GDN_Manu

Good Day, Neighbor!





Prologue





This is one of my first memories:



I am warm and safe. Everything that touches me is soft, gentle, and strong. I tip my head



up and see two kind eyes shining down at me from a wrinkly face. I reach up to touch that dear



face, and a warm cheek leans to meet my hand. Standing up, I use both hands to smooth out the



wrinkles on this face, to make it look like Mom‘s. Granny laughs and even more wrinkles come.



This is not what I wanted, but I have to laugh too because Granny‘s laugh is contagious. Then,



Granny looks out across the yard, beyond the porch where we sitting. I look too, and there is a



woman walking by on the sidewalk, pushing a stroller. Granny calls out, ―Good day, neighbor!‖









Day 1





Margo Arrives



The moment the car stopped in front of the apartment building, the little girl jumped out of



the back seat and ran to the woman waiting on the sidewalk. ―Granny!‖ she yelled. The smiling



woman hugged her close. ―I missed you, Granny,‖ said the girl. ―You‘ve been gone a whole



month!‖



―I missed you too, Margo,‖ said Granny. ―I‘m glad you are here to visit me.‖ Then she



looked up at Margo‘s parents, who had gotten out of the car at their slower, grown-up pace.



―Good day, Laura and Mark. How was the drive?‖





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―Just fine, Mama,‖ said Margo‘s mom, kissing Granny on the cheek, ―There was a lot of



traffic though, and it took us longer to get here than we thought. But, we found your new



apartment without any trouble.‖



Margo‘s dad said, ―How are you getting settled, Mama Rossi? I still think you should have



let us help you move.‖



Granny gave him a hug. ―The movers did a fine job,‖ she said. ―You helped me a lot with



the packing. Will you come in for a cup of tea?‖



Margo‘s parents looked at their watches and then each other. Margo‘s mom said, ―I think



we had better keep going, Mama. We still have a long way to go.‖



Granny nodded with understanding. ―Too bad you don‘t have a flying carpet.‖



―Now, there‘s an idea,‖ said Margo‘s dad, and then, ―Have a great time, you two!‖



―Oh, we will!‖ Margo and Granny said at the same time, and everyone started laughing.



Margo‘s mom said, ―That always happens with you two.



―Well, Margo,‖ said Granny. ―Shall we say good-bye to your parents and get started on our



visit? I want to show you my new apartment. It‘s different than my old house.‖



―Okay, Granny. I‘ll get my suitcase.‖



The grown ups said good-bye and hugged each other while Margo ran back to the car.



She pulled her suitcase out and set it on the sidewalk. Her dad closed the car door and said,



―Hey, Baby, do you think you and Granny will have any adventures while you are here?‖



―Of course we will, Dad. That‘s what Granny and I do,‖ said Margo, hugging him.



Margo‘s mom wanted a hug, too. ―Bye-bye, Margo. I love you.‖









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―I love you too, Mom,‖ said Margo. It felt a little strange watching them get in the car while



she stood on the sidewalk with her suitcase. ―Bye-bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. Have a great trip!‖ she



said, just a tiny bit sadly.



From inside the car, Margo‘s dad said, ―We‘ll call you in a few days.‖



Margo‘s mom said, ―We‘ll be back a week from Sunday to get you.‖



―Okay, Mom,‖ said Margo. ―See you then!‖



The car pulled away from the curb. Margo waved as the car got smaller and smaller. Then



it went around a corner, and she couldn‘t see it any more. With a sigh, she turned around and



noticed that Granny was talking with someone. It was a woman holding a baby in her arms.



Curious, Margo went to investigate.









Angels



Granny noticed Margo coming up and said, ―It is always a little sad saying good-bye, isn‘t



it, dear?‖



Margo sighed and agreed, ―Yeah. But they will be back soon.‖ Brightening, she looked up



at the woman and the baby.



Granny introduced them, ―Margo, this is one of my new neighbors, Mrs. Alvarez, and this is



her new baby girl, Angela.‖



―Hello, Mrs. Alvarez. Hi, Angela. I‘m Margo,‖ said Margo.



―I am happy to meet you, Margo,‖ said Mrs. Alvarez. ―Your grandmother says you are here



for a visit.‖



―For ten whole days,‖ Margo answered. Then she thought of something. ―Hey Granny,



baby Angela‘s name is like one of yours.‖







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―That‘s right,‖ said Granny, ―It‘s similar to my second middle name, Angelica. It is



pronounced a little differently in Spanish, but both names mean ‗angel‘.‖



Margo said, ―My Granny‘s name is Christina Maria Angelica Rossi.‖



―What a nice name,‖ said Mrs. Alvarez.



Margo leaned over the baby‘s face and asked, ―How old are you?‖



Mrs. Alvarez answered for the baby, ―She‘s almost three months old. Angela‘s older sister



is closer to your age, I think, Margo.‖



―Really?‖ said Margo. ―Can I meet her?‖



Mrs. Alvarez nodded. ―Of course. You can come anytime.‖



Granny said, ―That would be great. Margo and I will come for a visit soon.‖



―Wonderful. I‘ll tell Missy there is a beautiful girl who wants to meet her. She will be so



happy. Good-bye for now, Mrs. Rossi. It is very nice to meet you, Margo,‖ said Mrs. Alvarez,



and she headed up the stairs to the big front door of the apartment building.



Margo, watching her go, realized that Mrs. Alvarez and her family lived in the same



building as Granny. ―How many people live with you, Granny?‖ she asked.



Granny looked at her and smiled, ―There are 16 apartments in this building, Margo. Each



one is like a separate house, and different people live in each one.‖



―Oh,‖ said Margo, ―It did seem like a pretty big house. I guess you can visit your neighbors



without going outside.‖



Granny laughed. ―That‘s right. It‘s very convenient on rainy days.‖ Then, she gently



placed her hand on Margo‘s shoulder and winked at her.



―Is that your happy-to-see-me wink?‖ Margo asked.









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―That‘s correct, Margo. I am delighted to see you.‖ Margo winked back at Granny to say, I



am happy to see you too, without words.



―Now,‖ said Granny, ―let‘s you and I go upstairs, and I‘ll show you the room that I have



fixed up for you.‖



Margo picked up her suitcase and said, ―Let‘s go, Granny, you lead the way.‖







So Many Apartments



Granny pushed open the big wooden door of the building, and Margo walked into a wide



hallway. It was kind of dark inside. All she could see at first was a row of little metal doors



along the wall. ―What are those?‖ asked Margo.



Granny followed her gaze and said, ―Do you mean the mailboxes?‖



―I guess so,‖ Margo replied doubtfully. They didn‘t look like the mailbox at her house.



Then she looked around, wondering where to go.



Granny said, ―We‘re going to apartment 2B, right up these stairs.‖



With Granny right behind, Margo started to march up the stairs. ―Hey Granny, let‘s sing a



song as we go up the stairs.‖



―Sure, Pumpkin. That‘s a great idea. What song do you have in mind?‖



―How about the alphabet song—for old time‘s sake,‖ Margo answered with a grin.



―All right. You start out and I‘ll join in.‖



―A, B, C, D, E, F, G,‖ they sang, two letters for each step.



At the top, Margo turned to Granny, who brought her face close to Margo‘s so that they



were touching noses. They both said, in unison, ―Eskimo kiss!‖ and burst out laughing.









5

Margo noticed four doors, two on each side, a window at the end of the hall, and more stairs



going up. On the closest door, there was a large bell and a metal sign that read, 2A. Not this



one, she thought. Where does Granny live?



Granny went up to another door and opened it with a key. They walked into a room filled



with sunshine, and Margo blinked. ―Granny! There‘s your sofa and your glass figurines from



Italy! Why, it‘s like your old house with the windows in different places.‖



―Yes, cara mia,‖ Granny said, surprised. ―Did you think I left my furniture and special



things behind?‖



Margo tipped her head to one side and answered, ―I just never thought about it. Your old



house is still down the street from ours. . . . It‘s strange seeing your things in a new place.‖



―It feels a bit strange to me, too. But with each passing day, this apartment feels more like



home,‖ said Granny. ―Come and see the room where you will sleep.‖



Margo followed Granny down the hall, suitcase in hand. ―Did you bring that big dresser?‖



she asked Granny‘s back.



―Look and see,‖ said Granny as she lead Margo into a cozy bedroom next to the bathroom.



Walking into the room, Margo was delighted at what she saw. ―There‘s the same bed and



the big dresser I remember, but . . .‖ Margo paused, looking around, ―there is something



different.‖



―What?‖ asked Granny, pretending not to know.



―That bright blue box with stars on it, and a bow. I never saw that at your old house.‖



―Oh, that. That‘s your birthday present. Since you were visiting your other grandma on



your birthday this year and I was moving, I didn‘t get to give it to you at your party.



Margo gave her Granny a bear hug. ―This way I get to have two birthday celebrations.‖









6

―What a lovely way to look at it,‖ Granny whispered in her ear.



―I love this room, Granny,‖ Margo said, putting her suitcase on the bed and opening it all the



way.



―I‘m glad you like it, Margo, and I am so glad you could stay with me while your parents are



in Chicago.‖



―Do you think Mom and Dad are there yet?‖ Margo asked.



―Well, they left here around 2:30, and it takes about five hours to drive to Chicago. What



time is it now?‖



Margo looked around and saw Granny‘s old-fashioned alarm clock on the bedside table, the



one with two little bells on the top and hands that showed the hour and minutes. ―It‘s two fifty-



one, two, three—2:53,‖ she announced proudly. She had learned to tell time in school.



Granny said, ―Well, I guess they will be getting to Chicago at around 7:30, just about the



time we will be opening your present.‖



―Okay,‖ said Margo, ―I‘m going to imagine them driving in the car.‖



―That‘s a good idea. Can you make pictures in your mind of what they are seeing?‖



―I think so. I like to use my imagination.‖ Margo closed her eyes. ―I see fields with rows



of corn growing. Oh, there is a horse by a wooden fence, swishing its long tail. Now I see a sign



for a gas station way up high.‖



―That‘s wonderful. I have a feeling your imagination is going to be very useful on this



visit.‖



Granny and Margo started putting Margo‘s clothes away in the dresser. Margo was thinking



about what she and her grandmother would do together during her visit. Granny was thinking



about the same thing. ―We are going to have a wonderful time together, Margo.‖









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―What are we going to do while I‘m visiting you?‖



―Well, one important project is for you to help me get to know my new neighbors.‖



―Like Mrs. Alvarez?‖



―Yes, and there are so many other interesting people here, people from all around the



world.‖



―Really? I love making new friends.‖



―That‘s right. It‘s another thing we have in common.‖ Margo reached up her hand to



Granny for a high five. They both said ―All right!‖ and laughed together. Then they got back to



unpacking Margo‘s suitcase.



Riiinnngggg! The doorbell rang. ―I‘ll see who‘s at the door, Margo. Can you finish settling



in by yourself?‖



―Sure thing, Granny.‖



―Then come to the kitchen when you‘re done and we‘ll make supper together.‖



―I love all your ‗together‘ ideas, Granny.‖



As Granny went to answer the door, Margo was thinking, I wonder what adventures Granny



and I will have . . . and I wonder what is in that box.









In Granny‘s Kitchen



A few minutes later, Margo walked down the hall with a notebook tucked under her arm.



She heard pans clanking and two voices. That must be the kitchen, she thought and headed in



that direction. Granny was saying, ―So much to do and so little time.‖



The other voice answered, ―That is the truth, Cristina.‖



Granny added, ―It is so wonderful having Margo come visit me.‖







8

Margo walked into the kitchen to see Granny standing by the sink and a woman with a cap



of tight brown curls on her head sitting at the small table with a teacup in front of her. ―Hello,‖



said Margo.



Granny turned. ―There you are, Margo. I would like you to meet one of my best friends,



Mrs. Bernstein. She is one of the reasons I moved here.‖



―Hi,‖ said Margo.



Mrs. Bernstein smiled at Margo. ―It is so good to see you again, Margo. You have grown!‖



―Have you seen me before, Mrs. Bernstein?‖



―Yes, Margo. You can call me Mrs. B. I first met you when you were a baby about the same



age as Mrs. Alvarez‘s new daughter, Angela.‖



―That was a long time ago, Mrs. B.‖



―I guess it was. How old are you now, five or six?‖



―I just turned eight a few weeks ago.‖ Then she added, ―Mrs. B?‖



―Yes?‖



―Do you live in Granny‘s apartment building, too?‖



―Right across the hall from your Granny. I have lived here for fifteen years. When the



people who used to live in this apartment moved out, I suggested that your Granny move in so



we could be neighbors.‖



Margo thought about that. So other people lived here before Granny. ―Where did they go,



Mrs. B?‖



―Who, dear?‖



―The people who lived here before Granny?‖



―Ah, they moved to Toronto. Mrs. Fredricks is now a professor at a university there.‖









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―Oh.‖ People seem to move a lot, thought Margo.



―Margo, would you like some water or juice?‖ Granny asked.



―Water, please.‖



Granny set a glass of water on the table. ―Is that your journal you‘re carrying?‖ Margo



nodded and took the yellow notebook from under her arm and showed it to Granny, who added,



―How about writing or drawing in your journal until it‘s time to make some dinner together?‖



There were two chairs at Granny‘s table. Margo sat down across from Mrs. B and pulled a



pencil from behind her ear. Granny and Mrs. B talked while Margo drew a picture of a horse by



a fence on a windy hill and a car driving by on a highway. Just as she was putting the finishing



touches on her drawing, Granny took something out of the refrigerator. This reminded Margo of



a joke.



―How do you know if there is an elephant hiding in your refrigerator?‖



The two women looked at her quizzically, ―How, Margo?‖



―Because there are footprints in the butter.‖



Granny and Mrs. B. chuckled as Margo grinned. ―That would give it away, wouldn‘t it?‖



Granny said.









A Gift



After dinner Margo and Granny snuggled on the sofa, talking about this and that. Margo



told her grandmother all about her birthday party. ―. . . and then we noticed that Jordan‘s baby



brother was missing, and everybody started looking for him. We couldn‘t find him anywhere!



