How Tía Lola Saved the Summer Read Free Page B

team. Rudy has agreed to coach them.
    “That’s still discrimination.” Esperanza will not quit arguing. “You can’t keep someone out of something on account of they’re a girl, right, Papa?”
    Víctor stands up for Miguel. “But Miguel and his friends already have a team going. They’re not recruiting boys or girls. And right now, they have to concentrate on their game so they can win. We’ll cook up our own game, just as girls,” he adds, winking at his own joke.
    “And don’t forget, there’ll be lots to do at Tía Lola’s camp,” Mami reminds the pouting Essie.
    “I know, I know!” Juanita is jumping out of her chair with excitement. “We can be the cheerleaders for the team!”
    “Now, there’s an idea!” Mami nods enthusiastically.
    “ Not an idea,” Miguel says more fiercely than a good host should. “Baseball games don’t have cheerleaders.”
    “That’s right,” Víctor says, again siding with Miguel. “It’ll just distract the players, especially if they’re not used to it. After all, we want them to win, don’t we?”
    Everyone nods vigorously, except Esperanza, whose nod—if there is one—is hidden behind her menu.

    As they are getting ready to leave, Rudy comes over to say goodbye. “Hasta mañana,” he says, bumping fists with Miguel to confirm that they will be seeing each other tomorrow. Rudy loves any excuse to practice the Spanish that Tía Lola has been teaching him.
    Miguel is starting to feel really excited about the upcoming game. Also a little worried. Maybe on account of not having practiced since school let out, the players haven’t yet come together as a team. That’s why Rudy has decided on long, hard practices daily. By the big game Saturday, the team should be unstoppable! They better be. Miguel sure hopes Tía Lola gets those new uniforms done in time.
    “Don’t forget to notify the team,” Rudy reminds Miguel unnecessarily. It’s part of being team captain, setting up practice time and location.
    Miguel has already called everybody. He has also decided it’s too much hassle to try to relocate tomorrow’s session. He’ll see how it goes. Maybe this camp idea is part of Tía Lola’s plan to keep the girls entertained and out of his way. “Only one I’ve got left to call is Colonel Charlebois,” Miguel tells Rudy. Their former landlord is an avid baseball fan and attends every single one of the practices and games. He is also super-generous, paying for the team’s equipment, uniform materials, and transportation when they play in another town. That’s why they’ve named the team Charlie’s Boys, in his honor.
    “He’s over there, at his usual post, if you want to tell him now.” Rudy nods at an old man dressed in an army uniform, a napkin tucked under his chin. It’s like he’s going to eat, wipe his mouth, and head for war. Many nights, the colonel eats his dinner here, as he lives by himself in a house he bought in town when the big farmhouse he inherited got to be too much for him.
    “Oh, girls, I want you all to meet him,” Mami says warmly. Víctor already met the colonel at Tía Lola’s hearing back in April. If it weren’t for their former landlord’s generosity, letting the rent payments be house payments, Miguel’s family could never have afforded a big, roomy house on ten acres.
    As they head across the room, friends and neighbors say hello, eager to meet the newcomers.
    “It’s like one big, happy family in this town,” Victoria observes.
    “It is kind of that way,” Mami agrees, slipping her arm around Victoria’s waist.

    It’s almost dark. The sun has gone down but swaths of golden light still stretch across the sky. Víctor drives through town, with Mami acting as tour guide, pointing out landmarks to the Swords. They pass Bridgeport Elementary, all closed up for the summer, the playground looking forlorn with its empty swings and jungle gym.
    It gives Miguel a momentary pang of missing school, getting to hang