• 2 months ago
by Emma Otheguy
illustrated by Ana Ramírez González

Category

📚
Learning
Transcript
00:00A sled for Gaba, written by Emma Otheguy, illustrated by Ana Ramirez Gonzalez.
00:17The day it snowed Gaba followed the whistling sound of an old steam radiator into the kitchen.
00:22He stood on tiptoe and glimpsed a metal can bobbing and bouncing in the water.
00:26Yum, he thought before Mommy came and shooed Gaba away.
00:30Gaba pressed his face to the window and his warm breath bloomed a cloud of fog onto the
00:34glass.
00:35He wiped it off and saw kids from his new school tugging sleds up the hill then coasting
00:39down hooping and shrieking all the while.
00:42Gaba didn't have a sled.
00:44His socks were cotton not wool.
00:46He didn't have waterproof boots.
00:48He did have a hat with a pom pom.
00:50But that was much too small.
00:51Vamos a resolver, Mommy said.
00:54They were going to figure it out.
00:56One sock, two socks, three socks for Gaba's feet were toasty warm.
01:01Poppy's hat slipped over his eyes and Gaba rolled up the brim.
01:05Plastic bags are waterproof so Mommy tied them to Gaba's sneakers.
01:09Mommy opened the door and they looked at the houses all in a row, against the slate-gray
01:13sky the colors popped.
01:15Maybe I should go and find a sled, said Gaba and wish a little push from Mommy, he did.
01:20Irene!
01:21Irene!
01:22Gabau!
01:23Gabau!
01:24Señor Ramos's dog Sancho barked joyfully to see Gaba at the door.
01:31Señor Ramos, do you have a sled?
01:34Gaba asked.
01:35I don't have a sled, Señor Ramos said.
01:38But I am making guava jam on toast for Isa my granddaughter who is coming to visit.
01:42Isa is just your age.
01:44Why don't you stay a while?
01:46No gracias, said Gaba who was much too shy for anyone just his age.
01:51Outside, Gaba played with Misafu, a cat who lived on the cover of a manhole and belonged
01:55to nobody and everyone at El's.
01:58Misafu puffed his chest and so did Gaba.
02:00Misafu shook out his coat and so did Gaba scattering icy snow.
02:04Gaba me amor.
02:05Hola Señora Tobon, said Gaba.
02:08What are you doing with Misafu instead of playing on the hill?
02:11I don't have a sled, Gaba explained.
02:14Señora Tobon shook her head.
02:16You don't need a sled to play.
02:18Myra?
02:19The mango is ripe and ready to share.
02:21She held out the mango carefully cubed and nodded toward the snowy slope where school
02:25kids were skidding gliding and bumping down the hill.
02:29Gaba reached into his pocket and felt his leftover Christmas Turin.
02:33There were two crunchy candy pieces.
02:35One could be for Gaba.
02:36And one for a new friend.
02:38But Gaba was much too shy to hand out mango cubes and leftover Christmas Turin.
02:43Gaba draged his feet.
02:44The plastic bags started to slip.
02:47The snow was turning gray from all the traffic of the town.
02:50A lady in the distance waved a yellow middened hand.
02:53Tio Tim.
02:54Gaba yelled.
02:55Madrina.
02:56Tio Tim scooped Gaba into the air.
02:58He almost schemed the sky.
03:00And what was that?
03:01Behind Madrina's back there was a…
03:03Oh, said Gaba feeling very small and very sad.
03:06The plastic tray was from the school cafeteria where Madrina worked.
03:10It was wrapped with a bow.
03:12But the plastic tray was not a sled.
03:14Sancho, yelled a girl who could only be Isa.
03:17Señor Ramos's granddaughter.
03:19Sancho bounded toward Gaba and leaped into his arms.
03:23Sancho was perfectly happy and Gaba forgot to be shy.
03:26Could I have a turn on your sled?
03:28Isa asked.
03:29I don't have a sled, Gaba said sadly.
03:32Of course you do.
03:33And on the plastic tray, Isa swooped right down to the bottom of the hill.
03:38She ran back up and on that tray, Gaba coasted down hooping and shrieking all the while.
03:43When the snowy day turned to icy dusk and the sledding hill was empty the old steam
03:47radiator whistled and the metal can sat on the counter to cool.
03:51Gaba handed out spoons and Papi turned the crank of the can opener.
03:55Dulce de leche, yelled Gaba and Isa at the exact same time then dipped their spoons into
04:00the can.
04:01Gaba licked his lips and reached into his pocket where there was one more treat that
04:04Gaba was not too shy to share.
04:07Para el verdadero Gabo y la verdadera Isa, hijado querido y sobrinita amada, bilingues
04:11y bellos.
04:12The end.