After a while, we heard him laughing. I picked up the edge of the tablecloth, and there he was



under the table! He just loved the attention!‖







10

Granny laughed quietly. ―All children need to know that someone will look for them if they



get lost. That‘s how they learn to trust.‖ Margo felt like a kitten with a tummy-full of warm



milk; she was purring inside. Her granny said the most wonderful things.



―What are we going to do tomorrow, Granny?‖



―We‘ll get to work on our project,‖ said Granny.



―The one where I help you get to know your new neighbors?‖ Margo asked. ―We already



started, didn‘t we? There‘s the woman you were talking to outside and her baby, and Mrs. B, but



you already knew her before. Are there many more?‖



―Lots. Would you like to invite some of them over for a little party tomorrow evening?‖



―Sure!‖



―Okay then. We‘ll do that.‖



Margo said, ―Granny, I think we should start keeping a list of the people we meet.‖



―That‘s a good idea. Where is your journal?‖



Margo pulled her yellow notebook out of the sofa cushions and slid to the floor by the coffee



table. ―Here it is! And my pencil . . .‖ She got ready to write. ―I will start with Mrs.Alvvvvv…



What is Angela‘s mother‘s name again?‖



―Mrs. Alvarez, dear. I am pretty sure it is spelled A-l-v-a-r-e-z. Just to make sure, we might



look at the mailboxes tomorrow.‖



Margo wrote the name and then said, ―and Angela, the baby. Where do Mrs. Alvarez and



Angela live? I want to write that too.‖



―They live with the rest of their family in apartment 2C, next door.‖ Granny pointed at the



wall, and Margo looked there as if she could see the other apartment. ―Their apartment is very



much like this one, but reflected in a mirror. You know, opposite.‖









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―So, the front door would be there, and the kitchen would be over there. That helps me



make a picture in my mind.‖



Granny continued, ―The Alvarez family has different furniture and decorations, of course.



Each family‘s apartment looks different, but basically they are same.‖



―Yeah, I guess they wouldn‘t have glass figurines from Murano like you do.‖



―Right; they have their own things from their own experiences.‖



Margo thought about this.



Granny said, ―I like your idea of writing about my neighbors. You can ask them about



where they lived before they moved to this neighborhood. It‘s like what your mother does when



she writes an article.‖



―Really?‖



―That‘s right. By the time you have met all my new neighbors, you will have enough



information to write your own article.‖



―Wow. Can I use my imagination for this project, too?‖



―Of course. You can make pictures in your mind of what you see and hear from the people



we meet. That will help you remember special things about each one.‖



―I‘m making a picture of Mrs. Alvarez outside on the sidewalk. I can see her in her orange



sweater and purple skirt in my mind. Baby Angela had a nice baby smell, too, and she sure held



my finger tight! I can remember a lot.‖



―Excellent, cara mia. We have a good start on our project.‖



―Granny, where‘s Toronto? Is it near Chicago?‖



―Not very near Chicago; it‘s in Canada.‖



―I want to see where that is. Did you bring your atlas from your old house?‖









12

―Of course, dear. It‘s right on that shelf.‖ Granny‘s atlas is a wonderful book. It has maps



on every page. Margo looked at all the countries, all the oceans, and the cities scattered all over,



like stars in the sky.



―Stars!‖ Margo said suddenly. ―That reminds me. Is it time to see what‘s inside that blue



box with stars on it?‖



―It‘s time. Do get it right now. It‘s still in your room I think.‖



Margo ran down the hall and returned with a smile on her face and the box covered with



stars in her hands. With shining eyes, Margo unwrapped the box and reached inside. ―Oh my, it



is a globe.‖ Margo jumped on the sofa and gave Granny a big hug and whispered ―Thank you



Granny,‖ into Granny‘s ear in a tickly voice that made both of them giggle.



―You‘re very welcome,‖ Granny whispered back in Margo‘s ear. ―I think you will be using



this birthday present a lot for our project.‖



―Why Granny?‖



―Because many of my new neighbors came here from countries all around the world.‖



Margo and Granny looked at the new globe. They found Canada and the island of Murano,



in Italy, on it. Margo saw some really big islands on the globe, and Granny told her they were



continents.



After a while, Margo said, ―I think it is my bed time, Granny.‖



―Why do you think so?‖



―Cause my eyelids are trying to close all by themselves‖.



―That‘s usually a good indication,‖ said Granny.



―Granny, will you carry me to bed?‖









13

―Are you kidding, young lady? I could carry two of you. Let‘s go get some good sleep so



we can have some more fun together.‖



On their way to Margo‘s room, Granny said slowly and softly, ―With your imagination,



creativity, and curiosity you can learn and do anything you make up your mind to. You have so



many wonderful gifts, cara mia.‖



―Are you talking about my birthday gift? Oh, Granny, I left my globe in the living room.‖



―We‘ll get you tucked in, and then I‘ll go and get it. It can stay with you while you sleep.‖



Margo was so happy and sleepy that she smiled and yawned at the same time. Granny said,



―Pleasant dreams of far off places and adventures, dear.‖



Margo said, ―I love you, Granny,‖ and she was fast asleep before Granny even turned out



the light.







Day 2

Another Gift



The first thing Margo saw when she opened her eyes the next morning was her new globe.



I’m at Granny’s new apartment, she remembered, and all the memories of the day before came



into her mind. Then she smelled breakfast and hopped out of bed.



―There you are, my little pumpkin. How did you and your globe sleep?‖



―Very well, Granny. It was just like sleeping at your old house.‖



Granny winked at her. ―You always did sleep well in that bed. How about some breakfast?



Then we can go to the store and get what we need for our gathering tonight.‖



―Okay. Breakfast smells really good!‖









14

While Margo was eating, something caught her eye. It was a piece of red yarn. One end of



the yarn was tied to the oven door. She couldn‘t see the other end, but the yarn snuck along the



floor by the cabinets and out into the hall. ―Hey Granny, why is there a piece of yarn tied to your



oven?‖



Granny raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders. ―Maybe you should see where it



leads.‖



Margo took a last drink of orange juice and went straight to the oven. She wanted to start



right at the beginning. Taking the yarn between her fingers, she followed the thin red path. All



the way down the hall it went, up and around the doorknob of the linen closet, and all the way



back, almost to the kitchen. The yarn led her into the living room, and then stopped, at a long



tube lying on the floor.



It was a big tube—as long as the sofa and bigger around than Margo could reach with her



hands. ―What‘s this, Granny?‖ she asked.



―I wish I knew. It arrived early this morning.‖



The package had stickers and stamps all over it with strange writing. Margo was sure it was



writing, although she had never seen writing like it before. ―What does this say?‖ she asked.



―I don‘t know. Maybe we can find someone who can read this language. I wonder who sent



this package. If we can translate the shipping label, it might tell us, and maybe there is a note



inside. I think I am as surprised by this package as you were last night by your globe.‖



Granny got a pair of scissors from the kitchen and cut the tape that held on the cap at one



end of the tube. She popped off the cap and a spicy, magical smell drifted out. Margo and



Granny looked at each other with big eyes. ―This certainly is a mystery,‖ said Granny. ―I‘ve



never smelled that smell before.‖









15

Margo breathed in the scent. ―It smells like far away,‖ she murmured.



The first thing they could see of the object was a little fringe peeking out, so they could tell



it was a rug. Margo pulled while Granny held onto the tube with all her might. When the rug



finally came free, Margo sat down with a bump and laughed.



Together they moved the coffee table to make an open space, and Granny cut the strings that



held the rug rolled up tight. Then they both got down and started to unroll it.



Colors seemed to rise up into the air—blue like the sky after sunset, red as red as ripe



strawberries, and creamy, milky white. The enchanting scent was everywhere now.



―Oh, my goodness!‖ said Granny.



―It is beautiful, Granny! Where did it come from?‖ Margo asked. She wanted to swim in the



colors and patterns of the rug. ―It makes me want to go there,‖ she said.



―I know what you mean,‖ Granny replied, ―but, where?‖



―Maybe it‘s a magic rug,‖ suggested Margo.



―Like the flying carpet in the Thousand and One Nights?‖ said Granny. ―I feel adventure in



the wind, Margo. I would like very much to find out who sent this. And, we also need to go to



the store this morning. I‘ll make a shopping list and get my purse. Will you please look for a



note, on the rug or in the tube?‖



―I am on the case, Granny. If there is a note, I‘ll find it.‖ While Granny went to change into



her adventure clothes, Margo looked at the rug carefully.



There was a design around the rug‘s edge that made a border. In the center it had bright



blue, red, and sandy brown shapes. Here and there all over were bright spots of yellow. Margo



stood right in the middle of the rug and looked all around. She didn‘t see a note. Then she



peered into the tube. It was very dark inside, so she tipped it up and tapped it on the floor.









16

Nothing came out. Next, she went back to the rug and felt all the way around the edge. That‘s



how she found the note. It was a card, pinned to the back of the rug with a safety pin. ―Eureka!‖



she called out. Her dad always said that when he found something he was looking for.



Granny came back and announced, ―I‘m ready for adventure. Did you find anything that



might help us with this mystery, my dear?‖



―I think so. I found this note. It looks like the same kind of writing as on the tube.‖



Granny looked at the note. ―You are a good detective, Margo. I was hoping there would be



something in English, or Italian. Still, since we are having some of my neighbors here tonight,



we can see if anyone knows this language. Let‘s put the note here on the shelf so it will be



handy this evening.‖



Granny stood the note up against a small blue bird figurine on the shelf and then reached her



hand out to Margo. Margo jumped up, and hand in hand they sang out, ―Ready, set, go!‖ and



marched out the door into the hall.



As they left, Margo looked back at the rug. ―I hope you are a flying carpet,‖ she said to it.



The rug just lay there quietly on the floor.







On the Stairs and To the Store



Down the stairs they went and out the front door into the morning sunshine. The first thing



Margo noticed was the green, summer smell in the air. Next, she saw four people talking at the



foot of the stairs. She and Granny stopped to speak with them.



―Good day, neighbors,‖ said Granny. ―My name is Christina Rossi, and this is my



granddaughter Margo.‖



A woman in a green sweater said, ―G‘day, to you. I‘m Kapi Brand.‖







17

―Hello,‖ said Margo. ―I though Granny was the only person who said ‗good day‘.‖



Ms. Brand smiled. ―Where I grew up, lots of people say ‗g‘day‘.‖



A tall man sitting on the step, next to Ms. Brand added, ―In my native country, Brazil, people



say ‗bom día,‘ [bon·JEE·a] which means good day. Bom día, ladies. It‘s a pleasure to meet you.



My name is Raimundo Machado, and these are my friends Mr. Anderson and Mr. Star.‖



Mr. Anderson, who was very tall and had curly red hair, said, ―Hello. How‘s it going?‖



―It is a good day, a lovely day,‖ said the fourth person in the group. He had a long ponytail



and deep, brown eyes. ―I am happy to meet you both.‖



Margo said, ―It‘s nice to meet all of you.‖



Granny said, ―We would like to invite you to join us for a small get-to-know-your-neighbor



gathering this evening.‖



Margo added, ―We want to meet all of Granny‘s new neighbors!‖



The four neighbors all said that they would like that very much, and asked where and what



time.



―Granny‘s apartment is 2B,‖ announced Margo.



―2B it is, thank you, Margo,‖ said Granny. ―Please come by between six and eight o‘clock



this evening. It would lovely if you could join us, and please be so kind as to mention it to other



neighbors.‖



Margo said, ―See you later.‖



And Granny said, ―Have a pleasant day.‖



The neighbors answered, ―good-bye,‖ ―take care,‖ and ―so long,‖ in what sounded like a



chorus as Margo and Granny headed down the street.









18

The leaves overhead made dancing shadows on the sidewalk, giving Margo the feeling that



she was wading in a stream. She looked at the trees, in planters all along the street, and she saw



the clear blue sky above them. A bird swept down from a branch and pecked at crumbs, then



fluttered back to the tree as she and Granny got close.



―What‘s that smell?‖ Margo asked.



―Do you mean the café, the bus, or the laundromat?‖ Granny chuckled.



―All three, I guess,‖ said Margo. ―I smell coffee coming from this doorway, so this must be



the café.‖ She caught a glimpse of people sitting at small, round tables inside an open door to



her right. Then a bus, which had stopped for someone to get on it, started moving again, and the



smell of exhaust got stronger. ―The bus,‖ noted Margo and nodded. ―Where‘s the laundromat,



Granny?‖



―It is just down the side street there,‖ Granny replied.



―What is a laundromat? It smells like our basement when the clothes are in the dryer.‖



―There‘s your answer, dear. A laundromat is a place with lots of washing machines and



dryers where people can do their laundry.‖



―Why don‘t they do it at home?‖ Margo asked.



―Not everyone has a washer and dryer,‖ answered Granny. ―I don‘t. My apartment is too



small for two big machines. Besides, I enjoy meeting my neighbors at the laundromat. It can be



a social occasion. You will see when we go to do our laundry.‖



As they continued on their way, Margo looked in all the windows. They passed a window full



of shoes and another window that looked into a large room with people waiting in line for their



turn to speak with a smiling employee. Margo thought, shoe store and bank. The next window



had a poster and several books standing up. The picture on the poster was so interesting that









19

Margo stopped to look at it carefully. The woman in the photograph was smiling slightly and



wearing an interesting cap or hat. There was an old-fashioned airplane behind her. ―Who is that,



Granny?‖ Margo asked.



Granny looked at the poster and said, ―That is Amelia Earhart. This poster announces a



program about her life. She flew nearly all the way around the world, you know.‖



―Really?‖ Margo was impressed. ―I would love to fly around the world.‖



Granny said, ―Maybe you will, someday.‖



They continued walking. There were people all around them, walking purposefully or



wandering along, looking in the windows. The people were so interesting! Margo‘s eyes were



dancing and her mind was full of images, like the tall man walking a tiny dog and the little boy



kneeling beside his green tricycle tying his shoe while just the tip of his tongue stuck out.



Granny, looking across the street at a big, stone building said, ―Remind me that I want to buy



some stamps on our way home. Okay, Margo?‖



―You have a post office here, too?‖ asked Margo, surprised. ―Granny, your new



neighborhood is like a whole world!‖



―In many ways, it is,‖ Granny said.



