathetic!”

  Gaby glanced over at the desk where Sister Wendy, who ran the library, usually sat, but she wasn’t there. Dolores laughed like a hyena, and her whole body shook. Gaby fought back the urge to tackle Dolores right there in the library. Instead, she made one more swipe for her notebook, finally freeing it. She turned to run, but instead slammed headfirst onto the carpeted floor. Jan had tripped her.

  “Jan Nicole!” Sister Joan roared. “Get over here right now. You, too, Dolores Marie!”

  Gaby looked up from the floor at Sister Wendy and Sister Joan standing in the library entrance. Sister Joan’s face was as red as a tomato. Sister Wendy walked over and helped Gaby gather her notebook and papers into her book bag. Once up on her feet, Gaby felt her throat tighten and tears form in her eyes. Sister Wendy put her arm around Gaby’s shoulder like a warm shawl. In a soft voice she told her, “Don’t cry, sweetie. Don’t give them the pleasure.”

  Gaby took a deep breath. Even though tears rimmed her eyes, she wasn’t going to let Dolores and Jan see her cry. Sister Joan grabbed Dolores and Jan by the elbows. “You two are coming with me!”

  Gaby could hear their sniffling and phony excuses as they walked down the hallway to Sister Joan’s office.

  “Are you alright, Gaby?” Sister Wendy asked once they were gone.

  Gaby nodded. “I think so.” She took a deep breath. “Can I go now?”

  “Of course, dear.”

  Gaby darted down the hallway toward the waiting bus parked in front of the school. She was relieved to find Alma waiting for her outside. It was time to go to the shelter.

  “Where’ve you been, chica?” Alma asked.

  “Dolores took my notebook.”

  “She what?!” Alma charged toward the school.

  Gaby grabbed Alma’s sweater and pulled her back like a fisherman reeling in a swordfish. “It’s okay. I’ve got it now.” She guided Alma to a seat on the bus.

  “Standing there looking at Dolores and Jan, I realized something frightening.”

  “What?”

  “They are dumber than we thought.”

  “Sweet St. Ann! How is that possible?” Alma exclaimed. “What did they say to you? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Gaby shrugged, but it was a lie. She couldn’t get Dolores’s ugly words out of her head. It wasn’t that Dolores read Feather’s profile and called it “pathetic.” It was what Dolores said about her mom. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard Dolores talk that way, but it was the first time Gaby ever felt like she could smack her in the face. Her mom was beautiful and kind. Hardworking and generous. No one was going to call her names. As the bus pulled away from the school, Gaby closed her eyes and gave herself an eraser hug.

  From outside, the coffee shop looked intimidating, with its patio and large windows revealing leather couches and a fireplace inside. Even the name, Café le Bean, made Gaby feel like she and Alma shouldn’t enter. Now, she regretted raising her hand when Daisy asked for volunteers. At the time, she thought hanging up flyers at nearby shops would help her to forget the run-in with Dolores and Jan, but these were the types of businesses where people like her mom mopped the floor and people like Dolores’s mom chugged coffee. Gaby now wished she had stayed at the shelter and found a way to spend time with Feather.

  “Alma, maybe Mrs. Kohler should come in with us.” Gaby grabbed Alma’s arm to stop her from entering the coffee shop. “They probably don’t want kids in there.”

  “Remember, we come in the name of Furry Friends.” Alma pushed her shoulders back and held her head high. “And we won’t leave until they let us post a flyer … or two. Even if we have to chain ourselves to the cappuccino machine, we won’t leave.” Alma opened the door and headed straight to the counter. It was the first time Gaby had been inside a coffee shop.

  She nudged Alma with her elbow. “What smells so good?”

  “It’s our coffee bean of the day!” said the girl at the counter with a black Café le Bean apron. “It’s from Ethiopia.” The girl’s name tag said “Barista Chloe.”

  “Hi, Barista Chloe, may I speak with your manager?” asked Alma.

  Gaby’s eyes wandered toward a covered glass counter full of pastries. She wasn’t a fan of sugary sweets, but these pastries were different. There were fruit Danishes drizzled with icing, thick slices of breads, large double chocolate chip cookies, and something called scones. Gaby dipped her hands into her pockets to find the five dollars her father gave her. She pulled it out and then saw a woman across the café cleaning tables. The woman’s long black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. She wore a crisp white apron over jeans and a black shirt. No special name tag. She looked up at Gaby, smiled for a second, and went back to wiping tables. Gaby unfolded the five-dollar bill.

