A Letter Home

Dear Mama and Daddy,

I miss you both so much. How is Grant? How is everyone back home? I wish I could smell the river and hear the roosters in the morning--and Sugar Bees, how is she? All the air here smells like the wrapping on the fish when Daddy brings it back from the market. My roommate says it's 'good sea air'and she swears her 'momma' knows it's good for her. I don't know about these girls, Mama. They all try so hard to act like grown-ups. I long to be in Miss Jacob's class, with all the kids. Boy, I never thought I'd say that! But she was so nice and we all knew each other and got along so nice. Well, except for that rotten Jesse Samuels. He always kicked the girls in the shins.

Mama, they say I'm doing alright here--that maybe if I do well enough, I can have a visit from you? Do you think you might come? You might like it here--there are so many strange and wonderful things. This one girl Elena lives in a 'hacienda'and her mama makes her 'quesadillas.' She explained how to make them one time. Maybe you can come down and we can go to the beach? Oh, I miss you so much.

Please write soon, je t'aime! (that means 'I love you,' in French!)
Jo