―Is there a globe of your neighborhood, Granny?‖



―Not that I know of,‖ she answered, ―but you could make a map and put all that you have seen



today on it.‖



―Yes. I could do that. It‘s too bad I can‘t put all the smells on my map,‖ said Margo.



―Well, you can keep them in your memory picture of our walk together this morning.‖



―That‘s a good idea, Granny,‖ Margo agreed.









20

Just then, they arrived at the small grocery store and went inside. They picked out snacks for



the get-to-know-your-neighbors gathering, and Granny bought some flowers. On their way



home, they crossed the street and went to the post office for stamps. Then they walked back to



Granny‘s apartment to have some lunch and get ready for the gathering.



―Granny?‖ asked Margo.



―Yes, cara mia?‖



―You told the neighbors on the stairs to come to a ‗gathering.‘ Is that a grown-up way of



saying we‘re having a party?‖



―Um hmm,‖ said Granny. ―You could say that.‖



―Oh good! I love parties.‖









Research



The early-afternoon sun was smiling on Granny‘s flowers in their pots on the kitchen window



sill. Margo looked up from writing in her notebook and said, ―Granny, I want to look at the



mailboxes downstairs.‖



―That‘s fine, dear,‖ said Granny, who was checking her e-mail on her laptop at the kitchen



table. ―Would you like me to go with you?‖



―I can go by myself,‖ Margo answered. ―Is that Okay?‖



―Yes. Please stay inside the building and come right back when you are done with your



research.‖



―I will,‖ Margo said. She picked up her notebook and pencil and went downstairs.



Near the big front door of the apartment building there were sixteen little metal doors on the



wall. Each one had a number, a name, and a slot for a key. Margo looked at the doors. These







21

don’t look like boxes to me, she thought. I’ll ask Granny how they work. Just then, Ms. Brand



came into the building and went up to the little door marked ―4C‖ and ―Brand.‖



―G‘day, Margo,‖ she said as she put a little key in the slot and turned it. The door opened and



there was the mailbox with a couple of letters in it! Margo was impressed.



―Wow!‖ said Margo. ―I mean, good day, Ms. Brand. I was wondering how these mailboxes



worked, and you just showed me. Thanks.‖



―No worries.‖ She smiled and went up the stairs with her mail.



Margo got back to work. She wrote 4C next to Ms. Brand‘s name on her list. She found 2C



and saw that Alvarez was, indeed, spelled A-l-v-a-r-e-z. Now, she thought, Mr. Star. Aha! It’s



apartment 4D. I think I’ll just write all the names and apartment numbers.



So that‘s what she did. When she finished, she realized that she hadn‘t seen ―Machado‖ on



any mailbox. A mystery, she thought, making a note.









The Gathering



At seven o‘clock that evening, Granny‘s living room was full of people, music, snacks, and



conversation. Margo had a wonderful time. She talked with neighbors she had already met, like



Mrs. B. and Mr. Star, and she met some new ones, too. Margo was in charge of keeping the



cookie plate well stocked, so when she wasn‘t talking with a neighbor, she kept an eye on the



cookie supply. She was just putting the finishing touches on a flower pattern of cookies when



Mrs. Kim came up to get some snacks.



―Oh, you made a flower with the cookies,‖ said Mrs. Kim. ―I am very fond of flowers.‖



Margo said, ―Me, too.‖



Just then, Granny stood up and made a little announcement.







22

―Excuse me, everyone. Please pardon the interruption in your conversations. I just wanted to



thank you for attending our gathering tonight. Margo and I are so happy that you could join us



and we could get to know each other a little better. We also have a little mystery we could use



some help with.



―You may have noticed the rug here. It arrived just this morning. Unfortunately, we don‘t



know who sent it or anything about it.‖



Everyone looked down at the rug. A man in a little red hat said, ―This looks like a very good



Persian carpet.‖ All eyes turned from the carpet to this man.



Mrs. Kim asked, ―How do you know this, Mr. Aydemir?‖



―Well,‖ he said, ―my mother‘s brother had a shop where he sold carpets from Turkey and



other countries. I used to go there after school. Uncle Iskender kept the carpets in a huge, neat



pile, and he would fold them over, one by one, to show customers the colors and patterns. I



remember the ―whoosh, flump‖ as he lifted the edge of each one and flipped it back, in half, onto



the others.‖ Mr. Aydemir gestured with his arm, in a great sweeping motion. ―I was interested



in the beautiful carpets and so I listened to all my uncle had to say about them. I learned that



weavers from different places used different techniques, colors, and types of wool when they



made carpets. Looking at this one, I think it was made by Persian weavers in the area of Tabriz.‖



Margo ran to her room, picked up her globe, and trotted back to the living room with it. ―Mr.



Aydemir, would you show me where Tabriz is on my globe?‖



―Of course, canım [JA·nem] it is about here.‖ He pointed to a place on the globe.



―Tabriz,‖ mused Granny. ―This is still a mystery.‖ Then louder she added, ―Mr. Aydemir,



we saved the shipping label from the package and there was a note inside, too. Would you take a



look and see if you can help us figure out who sent this?‖









23

Granny handed the shipping label to Mr. Aydemir while Margo fetched the note from the



shelf. ―Hmmm,‖ said Mr. Aydemir, ―the package was mailed from a carpet seller in Tehran,



Iran. This word means carpet house. I learned that from my uncle. Many of the carpets he sold



were from Persia, what is now called Iran.‖



Meanwhile, another neighbor, Mr. Ahmed Henein, was looking at the note in Margo‘s hand.



―This note is written in Farsi,‖ he said. ―It looks quite similar to Arabic, although the languages



are not related. Unfortunately, I don‘t know Farsi, so I can‘t read the note.‖



Mr. Star spoke up then, ―I have a friend from Iran. She speaks Farsi. I could ask her to



translate the note.‖



Granny said, ―Would you? That would be so kind. Margo, will you give Mr. Star the note,



please?‖ Margo handed him the note.



Mr. Star smiled at Margo and replied to Granny, ―I am happy to help. I will let you know



what I find out.‖



Margo and Granny said, ―Oh, thank you!‖ at the same time. Mrs. B. chuckled.



After that, the neighbors started talking among themselves again. Margo sat on the carpet and



talked to Mr. Aydemir for a while. He told her more about his childhood visits to the carpet



seller in Istanbul, Turkey. A little later, she talked with Mr. Ahmed about the writing on the



note. Margo was glad he explained that Farsi was the name of a language, which is spoken in



Iran. Mr. Henein was from Egypt, where Arabic is the most common language. He asked her



for a piece of paper. She brought him her notebook, and he wrote her name in Arabic for her.





This is what it looked like: Margo – ‫ارجوم‬





24

Young Friend - [tet-la-sade-qa] – ‫صدي ق ط ف لة‬



Around eight o‘clock, the neighbors started to leave in ones and twos. Everyone said what a



wonderful time they had and thanks for inviting them. Several neighbors asked them to come for



a visit sometime. Granny and Margo said, ―It was a pleasure to meet you,‖ and ―Thanks for



coming,‖ and ―We‘ll see you again soon,‖ many times.



Suddenly, it was quiet; all the guests were gone.



―That was a very good gathering!‖ said Margo on her way to the kitchen with a cookie plate.



―I‘m glad you enjoyed it,‖ said Granny.



―I asked Mr. Aydemir if he had ever seen a flying carpet.‖



―What did he say?‖ Granny wanted to know.



―He said he had heard stories but had never seen a carpet fly with his own eyes.‖



―Ah,‖ said Granny.



Then Margo added, ―He told me he once heard a man say that his carpet could fly. His Uncle



Iskender told him that man had a great imagination.‖



―Perhaps he did,‖ said Granny.



While Margo washed dishes and Granny dried and put away, Granny said, ―I remember now.



Banu Abrishami.‖



―What did you say, Granny?‖ Margo asked.



―I remember someone from Iran. Her name is Banu Abrishami. We were in history class



together in Florence a long time ago. I wonder if she could have sent the rug.‖



―Why don‘t you ask her?‖ Margo suggested.







25

―I don‘t know where she is living now,‖ Granny said. ―I haven‘t heard from her in many



years. Let‘s see what Mr. Star‘s friend can tell us.‖



After everything was tidy again, Margo sat on the carpet with her globe. She found Iran and



felt the bumps of many mountains there. Then she thought about her parents and looked for



Chicago. She put her finger on the spot and imagined her mom and dad. The carpet moved!



Just a tiny bit off the floor, but it moved. Margo was very surprised.



―Granny!‖ she exclaimed.



Granny came quickly. ―Yes, cara mia?‖



―Didn‘t you say, with my imagination I could go anywhere I wanted?‖



―Something like that,‖ said Granny. ―Why?‖



―I was just thinking about this carpet . . .‖







Day 3

Imagine Flying



That night, Margo had a dream. She dreamed a man with a grey beard was zooming around



on a carpet making photographs. He flew past a bird and the bird looked very surprised. Then it



was Margo on the carpet. She looked out and saw oceans and continents of many colors, just



like on her new globe. She was thinking it would be fun to go back and take Granny for a ride



on the carpet. She wondered, How do I steer this thing? Then she woke up. Granny was calling



her. ―Margo, dear! Wake up, sleepy head. It‘s time for breakfast.‖



Just a few minutes later, with her tummy full of Granny‘s pancakes, Margo was looking out



the kitchen window at the street below. It had rained in the night and everything looked freshly



washed. Right below her, the tops of the wet trees sparkled with sun jewels. The people







26

walking on the sidewalk reminded her of birds. They scurried quickly for a little way, then



stopped to choose their next step over or around a puddle, and then scurried on again. Then she



saw Kapi Brand come down the steps in front of the apartment building and walk up the street to



the bus stop. Granny joined her at the window. ―What a delightful view of my new



neighborhood,‖ she said, smiling at the scene below.



―Look, Granny,‖ said Margo. ―It‘s Kapi.‖



Granny said, ―She is going to the university for classes. She comes back in the afternoon.‖



A noisy jet flew overhead, and they both looked up. Margo said, ―The people on that plane



might be going somewhere far away.‖



―Or perhaps, coming here from a far off place,‖ said Granny. ―Can you imagine what the



people looking out their windows are seeing right now?‖



―I am trying to imagine it, Granny. Maybe one person is looking down here at us right



now.‖



―Maybe so. I wonder what we look like from up there.‖ Granny asked, and Margo tried to



imagine this.



―Well, Miss Kiddo, would you like to visit Missy this morning?‖



―Sure, Granny. Are you coming, too?‖ Margo was delighted.



―Yes. I would like to meet her, too. It‘ll be part of our project.‖



―Okay, Granny. I am ready for some visiting. Should I take my globe?‖



―I think that would be a fine idea, and you might want your notebook as well.‖



―Good! I‘m also going to notice how the Alvarez‘ apartment is like a mirror image of



yours.‖









27

On their way to apartment 2C, just down the hall, Granny asked, ―Were you imagining



flying up to that airplane on the new carpet and seeing the people in their seats looking out their



windows?‖



―Yes Granny, I was. How did you know? I was imaging flying next to the plane and



waving to the people inside.‖



―Did you imagine how surprised the people in the plane would be to see you flying on a



carpet?‖



―Yes, I did imagine that, and they were amazed. I was too.‖



They arrived at the door and knocked. Mrs. Alvarez opened it and welcomed them in.







Beautiful Guatemala



Margo stepped into a busy and colorful room. She saw baby Angela waving and cooing on



a brightly striped blanket and a little girl in a pink dress sitting on the floor, looking at a picture



book. The girl had a cast on her leg, and she looked up when Margo and Granny came in. Mrs.



Alvarez invited them to sit down and offered them something to drink.



Granny said, ―I would enjoy a cup of your wonderful coffee, Yolanda, thank you.‖



Margo thought it would be fun to taste some coffee, too, but she asked for a glass of water.



Mrs. Alvarez went into the kitchen. Granny sat on the sofa and started talking with the baby in a



grandmotherly way, and Margo sat down next to the little girl.



―I‘m Margo,‖ she said. ―Are you Missy?‖



The little girl looked shyly at Margo and nodded. ―My real name is Magdalena, but



everybody calls me Missy.‖



―Missy, does your leg hurt in that cast?‖ Margo asked.







28

―It did at first, but now it only itches. I wish I could run fast now!‖



―Yeah. I‘ll bet you do,‖ said Margo.



Mrs. Alvarez came back with a small tray with two cups of coffee, a sugar bowl, and two



small glasses of water. She put the tray on a little table near Granny, and she and Granny sipped



their coffee and chatted.



Margo came over to the table for the water and said to Granny, ―I just found out that Missy‘s



real name is Magdalena. Isn‘t that a beautiful name?‖



Granny said, ―It is beautiful. How did you choose it, Yolanda?‖



Mrs. Alvarez answered, ―One of my grandmothers was called Magdalena, and I have always



loved the name. I wanted to pass it on to a daughter. We call our Magdalena ‗Missy‘ because



that is what our pediatrician called her the first time she saw her. It really seemed to fit.‖



Margo took a glass of water for herself and one for Missy and sat back beside her new



friend. Together they looked at the picture book. It was called Beautiful Guatemala. In it they



saw mountains high in the clouds and steamy jungles. There were photos of cities with



skyscrapers and villages with dirt roads. Margo loved the picture of people at a market. There



were booths full of fruits, and blankets, and fish, and so many things. Missy especially wanted



to show her a picture of a beach. ―Mamá‘s family lives near a playa like this one,‖ she



explained.



―What‘s a ‗playa‘?‖ asked Margo.



―Mamá, how do you say ‘playa’?” Missy asked her mother.



Just then, the door opened and a boy carrying a soccer ball came in. He heard Missy‘s



question and answered it. ―It‘s ‗beach‘ Missy.‖



Missy nodded and said, ―Beach. Thanks Tomás.‖









29

Mrs. Alvarez said, ―Hola, Tomás. How was your game?‖



―Fine, Mamá. It was good even though we tied again. I like it better when we win.‖



―I know,‖ his mom said sympathetically. ―Come and meet our visitors. This is Mrs. Rossi



and her granddaughter Margo.‖



Tomás put his soccer ball down and said, ―It‘s nice to meet you, Mrs. Rossi.‖ He shook her



hand.