  “We would like to post a flyer for the Furry Friends Animal Shelter here.” Alma spread out the flyers on the counter. “There are dozens of cats and dogs who need a safe, loving home.” She handed Chloe the flyer for Pouncer. “Like this one.”

  Chloe covered her mouth with her hand. “Who wrote this?” She looked like she was going to cry. Gaby backed up toward the door in case she needed to make a quick escape.

  “Gaby wrote it.” Alma gestured for Gaby to step up to the counter. She hesitantly approached. “We volunteer at the shelter.”

  “You’re a good writer!”

  “Thanks.” Gaby smiled.

  “I’m sure my boss won’t mind posting these. I’ll get him.” Chloe walked to the back of the store and returned with a man wearing the same black Café le Bean apron. His name tag said “Master Barista Joel.”

  “Hi, girls, what can I do for you?”

  Alma laid a flyer in front of him. “We’d like to post a flyer for Furry Friends Animal Shelter —”

  The man shook his head. “Can’t do it, sorry.” He pushed the flyer back toward Alma.

  “My teacher, Mrs. Kohler, is outside in the car. Would you like to talk to her?” She slid the flyer back across the counter to him.

  He shook his head again. “That won’t be necessary. Look, if I let you post a flyer, I’ll have to let everyone post flyers,” he said. “We’re simply not that kind of place.”

  “This is not the kind of place that cares about homeless dogs and cats?” Alma spread out flyers for Bonita, Puck, Secret, Cinder, Coco, and Lemon. Chloe frowned. Gaby pressed her money back into her front pocket and looked over at the woman cleaning tables.

  “I respect your opinion, sir, but I think your patrons would disagree,” Alma said. She reached out for Gaby’s arm and pulled her closer. “Gaby and I volunteer at the shelter. One thing we’ve learned is how much this community values and supports local businesses and the local animal shelter. I bet you even have some patrons who have adopted dogs or cats from there.” Earlier, Alma used the same argument on the hair salon owner down the street. The salon now had flyers on the front window and near the bathrooms.

  The manager scratched the back of his head. Gaby and Chloe gazed at him with pleading eyes. Alma held out Cinder’s flyer. “Please read it,” she said. “You will see that these are not ordinary flyers. Ours tell stories written by a future award-winning writer.” She winked slyly at Gaby. “If you don’t like it, we’ll go back to the shelter and never bother you again.”

  He took the flyer.

  “Be ready to chain yourself to the cappuccino machine,” Alma whispered to Gaby.

  The flyer ha
d a photo of shy Cinder with a Frisbee in her mouth and a short description written by Gaby. She had spent an entire afternoon writing and revising Cinder’s profile. It had to be perfect because if anyone deserved a good home, it was Cinder. As the man read, Gaby watched his face.

  The master barista looked up at Alma. “Do you need tape?”

  “Thank you so much!” Alma gushed, giving him and Chloe a high five. Gaby could hardly believe it. Her profile had changed his mind. While Alma and Chloe excitedly rushed over to the café entrance to post the flyers, Gaby pulled the money out of her pocket. She wanted to celebrate with a special treat. She gazed over the counter full of baked goods and her mouth watered, but then she thought about the woman cleaning tables. Maybe she had children at home. Maybe this was her second or third job.

  Gaby approached her and held out the money. “Para usted y su familia.”

  The woman put her rag down. “No, señorita.” The woman smiled and held her hands up to refuse the money. “No gracias.”

  “Please — por favor — if my mom were here she’d want you to have it,” Gaby said, pushing the money toward her. “It’s not much, I know …”

  The woman looked closer at Gaby, as if trying to figure out if she knew her from somewhere. “I know your mom? What’s her name?”

  “Paloma Ramirez.” The woman nodded in recognition and Gaby’s whole body lifted. “What’s your name?”

  “Carolina.” The woman smiled and then folded her hands around Gaby’s, closing the money inside. “You keep your money, señorita. Buy something for you and your friend.” She glanced toward the counter. “The scones are really good. I make them this morning.”

  Gaby looked down at the five dollars in her hand. “I’ve never had a scone before.” She shrugged. “This is my first time in a fancy café.”

  Carolina leaned in closer. “Maybe, next time you bring your mom and we can have coffee and scones together.”