Granny was pleased. ―What a gentleman you are, Tomás! It is a pleasure to meet you, too.‖



―Good day, Tomás,‖ said Margo. ―I like to say ‗good day‘ like my Granny.‖



Now it was Tomás‘ turn to smile. He reached out his hand to shake Margo‘s hand, too.



―Good day, Margo,‖ he said formally.



Margo said, ―I play soccer, too. Maybe we could kick a ball around together some time.‖



Tomás said, ―Sure. That sounds great. We could practice at the park where my team plays.



Just let me know when you can go.‖



―Okay.‖ Then Margo asked, ―Mrs. Alvarez, will you tell me something about where you



grew up? I am practicing making pictures in my mind of people‘s memories.‖



―Of course, Margocita, if you would like me to.‖



―Yes, Mamá! Please tell us about Guatemala!‖ said Missy, very excited.



―Mrs. Alvarez?‖ asked Margo. ―What did you call me?‖



―Margocita. It means ‗little Margo.‘ In Spanish we often add ‗ito‘ to words to show



affection,‖ explained Mrs. Alvarez.



―Oh. Thank you.‖









30

Mrs. Alvarez went on, ―Now, when I was a girl, between your age, Margo, and yours,



Tomás, I liked to watch my father and brother go out in their fishing boat. I would watch from a



hill near our house. The view was fabulosa!‖



―Excuse me,‖ interrupted Margo, ―is that like ‗fabulous‘?‖



―Exactly,‖ said Mrs. Alvarez. ―I could see the bay, all shining blue with white spots like



icing flowers on a cake. Far below me was the sandy beach where we kept the boat. I could see



the waves coming onto the sand, but I was so high up that I couldn‘t hear the sound they make



when they break.‖



Margo listened with her eyes closed so she could try to ―see‖ what Mrs. Alvarez was



describing in her mind. The story continued.



―One day I was on the hill watching. The wind kept pushing the hair over my face, so I had



to hold it back with my hand. I heard sea gulls crying and felt the tough grass under my feet. At



the bottom of the long hill, my father and brother walked to the boat and started pushing it to the



water. At the edge of the waves, my father jumped in first, to steer and set up the sail. Then my



brother pushed hard, and the boat slid onto the water. Just at that moment, a gull swooped by



and my brother looked up to shoo it away. When he looked back at the boat, it was already



going away and he had to splash through the waves to catch up with it.



―My father was ready to pull the sail up by its rope, but he had to stop and pull my brother



up into the boat first. I could just imagine my father telling him, ‗You have to be in the boat if



you want to catch fish.‘ Then the sail climbed up the long pole that holds it. The wind filled up



the sail, and I watched them sail out toward the deep blue water. I always tried to see the exact



moment they passed from the pale aquamarine water close to the beach into the deep cold blue









31

farther out. The colors are so different, but I never could see the exact place where one turned



into the other.



―Then I noticed a great big ocean liner come around the end of the land. Both the big ship



and the little sailboat seemed to be moving very slowly, because they were so far from me, but I



know they were really moving fast. I wondered where the ocean liner had come from, far across



the great big ocean.



Margo opened her eyes and asked, ―Which great big ocean, Mrs. Alvarez?‖



―The Atlantic Ocean,‖ she answered.



Tomás, who was studying all the blue on Margo‘s globe, asked, ―Mamá, where on this globe



is the place your father and brother fished?‖ He took the globe to his mother, and Margo went



too.



Mrs. Alvarez turned the globe until she could see the big curve of the Gulf of Mexico.



―Here,‖ she said, ―in this corner of the Atlantic Ocean. Our little bay is too small to see on this



globe, but you can see Guatemala right here.‖ She pointed to her native country.



―Is that the same Atlantic Ocean that is by New York?‖ asked Tomás.



―Yes, Tomás, the Atlantic is a very big ocean. It covers a lot of the world. See. It touches



North, Central, and South America, Europe, and Africa, too.‖



Then Missy, who couldn‘t see the globe from where she was sitting, said, ―Then what



happened, Mamá?‖



―Sorry, Missy. After I saw the ocean liner, I started to think about the fish my father and



brother would catch in their big net. I hoped they would return with many fish, some colorful to



look at, some big and tasty to sell at the market, and some to bring home for our family. They









32

would taste so good when my mamá cooked them for supper. Thinking about that made me



hungry, so I walked back over the grassy sand to our little house for breakfast.‖



Tomás said, ―Can we go fishing, Mamá?‖



Missy said, ―Your story made me hungry.‖



Baby Angela cried, ―Waaaaaah!‖



Granny smiled and got up to go. ―Thank you for the wonderful story and the coffee,



Yolanda. It‘s time for us to get home.‖



Mrs. Alvarez invited them both to come for supper sometime. ―We‘ll have fish!‖ she said.



Everyone liked that idea.



Margo picked up her globe and said, ―Thanks for everything, Mrs. Alvarez. Bye, Missy and



Tomás. See you later!‖



―Alligator,‖ said Tomás.



―After a while, crocodile,‖ Margo added.



On their way downstairs to Granny‘s apartment, Margo said, ―I wish we could fly on your



carpet to the place Mrs. Alvarez told us about. We know where it is on the globe and I have



really clear images in my mind of all she said. I wish we could see all the countries your



neighbors came from, like Mr. Aydemir, Mr. Ahmad, and Mrs. Alvarez‘ Guatemala, Granny.‖



―This getting-to-know-my-neighbors project is getting bigger than I ever imagined, cara



mia.‖ said Granny.







Wind



After lunch, Granny took a little rest and Margo sat on the carpet with her globe. She



remembered the scene that Mrs. Alvarez had described, and made a very clear picture in her







33

mind. She imagined the wind blowing as she looked out over the bay. Suddenly she opened her



eyes wide, because wind was blowing her hair and the edge of the carpet was ruffling and



snapping. Granny‘s living room got kind of blurry, and for a moment she could see a tiny



fishing boat in blue water as if through a window in a cloud. Then it was gone. The carpet lay



still and flat and everything in the room looked as it usually did. Margo quickly pulled the pencil



from behind her ear and began writing and sketching in her notebook.







Flowers and a Palace



Later that afternoon, Granny called Mrs. Kim. She was one of the neighbors who had



invited Margo and Granny for a visit. When she hung up the phone, Granny called to Margo,



―Let‘s go, my little researcher. Mrs. Kim is ready to meet us.‖



Margo checked the list of names she had copied from the mailboxes and announced, ―We‘re



going to apartment 3B!‖



―Okay. Can you find it?‖ Granny asked.



―You bet I can,‖ said Margo. ―I have it figured out. It‘s a ‗3‘ so it‘s on the third floor, and



it‘s ‗B‘ so it must be right over your apartment!‖ She jumped up, ready to go.



―Right!‖ said Granny. ―So, what do you think? Will Mrs. Kim‘s apartment be just like



mine?‖



―I wonder about that, Granny,‖ said Margo. ―I‘ll have to see when we get there.‖ They



walked up the stairs and stood before the door marked ‗3B.‘



―Is it your turn to knock?‖ asked Granny.



―Yes,‖ replied Margo, and she knocked politely on the door.



Mrs. Kim opened the door wide, saying, ―Please come in.‖







34

―Good day, neighbor.‖ said Margo and Granny together.



One of Mrs. Kim‘s eyebrows when up just a teeny bit, but what she said was, ―Good day to



you, Mrs. Rossi and Margo. Welcome to my home. Would you like to leave your shoes here?‖



She pointed to a small mat beside the door. A pair of running shoes was already on it.



Granny slipped right out of her shoes and placed them neatly on the mat beside the other



pair. As Margo took off her own shoes, she glanced at Mrs. Kim‘s feet—red slippers. I wonder,



she thought.



She looked around the apartment and said, ―Mrs. Kim, your apartment is a lot like Granny‘s,



but everything looks like it came from a different world.‖



―Everything here did come from a different world, Margo. Most of my possessions came



with me from Korea, where I was born.‖



―Ah. That explains it,‖ said Margo. ―Korea. Is that a country, like Guatemala?‖



―Yes, it is. The Republic of Korea is a country very far from here. I will show you



something from Korea.‖ Mrs. Kim showed them a small, green box.



Granny said, ―What an interesting box. It looks like little sticks of bamboo. What is it made



of?‖



―It is a type of porcelain,‖ said Mrs. Kim.



Margo said, ―Did you live in Korea when you were a girl?‖



―Yes, I was born in Korea and lived there until a few years ago.‖



―Will you tell us something you remember from when you were little?‖ asked Margo.



―I would be happy to,‖ said Mrs. Kim. ―Let‘s sit down so we can be more comfortable.‖



They all sat on the sofa. ―I will tell you about one of my favorite memories from Korea. I



remember, when I was very small, my mother carried me into our family‘s garden. She held me









35

so that I could smell and touch the flowers. There were many kinds of flowers in our garden:



iris, peony, and, of course, our national flower, mungunghwa, rose of Sharon. I was too young to



know the names then, but I loved to smell the flowers. The big white peonies were bigger than



my head, and I always remember their smell.‖



―I love smelling flowers, Mrs. Kim.‖ Margo said, pretending to smell some right then.



―I do too, Margo. I wish you and I could smell those sweet, colorful flowers together right



now. Many of my favorite memories have flowers in them, like the time my parents took me to



the famous palace, Chang-gyeong-gung.‖



―You went to a palace? I have heard about palaces. Is this palace in Korea, Mrs. Kim?‖



―Yes, it is. I have a photo album with some pictures. Would you like to see?



―Very much,‖ said Margo.



Mrs. Kim opened a large photo album on the coffee table in front of them. ―Chang-gyeong-



gung is very old. It is in the capital of South Korea, about and hour and a half from the house



where my family lived. We went there by train and subway. Try to imagine a big wall of stone.



In this wall is a gate like this one.‖ Mrs. Kim showed Margo and Granny a photo in the album



and went on, ―When my parents and I walked through the gate, we entered a courtyard full of the



look and smell of fall. I was glad we went there in the fall because fall is my favorite season.‖



―What made it look and smell like fall?‖ Margo asked.



―Oh, many things. Like the colors of the chrysanthemums blooming and the golden yellow



and beautiful red leaves. Many leaves were on the ground, like a colorful carpet. When we



walked on the path, the leaves made a rustling sound and their spicy dry scent floated up to our



faces. Also, there was the quiet, cool air. It had a fall feeling and smell, too.‖



―Thank you. Now I can imagine it better,‖ said Margo.









36

Granny said, ―With your words and the photos, it is almost as if we were there with you,



Mrs. Kim.‖



Mrs. Kim nodded acknowledgement and continued her story, ―Chang-gyeon-gung has many



buildings inside the walls. We walked inside some of them, and then we sat in one of the



gardens. That was a wonderful day for me with my family.‖



―Thank you for telling me about your memories, Mrs. Kim,‖ said Margo.



―It was a pleasure. Thank you for reminding me of these happy moments in my childhood,‖



Mrs. Kim replied.



Granny said, ―I have enjoyed being with you, Mrs. Kim, and learning a little about your life.



Thank you for inviting Margo and me to your lovely home.‖



―Many thanks to you and Margo for visiting me. Please come again,‖ said Mrs. Kim.



―Thank you Mrs. Kim. You are a very nice lady.‖ Margo said.



Mrs. Kim smiled at her. ―The next time we meet, I would like to hear about your



memories,‖ said Mrs. Kim. ―Then I will know you both better.‖ Mrs. Kim walked with Margo



and Granny to the door.



Mrs. Kim gave Margo a folded paper flower she had made. ―In Korea we learn paper



folding in school,‖ she said.



―Oh, it‘s amazing!‖ said Margo. ―Thank you so much.‖



Granny and Margo put on their shoes at the door, said their good-byes to Mrs. Kim, and



walked back down the stairs.



―Ooops!‖ said Margo suddenly. ―I forgot to ask Mrs. Kim to show me where Korea is on



my globe. Will you help me find it later, Granny?‖



―Of course,‖ said Granny.









37

Translation



It was just after 7:00 that evening. Dinner had been cooked and eaten, and the kitchen had



been cleaned up. Margo and Granny were in the living room—Granny on the sofa reading a



book and Margo on the floor right next to her, drawing in her notebook with colored pencils.



―Look, Granny. I‘ve made a picture of the palace gate Mrs. Kim told us about,‖ said Margo



holding her notebook up so Granny could see the drawing.



―Very nice, dear,‖ said Granny. ―Is that the top of a tree I see above the wall here?‖



―Yes. I wanted to show the fall colors in my picture.‖



Granny put her book down. ―Would it be a good time to find Korea on your globe?‖



―A great time! I‘ll get it.‖ Margo scampered to get the globe from her room.



Together they located Korea. ―Look, Granny. Korea is on the other side of the world from



here. Mrs. Kim traveled a long way to move to your apartment building,‖ observed Margo.



Granny nodded. ―A lot farther than I did.‖



―That‘s for sure,‖ said Margo. ―How did she get here?‖



―Well, probably by air. People used to travel by boat when they had to cross an ocean. That



was before airplanes were invented. It took a long time to go from one continent to another in



those days. Flying is a lot faster.‖



―Airplanes were invented?‖ Margo asked, very surprised.



As Granny opened her mouth to answer, the phone rang. ―We‘ll get back to flying,‖ she



said to Margo. ―I‘ll see who is on the phone.‖



Granny answered the phone. To Margo the conversation sounding like this. ―Hello?‖



(pause) ―Oh, thank you.‖ (pause) ―We‘ll see you in just a minute then.‖







38

After she hung up, Granny told Margo that it was Mr. Star on the phone. He was coming



right over to show them the translation of the note from the carpet. Margo was excited, and so



was Granny.



In exactly the amount of time it takes to walk down the stairs from the fourth floor to the



second, Mr. Start knocked. Margo and Granny were at the door in a flash. ―Good evening, Mr.



Star,‖ said Granny. ―Will you come in?‖



Mr. Start said, ―Thank you, but I‘m on my way to a meeting. I‘ll just leave this with you.‖



He handed Granny the note and a sheet of paper, then he said good-bye and went on down the



stairs.



―What does it say, Granny‖ asked Margo almost jumping up and down.



―Let‘s read it together.‖ So they sat on the sofa and Granny read:



Gaze upon this carpet and behold the grandeur of an ancient civilization.



Listen to its voice calling you to explore and learn.



Feel its wool, which once was the fleece of mountain sheep.



Trace with your finger its designs, woven by women you have never met.



Then, close your eyes and imagine other places, other people, other times.



When you wish with a fearless heart, anything can happen!



This carpet may give wings to your imagination or it may simply adorn your floor.



May it always remind you of times we shared together long ago.



Banu Abrishami



There was total silence for a moment, and then Margo said, ―Ooooh. That is so cool!‖



Granny said quietly, ―So it was Banu. What a lovely gift.‖ There were tears in her eyes, but



she was smiling.









39

―What does it mean, Granny?‖ asked Margo. ―Is the carpet really magic?‖



Somewhat distracted, Granny replied, ―I don‘t know, sweetheart. The note said something



about wishing.‖ She stood up. ―I really want to find Banu. I‘m going to send an e-mail message



to some of our friends in Italy. Maybe someone knows how to contact her. There must be a way



. . .‖ She went into the kitchen to use her computer.



Margo sat down on the carpet and tried to make it fly by wishing. She wished really hard.



After a few minutes, she had to stop. She was tired from so much wishing. Her eyes went to the



translation, still on the coffee table. She tried to read it again. She didn‘t know all of the words,



but recognized ―wish‖ and decided to give it another try. This time she lay down on the carpet



and closed her eyes to wish. A little while later, Granny came back from the kitchen and found



her there, fast asleep with her arms around her globe.







Day 4





A Horse and Cart



Margo and Granny were coming back from the grocery store. When they got to Granny‘s



apartment, they saw Tomás Alvarez coming toward them, pulling Missy in a wagon.



―Good day, Mrs. Rossi and Margo,‖ said Tomás.



―Good day, Tomás,‖ Granny answered, with a big smile.



And Margo said, ―Hi, Tomás and Missy. Are you coming for a visit?‖



Missy, full of excitement, said, ―I get to play with you this morning, Margo.‖



Tomás said, with somewhat less enthusiasm, ―Mamá is taking me to an appointment, so I



can‘t stay.‖ Then he said, ―Oh, can I help you, Mrs. Rossi?‖







40

Granny was trying to get her key out of her purse, which was a little difficult with two bags



of groceries in her arms. She gratefully handed one bag to Tomás and opened the door for them



all.



Missy said, ―Put the groceries in the wagon and we can carry them all.‖



―Good idea,‘ said Margo and set her bag on Missy‘s lap. Tomás put the bag he was holding



in the wagon, too. Granny was already in the kitchen with the last bag.



Tomás said, ―I have to go. Can you pull the wagon?‖



―Of course,‖ said Margo. ―See you later.‖ Missy waved to her brother as Margo pulled the



wagon through the living room to the kitchen.



―Ah, two helpers!‖ said Granny.



One by one, Missy handed the groceries from the wagon to Margo and Granny, who put



them away. The job was quickly finished. Then Granny said, ―You two can go ahead to visit



Mrs. B. I‘ll catch up in a few minutes.‖



―Okay,‖ said Margo. ―Missy, how about we pretend that your wagon is a cart. I‘ll be the



horse and you be the driver.‖



Missy was delighted. ―Let‘s go Reinita! We‘re going to visit our neighbor Mrs. B.‖



Margo picked up the handle and started to prance like a pony. ―What‘s my name again?‖



she asked.



―Reinita, like Queenie,‖ said Missy, holding the make-believe reins.



―Reinita,‖ repeated Margo, and off they went, stopping in Margo‘s room to pick up her



globe and put it in the ‗cart.‘



―Giddyup, Reinita!‖ cried Missy, and Margo neighed and then trotted all the way to Mrs.



B‘s apartment, across the hall.









41

Some Friendly Cows



The door of apartment 2A was different than the other doors. It had a big, metal bell



hanging on it. Margo and Missy wondered whether they should ring the bell or knock. ―I say,



let‘s ring it,‖ said Margo. ―It is a ‗door‘ bell, isn‘t it?‖



―Yes,‖ said Missy, ―but how do you ring it?‖



Margo reached up and swung the little piece of metal inside the bell. The whole thing fell



off the door and clattered on the floor. Margo and Missy just looked at each other.



The door opened and Mrs. B said, ―I thought someone was ringing my cow bell. I guess it



rang right off the hook.‖ She stooped down to pick it up and looked at the girls.



―I‘m sorry, Mrs. B. I hope it isn‘t broken,‖ said Margo. Missy sucked her thumb.



Mrs. B laughed. She laughed so hard she almost dropped the bell again. ―This old thing?‖



she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. ―You couldn‘t break this bell with a hammer!‖ Then



Missy and Margo started laughing too.



Margo said, ―I‘m a horse. My name is Reinita.‖



―And I‘m driving to visit our neighbor,‖ said Missy.



―So, this must be your cart,‖ said Mrs. B. ―Well, do come in and we‘ll have our visit.‖ She



stepped back to make space for the horse and cart to pass.



Margo pulled the wagon into Mrs. B‘s apartment and parked it in the living room.



Mrs. B. said, ―Would you girls enjoy a little Russian tea party?‖



Margo looked at Mrs. B and said, ―Oh, but we aren‘t in a hurry, Mrs. B.‖



Mrs. B went into the kitchen and the girls heard her laughing. ―Not in a hurry, oh my!‖ she



said.







42

Margo sat on a chair next to Missy in the wagon, and they both wondered why Mrs. B was



laughing again. ―She must be a very happy person,‖ Margo said to Missy. Missy nodded.



Just then Granny knocked on the door. Mrs. B came into the room with a big tray piled high



with all sorts of things. ―Margo, will you please open the door for Granny? My hands are full.‖



When Granny came in, Mrs. B said, ―Ah, here you are Christina. Just in time for tea.‖



Margo and Missy watched Mrs. B unload her tray onto the table, and their eyes got bigger



and bigger as they watched. There were little plates, little cups and saucers, tiny spoons, plates



of cookies and little cakes, bread and butter, and two glass bowls (one with sugar and one with a



deep red jelly). Last of all, she carefully placed two cloth dolls in the center of the table. When



everything was off the tray and on the table, Mrs. B nodded one quick nod and said, ―Please have



some tea.‖



―Mrs. B is this lunch?‖ asked Margo.



Granny laughed.



Mrs. B said, ―Tst. It‘s just a snack. Come and sit at the table. I have put a cushion on this



chair for Missy and her cast.‖ Granny picked Missy up and arranged her so her leg would be



comfortable.



When they were all sitting together, Mrs. B picked up one of the dolls, and there underneath



it was a teapot! She poured some tea into a cup, and then she picked up the other doll. There



was a teapot under this one, too. What she poured from this one looked like hot water to Margo.



Granny noticed Margo‘s puzzled look and explained, ―In Russia, it is a custom to make very



strong tea in one pot and then dilute it with hot water to drink.‖



―Oh,‖ said Margo, ―and what are the dolls for?‖









43

Mrs. B started laughing again. ―Our customs must seem very strange to you. These are not



actually dolls. They are covers to keep the tea warm. We just make them look like dolls for



decoration.‖



Missy said, ―I see. The teapot hides under the doll‘s skirt.‖



Margo, who had been thinking, said, ―Did Granny say Russia?‖



―Yes, dear. I am Russian, from Russia,‖ answered Mrs. B.



―Now I understand why you were laughing before. You said ‗Russian‘ tea party and I heard



‗rushing‘ tea party.‖



―That‘s it, dear. When you said you weren‘t in a hurry, I just could not stop laughing.‖



They all feasted on tea, cookies, and other treats. Everything was delicious.



―Mrs. B?‖ asked Margo after a while, ―Would you tell Missy and me something you



remember from Russia?‖



―Of course,‖ said Mrs. B, ―I will tell you a story I heard many times when I was a child:



―It was during the fall, when the apples are picked and stored for the long winter months. A



soldier was walking along slowly in the darkening evening. He was too tired to run, but he kept



looking behind him for the enemy soldiers who were chasing him. He heard a sound coming



from the other side of the hill. At first he was worried, but then he recognized the sound. It was



cowbells! A bell was hung like a necklace around each cow‘s neck, and it made a particular



sound when the cow walked. The soldier reached the top of the hill and saw the cows. They



were walking slowly into the valley below. The soldier knew it would be a very cold night. He



needed a place to hide and get out of the cold wind, and he was lost. By trying very hard, he was



able to catch up with the cows. They looked at him with friendly eyes and then kept walking.



He put his cold hand on the back of one of the cows. He could feel the cow‘s warmth. He









44

walked with them until they stopped at a place under some trees. The wind didn‘t bite so hard



here. Several of the cows lay down on the grass, and the soldier lay down with them and fell



asleep.



In the morning, a young woman came out of a small farmhouse in the valley. She had a



shawl over her head and she carried a milk bucket. She walked out to the fields, her shoes



crunching on the frost. If she hurried, she thought, she would soon be back inside the warm



house with the milk. She found her family‘s cows where they usually slept on cold nights, under



the trees where two creeks met and went on together.



As she always did, she spoke to the cows as she got near, and they stood up to greet her and



be milked. Then she saw the soldier lying on the ground. She was surprised and a little



frightened. As she stood wondering what to do, the soldier opened his eyes but didn‘t move.



The young woman realized that the soldier was hurt and meant no harm to her. Then she knew



what to do. She ran home as fast as she could.



Soon she came back with two of her brothers. They picked up the soldier and carried him to



the house. They gave him tea and bread and washed his wounds. All through the long, cold



winter, they took care of him, and gradually he got well and strong again.



Then, one day in early spring, a neighbor came to visit in his cart—just like you, Missy. He



had news. The war was over! Everyone was so happy. The soldier, whose name was Sergei



Morozov, stayed to help with the farm work. There is always a lot of work to be done on a farm,



and he didn‘t want to leave the young woman who had found him among the cows. In the warm,



bright summer, he married her. Her name was Tatyana Bogdanova. And, they were my father



and mother.



―Oh! What a sweet story!‖ exclaimed Margo.









45

Missy‘s eyes said how happy the story made her.



Granny took a deep breath and said, ―I never get tired of hearing that story, Elena. I‘m so



grateful to those cows. They saved your father‘s life and helped him meet your mother. Because



of those cows, I have a wonderful friend.‖



Mrs. B cleared her throat and poured Granny a little more tea.



Dreamily, Margo said, ―I am imagining the sound of the cowbells and the sky getting dark



over the hills. Your father must have been happy to hear that sound.‖ Then suddenly, she asked,



―Is the bell I knocked off your door from one of those friendly cows?‖



―Yes, solnyshko [SOL·ny·shko]. When my parents got married my mother‘s father gave it



to them. Since then, wherever they have lived, it has always hung on their door. When they



were both gone, I kept up the tradition,‖ said Mrs. B.



Margo got her globe from the wagon and brought it to Mrs. B. ―Will you show me where



your story happened?‖



Mrs. B said, ―Let‘s look at it over here, where Missy can see, too.‖ They all looked at the



globe. The girls were amazed to see how big Russia was.



―Yes,‖ said Mrs. B, ―Russia is very big. It is the biggest country in the world. The farm



where my parents met is about here, south of the capital, Moscow. And I grew up in St.



Petersburg—here. My parents moved there before I was born because that‘s where my father‘s



family was. They were shipbuilders, so they lived by the sea.



Granny asked, ―Did you ever get to see the farm with the friendly cows?‖



―Happily, yes,‖ said Mrs. B. ―Before we came to the United States, my parents took me to



the farm where my mother was born. I got to meet my other grandparents, my mother‘s parents,









46

and spend a couple of weeks on their farm. My father showed me the exact place where he slept



among the cows.‖



―Mooooo,‖ said Missy.



―Oh-oh,‖ said Margo. ―If you‘re a cow and I‘m a horse, who is going to drive the cart?‖



Granny said, ―I can do that. We‘ll just load our friendly cow and the globe into the cart,



hitch you up, Reinita, and head on home.‖



―Thank you so much for the tea party and the story!‖ said Margo-Reinita.



―Mooooo,‖ said Missy.



Mrs. B said, ―Good-bye dear children and Christina. Come again any time for tea.‖









Strine



That afternoon, Margo was looking out the window. She liked to watch the people coming



and going. They were so interesting. A bus stopped and several people got off. One of them



was Granny‘s neighbor Kapi Brand. Margo said, ―Granny, Kapi just got here. Can I go meet her



and invite her for a visit?‖



Granny said, ―What a good idea. You could ask her to have a cup of tea with us, and we can



get to know her better. Stay on the sidewalk, please.‖



―Okay,‖ said Margo over her shoulder on her way out.



A very short time later, Margo stopped in front of Ms. Brand on the sidewalk, a little out of



breath from running.



―G‘day, Margo,‖ Kapi said. ―What‘s the rush?‖



―I saw you from upstairs and came as fast as I could to invite you for tea at my Granny‘s.‖









47

Kapi smiled. ―I‘d love a cuppa. Let‘s go! I‘ll just see what the postie brought me today,



and then we‘ll go up to your Granny‘s apartment.‖



―Good,‖ said Margo, and then added, with a little question in her voice, ―but, Kapi, you said



some things I didn‘t understand.‖



―I‘m not surprised,‖ laughed Kapi. ―It‘s probably my Strine.‖



―Strine?‖ asked Margo, now thoroughly confused.



―Strine is the Australian way of saying ‗Australian.‘ It‘s a little joke about our dialect. I‘ll



explain. You and I both speak English. We can understand each other most of the time. Still,



we speak differently, don‘t we?‖



Margo nodded, and they both started walking toward the apartment building.



―For one thing, we pronounce words a little differently—that‘s called ‗accent‘—and we also



have different names for some things. For example, ‗cuppa‘ is my way of saying ‗cup of tea.‘‖



―Oh, I get it! Like a nickname,‖ said Margo.



―Yeah, sort of,‖ said Kapi. They went inside and Kapi got out her mailbox key.



Margo said, ―Let me guess. When you said ‗see what the postie brought you today,‘ you



meant check your mailbox.‖



―That‘s it,‖ said Kapi. ―‗Postie‘ means letter carrier, the person who delivers the mail, or as



we say, ‗the post.‘‖



―Oh,‖ said Margo. ―Why do you have an accent and use different names for things?‖



Chuckling, Kapi put her mail in her bag and closed her mailbox. ―Well, love, to me it seems



that you are the one with an accent and funny names for things.‖



―Really?‖









48

―Sure. Where I live, in Australia, most people talk like I do. It‘s normal for Australians.



You see, languages are always changing, because they are alive. When a group of people talk



together, the way they talk changes together—very slowly, over years and years. Their style of



talking can become quite different from other groups of people, even though they actually speak



the same language. So, the English in Australia is different from the English in England and the



English here in the United States.‖



―That‘s amazing!‖ said Margo. She pushed the apartment door open and called out,



―Granny! I‘m back with Kapi. She said she‘d love a cuppa.‖



―Would she, now? Then I will put water on to boil,‖ said Granny from the kitchen. ―Come



in, Ms. Brand. I‘m happy you could come for a visit.‖



―Please call me Kapi,‖ said Kapi. ―Thanks for inviting me for tea.‖



Granny filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove. ―Tell us about your name, Kapi.



It is a new one for me.‖



―Well,‖ Kapi answered, ―I have two very special names. Both are aboriginal. Kapi means



‗moon‘ in the language of my mother‘s family. She was born in the far north of Australia. My



middle name, Illuka, which means ‗near the sea,‘ is from another language.



―Are there many languages spoken by aboriginal people in Australia?‖ asked Granny.



―Oh, yes,‖ said Kapi. ―There are around 200 different aboriginal languages spoken today,



and each language is connected to a place. For the aboriginal people, place is very important.



My father‘s family and their language are connected to the area near Brisbane.‖



Margo, who had been waiting for a good time to speak without interrupting, said, ―Kapi,



what is ‗aboriginal‘?‖









49

―It means the ones who were there first; another word for this is ‗indigenous.‘ The



aboriginal people lived on the continent of Australia for a very long time before explorers from



Europe found it. Australia is a European name that means ‗southern country.‘ For the people



who already lived there, it had other names.‖



Margo got her globe from the living room and brought it to the kitchen table. ―Will you



show me, Kapi?‖ she asked.



―Sure, love,‖ said Kapi. ―Looking at a globe is a good way to understand why we call



Australia the land down under. I‘ll show you. This is where we are now, and all the way over



here is Australia. See how it it‘s on the ‗under‘ part of the globe?‖



―Yes,‖ said Margo. ―Where is the place of your mother‘s people?‖



―Up here, on this pointed part of Queensland, and my father comes from right here.‖ Kapi



pointed to the place. ―My parents met at school in Brisbane then moved to Maroochydore,



where I grew up.‖



―How did you end up studying in a university here, Kapi?‖ asked Granny as she poured tea



into the three cups.



―I‘m here for a year of study abroad,‖ Kapi explained. ―It‘s very exciting for me to be



here.‖



Granny said, ―I‘m sure it is, and it will give you special memories. I studied in Canada, and



the experience has made my life so much richer.‖



Margo joined in, ―That‘s where you met Grandpa, isn‘t it? I hope I‘ll be able to study in



another country when I‘m older.‖



―So do I,‖ said Granny and Kapi together.



Margo laughed. ―I love it when that happens!‖









50

They all sipped their tea for a little while, and then Margo said, ―Granny and I are working



on a project. Will you tell us about something you remember from when you were a little girl?‖



―I‘d love to,‖ said Kapi. ―I‘ll tell you about the time my father took me to a corroboree in



the outback.‖



―A corro-what?‖ asked Margo.



―A corroboree,‖ said Kapi. ―It‘s a special gathering of the aboriginal people. My father



wanted me to experience the traditions that our ancestors have kept for thousands of years.‖



―I‘m practicing making pictures in my mind of what people tell me. It‘s part of our project.



I‘m getting pretty good at it. Sometimes it really feels like I‘m there,‖ said Margo.



―Good on ya, love,‖ said Kapi, and then immediately, ―that‘s ‗well done‘ or ‗good for you‘



in Strine.‖ Margo smiled.



―Okay, then. I‘ll paint a picture with words, and you paint a mental picture with your



imagination. Ready?‖



―Ready,‖ said Margo with enthusiasm.



―Far away from the city, deep in the outback, my father and I are walking at night. It is



quiet and dark. There is fog covering the ground and we are walking through it. Then we hear



the click-click-cli-cli-click of sticks being hit together rhythmically and the low, nasal hum of a



didgeridoo, which is a long, wooden tube played by blowing through it. As we walk toward the



sound, the fog starts lifting toward the stars on invisible hands of wind. Now we can see a



campfire burning in the darkness and many people sitting and standing near it. High above all



our heads, a million stars are twinkling brightly. A bright moon hangs in the sky and walks



along with us.



―Oh!‖ said Margo. The moon follows you, too?‖









51

―Yes, it does,‖ said Kapi tenderly. ―When I was little I thought it walked with me because



we have the same name. Now I know it moves with everyone, but only if they‘re watching.



―Now imagine a leafless tree that you can see against the sky. Some of its branches glow



warmly red from the firelight. My father and I sit down with many other people: women, men,



and children, and then some older men sitting around the fire begin singing. I don‘t understand



the words, but I know that this is an ancient story being sung. The aboriginal people tell their



stories in songs. They sing about the time when the world was being made.



―When the singing starts, other people gather in the space in front of the tree. Their bodies



and faces are decorated with painted symbols. These people dance with the song. Their actions



are like the animals of the outback—birds with long legs, kangaroos jumping, and even



mosquitoes hovering and buzzing around. The dancers act out the characters in the songs. It is



magical.



―I sit on my father‘s lap and watch and listen. The corroboree goes on long into the night.



The last thing I remember is sparks flying up from the fire to the sky. I think, the sparks are



carrying the song and the dancing to the stars.‖



Margo opened her eyes.



Kapi went on. ―The indigenous people of my country believe they are responsible for taking



care of the earth and its plants and animals. They fulfill that responsibility through songs, rituals,



and living by the rules given to them by the ancestors.‖



―That is so amazing, Kapi.‖ Margo says. Her eyes are shining.



―I hope my words helped you paint a vivid mental picture of my memory, Margo.‖



―They really did!‖ said Margo.



―Thank you for sharing your story with us, Kapi,‖ said Granny.









52

―And thanks for teaching us some Strine,‖ said Margo.



―You are so welcome, neighbors. I hope you can visit me in Australia some day,‖ said Kapi.



―That would be wonderful,‖ said Margo. ―Can you imagine going to Australia, Granny?‖



―After hearing Kapi‘s story, I can,‖ said Granny.



Kapi gathered her things and said, ―I think it‘s time for me to go and get my homework



done. Thanks for having me!‖



―Bye-bye, Kapi-moon!‖ said Margo.









A Surprise for Granny



Both Margo and Granny were quiet after Kapi left. They were still a little enchanted by the



images of the corroboree. Suddenly, Margo said, ―It feels so real to me, Granny. I wish we



could fly there on your magic carpet!‖



Granny looked at her. ―Do you really think it‘s magic, dear?‖



―I know it is,‖ said Margo firmly. ―It has already worked twice.‖



―What do you mean?‖



―That night after our party, I was sitting on it with my globe, thinking about my mom and



dad, and wishing I could be with them. I touched Chicago on the globe, and the carpet lifted up



off the floor for a second! Then, the next day, I was remembering what Mrs. Alvarez told us



about the bay and the wind, and I felt the wind. The carpet did too—it was flapping. Then I



could see a boat in water far below me. I was in a cloud, flying!‖



Granny‘s eyebrows were sitting higher than usual on her forehead. Margo could tell that she



was curious and a little doubtful, so she said, ―I drew some pictures. I‘ll show you.‖ She



grabbed her notebook and showed Granny the pictures of her view of the bay from way up high.







53

―That‘s amazing!‖ said Granny. ―I wonder if Banu knew . . .‖



―Oh, let‘s try it together, Granny!‖ said Margo. She jumped off her chair and pulled Granny



into the living room by the hand. ―First, let‘s move the coffee table to make space for both of us



on the carpet.‖



Granny said, ―Okay, if you say so.‖



They moved the coffee table and Margo looked around. ―What else do we need? Oh! My



globe.‖ She darted away.



Granny was still thinking about her friend Banu. She picked up the note and its translation.



Coming back with the globe, Margo stopped in the doorway and laughed. ―Granny, you‘re



all excited!‖ she said.



―What?‖ said Granny. ―You think this walking around quickly, shaking my head, and



muttering means I‘m excited?‖



―Um—yes,‖ said Margo, ―you could say that.‖



Granny laughed with her, then she said, ―Look. Here is the note. Let‘s read it again for



clues.‖



―Good idea,‖ said Margo. ―You sit here and I‘ll sit in front of you with the globe.‖



They got themselves organized on the carpet, and Granny read the translation, line by line.



Gaze upon this carpet and behold the grandeur of an ancient civilization.



They both looked at the carpet. ―It is the most beautiful carpet I‘ve ever seen,‖ said Margo.



Granny agreed. ―The Persian civilization,‖ she murmured, ―so long ago. . . .‖



Listen to its voice calling you to explore and learn.



―We felt that when we first opened the package. Remember Granny? Only it was a smell,



not a voice,‖ said Margo.









54

―Yes, the fragrance of it filled me with longing,‖ said Granny.



Feel its wool, which once was the fleece of mountain sheep.



Trace with your finger its designs, woven by women you have never met.



Margo ran her finger along one of the lines of color in the carpet, outlining a shape. Granny



followed with her eyes and thought of sheep in a mountain pasture and weavers sitting at looms.



Then, close your eyes and imagine other places, other people, other times.



―Let‘s imagine the fog in the night when Kapi was walking with her father,‖ suggested



Margo.



They closed their eyes and imagined. After a little while Margo said, ―Nothing is



happening. Something is missing.‖



―Did you say you touched the place on your globe the other times?‖ asked Granny.



Margo said, ―Of course! Granny you‘re a wonder!‖ She turned the globe until she could



see the eastern part of Australia and put her finger on the area near Brisbane. ―Okay, Granny.



The fog, Kapi and her father walking . . .‖



They closed their eyes again and imagined. Little wisps of fog started to gather around



them. They didn‘t notice because their eyes were closed.



About a minute later, Granny said in a hushed voice, ―Do you hear that, Margo?‖



―What is it?‖ Margo whispered. ―It sounds like a big truck or something—a low hum,‖



―I think it‘s that instrument Kapi was telling us about—a didgeridoo.‖



―Oh! Do you see the stars? Kapi was right. There are millions of them!‖ Margo had never



been where it is really dark and you can see more stars than in the city.



Granny said, ―Yes, cara mia, they are glorious. Do you see that tree lit up by firelight? We



seem to be moving. It‘s getting closer.‖









55

Granny opened her eyes, and what a surprise! She saw the same thing with her eyes open



that she had seen with them shut. ―Mamma mia! Margo! We‘re really flying!‖



Margo opened her eyes and saw the tree and the campfire below her for just a second,



then—bump—they were back in Granny‘s living room. ―What happened?‖ she asked. ―Why



are we here?‖



―I don‘t know,‖ said Granny. ―We were there a moment ago.‖ She looked around her,



bewildered. ―Look!‖ she said and pointed. ―There‘s fog under the sofa.‖



―You see, Granny. It really is a magic, flying carpet,‖ said Margo.



―Oh my goodness!‖ said Granny. ―My hands are shaking.‖



Margo turned around and put her arms around Granny. ―Dear Granny. It‘s all right. Were



you scared? Do you want a drink of water?‖



Granny took a calming breath, and breathed it out, long and slow. Then she took Margo‘s



hand a put it against her own face. ―I‘m okay now,‖ she said with a sigh. ―That was a very big



surprise. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before. You have had more experience in



this than I have.‖



The two sat quietly together for a little while. Then Granny said, ―Did you say something



about a glass of water? I‘m thirsty, and I bet you are, too.‖ They went into the kitchen and had



some water. Then they started to make supper together, talking the whole time about their



amazing experience. They decided to try again after supper.







Back on the carpet, Granny and Margo were looking again at the translated note. ―Let‘s



see,‖ said Granny. ―Oh, sweetheart, do put the globe on the floor beside the carpet for now. I‘m



not quite ready to take off again.‖









56

Margo carefully set the globe aside.



―Thanks,‖ said Granny. ―Now, it looks like we stopped reading the note at the line about



imagining other places, people, and times. There is more, though. The next line says, ‗When



you wish with a fearless heart, anything can happen!‘ I think that is important. I got scared.‖



Kindly, Margo said, ―Do you think you can wish with a fearless heart now?‖



―I will try.‖ There was determination in Granny‘s voice.



―Great,‖ said Margo. ―Where do you want to go?‖



―Do you remember Mrs. Kim‘s garden with the flowers?‖



―Oh yes,‖ said Margo. ―Beautiful!‖



Granny smiled. ―I think I can be fearless about seeing and smelling those flowers in Korea.



Let‘s find it on the globe.‖



They quickly located Korea on the globe and then reviewed the lines from the note. ―Are



you ready, Granny,‖ Margo asked.



―Ready.‖



They closed their eyes. Margo said, ―I wish to feel flower petals on my face.‖



This time Margo and Granny felt the carpet rise up into the air. For a moment there was a



cool breeze on their faces. Then they were in a walled garden full of warm sunshine, perfume,



and sweet colors. They floated from flower to flower. Margo touched a little blue star of a



flower and a drop of dew stayed on her finger. Granny buried her face in a cloud of pink cherry



blossoms and breathed deeply. Then it felt right to go home.



Margo said, ―I wish to see Granny‘s little blue glass bird.‖ They rose up on a gust of wind.



With hearts and eyes wide open, they saw the sky sparkling with diamond stars and a blue globe









57

far below. A moment later, the carpet settled gently on the living room floor. The bird figurine



on the shelf seemed happy to see them, and Granny wrapped Margo in a joyful hug.









58

Day 5

What Journalists Do



Margo woke up early, thinking, I wonder what will happen today? She climbed out of bed



and got dressed. As she did, she thought, Margo climbed out of bed and got dressed. Brushing



her hair in the bathroom she said to herself in the mirror, ―Margo is brushing her hair.‖ She and



her reflection smiled at each other.



Granny wasn‘t up yet, so Margo started to get breakfast ready. As she got out two bowls,



she said, ―Margo got out two bowls, and put them on the table.‖ This was starting to be funny.



She kept doing things and saying them. She tried different ways of describing what she did. She



said, ―How about, ‗Margo put the breakfast cereal on the table‘. Or, ‗Margo quickly put the



breakfast cereal on the table. Suddenly she remembered the milk!‘‖ She laughed.



As Granny walked into the kitchen, she heard Margo murmuring and chuckling. ―What‘s



up, Pumpkin?‖ she said.



―Granny came in and asked Margo what‘s up,‖ said Margo brightly.



Granny said, ―Oh, I see. Like this?—‗Granny looked fondly at her granddaughter and



started to make coffee.‘ ‖



―You got it, Granny!‖ said Margo. ―Isn‘t that a kooky thing to do?



―It‘s sort of like being a journalist, reporting on yourself,‖ said Granny.



―A journalist . . . ,‖ said Margo, ―isn‘t Mom a journalist?‖



―She is,‖ said Granny.



Margo asked, ―What do journalists do?



Granny got a frisky look in her eye and leaned toward Margo. ―They write ‗art-tickles‘!‖



and she tickled Margo‘s belly.







59

Margo laughed and squirmed. ―Oh, Granny, stop!‖ Granny stopped tickling her, and Margo



climbed into her lap.



With an impish voice, Margo asked, ―Did you say art-tickle?‖ Granny tickled her again, and



Margo howled with laughter.



When they had calmed down a bit, Granny asked, ―What would you like to do today?



Margo jumped off her lap and scurried behind a chair. Peeking out, she whispered, ―I want



to write an article. Will you help me?‖



Granny said she would love to. So right after breakfast, they got to work. Granny started by



asking, ―What do you want to write your article about?‖



―I want it to be about our getting-to-know-your-neighbors project and the magic carpet,‖



said Margo.



―Okay,‖ said Granny. ―Let‘s start with what you have already learned.‖



Margo said, ―I have met some of your neighbors, and they have told me about their



memories of living in other places. I have found those places on my globe, and I‘ve visited some



of them on your carpet. I have lots of notes and pictures in my journal. Oh, and I made a list of



the names on the mailboxes downstairs.‖



―Let‘s start with your list,‖ said Granny.



They got out Margo‘s notebook and looked at the list of neighbors. Granny said, ―One way



to organize the project would be to use a separate page for each neighbor.‖



Margo wrote the apartment number and name of each neighbor on sixteen pages in her



journal, one for each apartment in the building. When she came to Granny, she wrote, ―Rossi,



apartment 2B.‖ It seemed strange to her, so she wrote ―Granny‖ on the page too. At the end of



the list, she saw her note about Mr. Machado. She said, ―But what about Mr. Machado?‖









60

―What about him?‖ asked Granny.



―His name isn‘t on any of the mailboxes.‖



―Maybe he doesn‘t live in this building,‖ said Granny. ―You can make another page for



him, and then when we find out where he lives, you can add that to the page.‖



―That works,‖ said Margo. ―Now, what?‖



Granny thought for a minute; then she said, ―When you write an article, it‘s good to have a



main idea. What do you want to share about my new neighbors and the carpet in your article?‖



Margo said, ―Well, I‘ve been thinking about people moving. You moved, and the neighbors



I have met all lived somewhere else before here. Except maybe the really little ones, like Missy



and Angela. I want to learn about where people lived before they came to this neighborhood.



Could that be a main idea?‖



―Absolutely,‖ said Granny. ―You can find out where each neighbor lived before and write



about that. And you can write about visiting those places with your imagination and the flying



carpet.‖



―I like it,‖ said Margo and she wrote in the notebook: neighbors, memories, imagination,



flying. This sounds good, Granny! Okay, the first person I met was Mrs. Alvarez, so I‘ll start



with her,‖ said Margo. She found the page that had ―Alvarez‖ on it and wrote the other things



she knew. She wrote the names of her children and copied the information about her memory of



her brother and father in their boat. When she had written all she could remember about Mrs.



Alvarez, she started on Mrs. B. She was able to write something about several of the neighbors.



However, many pages were almost blank. ―We have a long way to go to meet all your



neighbors, Granny,‖ she said.



―It‘s a good thing we have lots of time,‖ Granny replied.









61

Looking over the pages, Margo noticed the names of several countries. ―Did all of your



neighbors move here from another country?‖ she asked.



Granny said, ―I don‘t know. This neighborhood has a wonderful international feeling to it.



That‘s one of the reasons I wanted to move here. Some of my neighbors may be immigrants or



visitors from other countries, but others may not be.‖



―What‘s an immigrant?‖ Margo wanted to know.



―Immigrants are people who immigrate to a new country. That means they move from the



country where they were born to another country,‖ said Granny. ―Like me. I was born in Italy,



and I immigrated to the United States when I married your grandfather.‖



Margo asked, ―Did you immigrate from your old house to this neighborhood?‖



―No, cara mia,‖ said Granny. ―We only use the words immigrate or immigrant for moving



into a new country, like from Italy to the U.S. When there is no national border, it‘s just called



moving.‖



―So, Mrs. B. and the Alvarez family immigrated, because they used to live in another



country and now they live in the U.S., right?‖ said Margo.



―That‘s it,‖ said Granny.



―Is Kapi an immigrant?‖ Margo asked.



―No, she is visiting. The country she calls ‗home‘ is Australia,‖ explained Granny.



―Hmm,‖ said Margo. ―I want to think about this some more. Anyway, I have made a page



for each neighbor or family, now what?



Now you keep meeting people as you have been, and asking them to tell you about where



they lived before they moved to this building. Of course, you keep practicing making mental



pictures. You might want to learn more about the places my neighbors came from. To do that,









62

we could go to the library to find books or search on the Internet.



Margo said, ―Margo is wondering if Granny will take her to the library today.‖









Games



About three hours later, Margo and Granny unloaded a pile of books on the coffee table and



flopped down on the sofa. Granny slid her shoes off and rubbed one of her feet. Margo lay like



a rag doll propped against the sofa cushions. She mumbled, ―That was the most amazing trip to



the library I‘ve ever had.‖ Her words contrasted oddly with the voice she used to say them.



―It sure was,‖ murmured Granny. ―That librarian was so kind and helpful.‖



―Yeah,‖ said Margo. ―When he took us to the geography section in the children‘s room—I



never imagined there were so many books about people and countries. We probably looked at a



hundred books!‖



Granny mumbled, ―I think we brought at least twenty home with us.‖



―Uh-huh. My arms feel really tired,‖ Margo said.



―I‘m glad we stopped for lunch on the way home,‖ sighed Granny.



―Me too. Thanks Granny.‖ Margo‘s eyes were closing as she spoke.



Granny didn‘t answer. She was sound asleep.







It was a knock at the door that woke them from their little nap. Margo opened the door and



there was Tomás holding his soccer ball. He said, ―I‘m going to the park to play soccer. Do you



want to come?‖



―Sure,‖ said Margo. ―Granny, can I go to the park with Tomás?‖



Granny nodded. ―You go ahead. I‘ll come along in a little while.‖







63

On the way to the park, just a couple of blocks away, Tomás asked Margo where she lived



when she wasn‘t visiting her grandmother. Margo told him about her neighborhood at home, so



different from this one. ―We only have houses in our neighborhood,‖ she said. ―I wish we had



stores and a post office and everything, like you do here.‖



Tomás said, ―I like it here, but sometimes I miss our old house in Guatemala. It was so



close to the ocean that I could go swimming whenever I wanted and we ate fish every day. I



love fish. I miss my friends from there, too.‖



―Don‘t you ever see them?‖ Margo asked.



Tomás shook his head. ―It‘s too far away.‖



―Are you ever going back?‖



―I want to, but Papá says we have to wait. He has a good job here. He‘s a chemical



engineer. He and Mamá say we have a better life now than we had in Guatemala. They don‘t



miss it as much as I do.‖



By now Margo and Tomás were walking along the park fence, almost to the gate. A group



of kids inside saw Tomás and shouted, ―Here he comes!‖ ―You got your soccer ball, Tomás?‖



―Yeah, he‘s got it.‖ ―Come on! Let‘s play!‖



Tomás looked at Margo and said, ―You know, I really do like it here. I‘m glad we moved to



the States. I just miss my old life sometimes. It was good, too. Come on, Margo, let‘s run.‖







Margo had a great time with Tomás and his friends. They were good soccer players. One of



them, Cindy, was the best goalie Margo had ever seen.



The game broke up when four of the kids had to go. Everyone asked Margo to play with



them again. They told her that they played every afternoon about 2:00. Margo said she would









64

come back another day and started to walk back to Granny‘s apartment, talking with Cindy as



she went.



Just as the girls got to the gate, a voice called, ―Margo.‖ Margo looked, and there was



Granny. She had been so busy talking with her new friend that she had forgotten Granny was



coming to the park.



Cindy said, ―Bye, Margo. See you soon,‖ and kept walking. Margo went over to Granny,



who was sitting at a picnic table with a man she didn‘t recognize. Oh good, she thought, another



new neighbor to meet. She felt behind her ear for a pencil, but there wasn‘t one there this time.



―That was so much fun!‖ Margo said as she sat down on the bench. ―I want to play with



them again.‖



―I‘m sure you can,‖ said Granny. ―Have you met Mr. Mwai? He lives upstairs.‖



Margo said, ―Nice to meet you.‖



Mr. Mwai said, ―Hi, Margo. I can tell you like soccer. Those were some fancy moves you



had out there.‖



―Thanks,‖ said Margo. ―Excuse me but I‘m not sure how to say your name.‖



―It‘s Mwai. Like mm-why. The children I work with love to say, ‗Why Mr. Mwai?‘ They



think it‘s hilarious.‖



Margo tried out the name. ―Mm-why do you work with children, Mr. Mwai?‖



With a twinkle in his eyes, Mr. Mwai said, ―I am a social worker and I run an after-school



program for children. Your grandmother and I were just playing mancala [mon KA la]. Would



you like to play?‖



Margo said, ―I think I‘ll watch for a while. I don‘t know how to play it.‖



Granny said, ―You‘ll catch on quickly, Margo. We will explain what we are doing.‖









65

Margo looked at the game. ―I‘ve never seen a game board like this. Is it made of wood?‖



―Yes,‖ Mr. Mwai said. ―My grandfather made this board and gave it to me. But you don‘t



even need a board to play mancala. You can scoop out rows of little circles like these, right on



the ground. Mancala is usually played with small stones or seeds, although sometimes I like to



play it with jelly beans.‖



―Mmm,‖ said Margo. ―I can guess why.‖



Margo learned the simple rules in just a few minutes, and then she played a game with Mr.



Mwai by herself. He won very quickly. Margo realized that she would need some practice to



get good at it.



Granny asked Mr. Mwai where mancala came from.



―The name ‗mancala‘ comes from Arabic, but no one knows for sure where or when the



game was first played. It is probably thousands of years old. Many variation of mancala are



played throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and of course right here in our park. I learned it



from my grandfather in Kenya.



―Did you immigrate from Kenya?‖ Margo asked.



Mr. Mwai said, ―No, I was born in the United States, but my parents immigrated from



Kenya. Do you know where Kenya is?‖



Margo shook her head. ―I have a globe at Granny‘s, so I can look for it when we go home.‖



Mr. Mwai said, ―A globe. Nice. I‘ll give you a hint—it‘s in Africa.‖



Just then, Margo remembered the project and said, ―What do you remember from when you



were a child?‖



―Hmm,‖ he said. ―I‘d like to tell you about a very special trip I took with my family. I was



eight and my brother was six. All my life I had heard my parents talk about Kenya. They told









66

many stories about the people and animals that live there, as well as the plants and the



countryside. I was particularly interested in the animals. My parents taught me all about how



they live, what they eat, and how some of them travel long distances each year in search of food.



They always spoke of their native country with such love and longing that I really wanted to go



there. Besides, I wanted to see all those animals in the wild.



―One day my parents announced that we were all going to visit Kenya. It was a dream come



true for me. We flew to Nairobi, the capital, and then went to my parents‘ hometown, Kiamu, a



little north of Nairobi.



―My parents wanted to visit with their friends and relatives most of the time, but my brother



and I wanted to see lions and cheetahs. My father‘s brother understood. He took us out in his



Jeep many times. We had to drive far away from the town to see wild animals, and the roads



were narrow and very bumpy.



―In those few weeks we traveled all over the savanna. The savanna of Kenya is so



beautiful—rolling hills covered with grasses and dotted with trees. My uncle usually parked the



Jeep under one of the trees, where there was a little shade, and we would walk around looking at



the plants, animals, and insects. We saw antelope, giraffes, hippopotamus, and my favorite



birds—flamingos.



―One day, pretty early in the morning, we spotted a large tree on the top of a hill. We



thought it would be a perfect place to stop, because we would have a view of all the land around.



There was no road here, so we drove very slowly through the tall grass, over land so uneven that



my brother and I rocked and rolled on the seat. When we were almost at the top of the hill, my



uncle stopped the Jeep suddenly. He didn‘t say a word. He just pointed. My brother and I



looked and saw a huge lioness in the tree. She was lying on a thick branch, perfectly still except









67

for the tip of her tail, which twitched back and forth.



―In the Jeep, we sat watching her for many minutes, also perfectly still. I have never seen an



animal so strong and serene. A big bird flew overhead and she looked up, then she quickly and



graceful jumped down the two or three feet to the ground.



―Uncle was worried then. He thought she had smelled us. She stood there, and we didn‘t



know what she was going to do. Then we saw two little lion cubs wobbling and stumbling



toward her. The mother lay down, and they came to her. She licked them and licked them,



knocking them right over with her huge tongue. Soon the cubs settled down to nurse.



―Uncle slowly backed the Jeep down the hill until we came to the road. Then we went



looking for another place to start our walk. I will never forget the gentle way that powerful



lioness cared for her babies.‖ Mr. Mwai stopped and looked at Margo.



Margo had listened, enchanted, to the story. She wanted to capture every bit of it in her



memory. ―I‘m so glad you and your brother got to see all those animals, and I‘m really glad you



told me about your trip to Kenya. I‘m going to put your memory in my article,‖ she said.



Granny‘s hand started to sneak toward Margo, and she said, ―Eeek! Here comes the art-



tickle! I‘ve gotta now, Mr. Mwai.‖ She clambered off the bench and ran toward the swings.



―Keep an eye open for big birds, Granny-lioness. I‘m going to swing now. Talk to you later,



Mr. Mwai!‖



Granny and Mr. Mwai watched her, smiling.









68

Voices from Far Away



Margo sat on the Persian carpet after supper, surrounded by books. Her globe and her



notebook were on the coffee table, and she was busy writing. Granny called from the kitchen,



―Margo, I‘ve finished checking my e-mail. How about a bath for you?‖



―Are you going to lick me all over like a lioness?‖ Margo called back.



Granny laughed. ―Now there‘s an idea. Mr. Mwai painted us an exciting word picture this



afternoon, didn‘t he? Did you find Kenya on your globe?



Margo said, ―I‘m going to do that right now. I was writing about going to the library and the



park. Tomás was telling me that he missed living in Guatemala sometimes. Granny, do you



miss living in your house down the street from me?‖



Granny was quiet for a moment. Then she came into the living room and scooped Margo up



in her arms. ―Yes, cara mia, I miss my old life sometimes. It was wonderful seeing you



everyday. That‘s why I‘m so happy that you came to stay with me for a while.‖ She set Margo



down. ―I‘ll go start your bath,‖ she said.



Margo picked up her globe and easily found Africa. As she started looking for Kenya she



thought, there are a lot of countries in Africa. Ah, here it is, right on the Equator. Just as she



put her finger on the spot, a truck roared by on the street outside. Instantly, Margo was reminded



of Mr. Mwai riding in his uncle‘s Jeep, and as soon as the picture came into her mind she was



there, flying over the grassy hills in the light of a rising sun. Far below her, she saw a Jeep and a



tree at the top of a hill. Oh, let me get closer, she thought.



Swooping, the carpet carried her toward the hilltop. As she passed over the tree, a lion lying



on a branch looked up at her and then looked down at the ground. Margo was so close now that



she heard the lion call to her cubs in cat language. The sound she made was like a singing,







69

wordless question, going up at the end. The cubs stumbled out of the bushes toward her.



―Your bath is ready!‖ Granny‘s voice jolted Margo back to the living room. The globe



rolled over on the carpet.



Margo got up and ran to the bathroom. ―Granny! I saw her!‖



―Who?‖ asked Granny.



―The mother lion in the tree. I heard her speak to her babies.‖ Margo made a sound like the



lioness.



Granny said, ―Were you flying again?‖



―Um-hmm.‖ Margo nodded happily as she untied her shoes. ―It happened so fast, or I



would have taken you, too.‖



Granny hugged Margo and said, ―I was hoping to get a lesson in cub cleaning from that



lioness.‖ She put out her tongue and pretended to lick Margo‘s face.



Margo giggled. ―I think I‘d rather have my bath in the usual way.‖







Later, all clean and snuggled into bed, Margo asked Granny to read an old favorite of theirs



called Fox and Moon. Granny said she knew right where it was and went to get it. While she



was gone, the phone rang, and Margo heard Granny say, ―How are you, cara mia?‖



Margo thought, now who else would Granny call ‘cara mia’? Oh, I know!



Granny came back to Margo‘s bedroom with the book and the phone. ―Here she is,‖ she



said to the person on the phone.



Margo took the phone and said, ―Hi, Mom! How is it going in Chicago?‖









70

Day 6

Weaving a Story



The next morning, Margo and Granny went to visit another neighbor, Coumba Mambéty, in



apartment 1A. Ms. Mambéty smiled warmly and asked them to come in. Her living room was



filled with wonderful things, and Margo‘s eyes wanted to look at everything at once. She saw a



wooden mask on the wall and a bookshelf with many books and colorful baskets on it. There



was another basket on the floor. This one was striped and round like a big bowl. It had



magazines in it. There were plants everywhere. One was really a tree. Too tall to sit on the



windowsill or a table, it was growing in a big pot on the floor and almost reached the ceiling with



its top branches. The low sofa was covered with a green, brown, and blue dyed cloth. Margo



had the idea that the shapes and patterns on the cloth could tell a story. On the floor, there were



a couple of big cushions, and Ms. Mambéty sat on one of them. Margo kind of wanted to sit on



one, too, but she felt a little shy, so she sat next to Granny on the sofa. She set her globe, which



she had remembered to bring this time, on the floor by her feet.



―Ah, Margo, I see you brought a globe,‖ said Ms. Mambéty. ―Have you been studying



geography?‖



―That‘s a new word for me, Ms. Mambéty,‖ said Margo. ―What does it mean?‖



―Geography is learning about our earth and the people who live on it,‖ explained Ms.



Mambéty.



Margo grinned at Granny. ―Did you know our getting-to-know-your-neighbors project was



geography?‖



―Of course,‖ said Granny. ―That‘s why I gave you a globe.‖









71

―Would you like me to show you the country I came from on your globe, Margo?‖ asked



Ms. Mambéty.



With big eyes, Margo asked, ―You came from another country, too? It seems like all of



Granny‘s new neighbors came here from other places!‖ She picked up her globe and sat on a



cushion next to Ms. Mambéty.



―Here is my Senegal,‖ she said, showing Margo a place on the west coast of Africa.



―What would Granny and I see if we were flying over your country on a magic carpet?‖



Margo asked.



―A magic carpet! My goodness, that sounds exciting. Hmmm. Well, I imagine it would



look a lot like what I saw from the window of the jet that brought me here from Senegal. It was



my first time flying, and I saw the land in a completely new way. How shall I describe it?



Perhaps the papaya will help.‖



―Papaya? What is that?‖ asked Margo, perplexed.



Ms. Mambéty answered, ―Papaya is a luscious fruit that grows in my country and one of my



favorite things to eat. I will show you.‖ She got up quickly and disappeared into the kitchen.



Margo and Granny looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. In just a moment Ms.



Mambéty returned with a tray.



―First, you must taste it,‖ she said, handing Granny and Margo each a bowl full of large,



orange chunks of fruit.



Margo held the bowl up to her nose and smelled. ―This smells really good.‖



―It is really good,‖ said Granny, swallowing and picking up another chunk with her fork.









72

Margo took a bite. The taste of the sweet fruit made her whole body happy: her eyes smiled,



her toes curled up tight, and her hand hurried to get the next bite to her mouth. ―Umm,‖ she



sighed.



Ms. Mambéty laughed. ―I guess you both like papaya as much as I do.‖



―It is heavenly,‖ said Granny.



Margo opened her mouth wide and sang in an opera voice, ―I-I-I l-o-o-o-o-v-v-e i-i-i-t!‖



Then in a more normal voice she added, ―How can anything be so sweet and cool and alive? It



doesn‘t taste at all like oranges, but it definitely has an orange-color taste. Kind of like eating an



orange flower.‖



Granny said, ―It has been a long time since I tasted papaya. Thank you for sharing this



special treat with us, Coumba.‖



Margo nodded her agreement vigorously. She didn‘t say thank you because her mouth was



full.



Ms. Mambéty ate a couple more chunks of papaya and sighed. ―That is a taste that takes me



back to my life in Senegal.‖ She closed her eyes for a moment, and then went on, ―Now. You



were wondering how a papaya could help me describe my country to you. It happened like this:



I was peeling this papaya earlier, in preparation for your visit. A piece of the rind was lying on



the cutting board and I suddenly remembered something I had seen from the airplane.‖ She



showed them a long piece of the skin of the papaya on a plate. ―Look here closely, child. See



the green of the peel with this little band of lighter color? That is what I saw as I was flying



away. This green part here is like the lush trees that grow along the rivers in Senegal, and the



lighter color is like the sandy beach along the water‘s edge. Perhaps it is what you and your



Granny would see if you were gliding on a flying carpet.‖









73

Margo said, ―Seeing the piece of peel like this really helps me make a picture in my mind of



what you‘re describing. I can imagine the trees and bushes and a little strip of sand. Then it‘s



easy to add some water flowing by.‖



―Good!‖ said Ms. Mambéty. ―Now imagine you are flying even higher and you see the river



flowing out into the Atlantic Ocean. In the river there is a boat making its way toward the



ocean.‖ Ms. Mambéty reached over and took a basket off the bookshelf. ―This basket will help



me with the story. The boat I saw was headed toward the ocean, just like the plane I was in. I



was thinking that we were both going toward something new and different, and I was thinking



about what I was leaving behind. I decided that it is good to remember where we have been as



we move into the future.



―Excuse me, Ms. Mambéty,‖ said Margo, ―How can the basket help you tell your story?‖



―Ah, you will see,‖ replied Ms. Mambéty. ―When I was high up in the air watching the boat



and thinking of my past and my unknowable future, it reminded me of this precious basket. You



see, this basket is very dear to me. I had it in my lap when I took off from my old home to come



to my new home in the United States.‖ Her voice was suddenly softer.



Margo looked up at Ms. Mambéty‘s face and asked, ―Were you sad to be going away?‖



―Yes, Margo, I was sad. I was leaving behind so many relatives and friends that day, and I



didn‘t know when I would ever see them again. But now I am happy to be here, living and



working in my new country and talking with you.‖



―How did a boat remind you of your basket, Coumba?‖ asked Granny.



―That boat reminded me of grandfather. Such a kind old man he was. He used to go in his



boat along the bank of the river to collect grasses for my grandmother. She used the grasses to



make all different kinds of baskets, like this one. She gave this basket to me when we said good-









74

bye, and I carried it with me all the way here. I feel that my grandmother wove her love for me



into this basket, and it keeps me company when I miss her.‖



―I can understand that,‖ said Granny gently.



―When I was a girl, I loved to watch the grass dance in my grandmother‘s fingers as she



made a basket. Each piece of grass flapped and fluttered like a butterfly wing. As she worked it



into the basket, the piece would get shorter and shorter. Then, like magic, another piece would



appear and continue the dance. Watching the grace of those artistic hands filled me with joy.



When I was older, my mother and grandmother taught me how to make baskets, so I could feel



the magic of it and pass the skills on to younger people. It is an important tradition in my



culture.



―And now, I think it is almost time for you to go, so I will give you one more picture of my



life in Senegal to hold in your imagination. Imagine a very dry place with a very bright sun



shining down day after day. The dogs sit in any shade they can find and pant. The plants turn



brown, and everything is dry and dusty. Can you feel it, Margo?‖



Margo nodded. ―Yes, it makes me thirsty!‖



―Indeed!‖ said Ms. Mambéty. ―Everything is thirsty, even the river and the sky. And then,



one day in June, clouds come and it rains for the first time all year. Then all the children run



outside to feel the water from the sky on their faces. The rain gives the rivers and the land a



good drink, and the children splash and play in pools of fresh water. Can you hear them yelling



happily as they jump and swim?‖



―I can hear them!‖ said Margo. ―They are having so much fun being wet. The dogs are



happy too. They are running in the water, barking for joy.‖









75

―Joy is right, Margo! And when the summer rains come, the farmers are happy, too. Their



crops can grow and provide food for all the people. Then our baskets are full.‖



Margo opened her eyes and looked around at the baskets in the room. ―I wish I could see



someone make baskets like yours. I want to see the magic and the butterfly wings!‖



Ms. Mambéty said, ―If you would like that, I can show you. I will be giving a workshop at



the community center next week. You and Granny are welcome to come.‖



―That would be great! Can we go, Granny?‖



Granny said, ―That does sound very interesting. Where can we get more information about



your workshop?‖



―All the information is available from the community center and on their website,‖ said Ms.



Mambéty. ―It makes me very happy to teach people the traditional crafts of my country.‖



―Thank you for telling us about it,‖ said Margo and Granny at the same time, again. They



all laughed. Margo and Granny got up to go.



Granny said, ―And, thank you for sharing your memories with us, Coumba. I learned so



much about your country.‖



Ms. Mambéty said, ―You are welcome, and thank you for coming to visit me. As we say in



French: a bien tôt [a byen TOE]—see you soon.‖



Margo tried to repeat the phrase, ―Ah-byen-toe. Did I say it right?‖



Ms. Mambéty said, ―Pretty good! Congratulations. Now you are learning a new language



as well as geography. French is one of the languages spoken in Senegal.‖



Granny and Margo said, ―Good-bye, Ms. Mambéty, a bien tôt!‖



―A bien tôt my new friends,‖ said Ms. Mambéty one more time as the door closed.









76

It had been such a wonderful visit. Margo remembered the tree in the pot, the papaya that



she tasted and the peel that helped her see a bird‘s eye view of Senegal, the basket that held Ms.



Mambéty‘s grandmothers love, and the joy of rain after a long dry time. She smiled and said to



Granny, ―You sure do think of good projects, Granny!‖



Granny smiled back at her. ―Why thank you, cara mia.‖









Musical Memories



At lunch, Granny mentioned to Margo that her neighbor Mr. Lee had invited them for a visit



today. ―Oh, good,‖ said Margo. ―When do we go?‖



―Right now, if you like. He said to come around 1:00,‖ said Granny.



―I‘ll get my globe,‖ said Margo. She got her globe and looked up Mr. Lee‘s apartment



number in her notebook. It was 1C.



Hand in hand, Granny and Margo went down the stairs to Mr. Lee‘s apartment. They heard



music, and Margo stopped to listen. ―That sounds like someone playing a piano,‖ she said.



―Yes, it does. I think it‘s Mr. Lee,‖ said Granny. ―Maybe that‘s why he lives on the first



floor. It‘s a lot of work to carry a piano up stairs.‖



Margo made a quick picture in her mind of people carrying a piano and nodded. ―Pianos are



heavy, aren‘t they?‖



―Very,‖ agreed Granny. ―But their sound is so beautiful. I‘m glad there is a piano in the



building and someone who likes to play it.‖



When they knocked on the door, the music stopped. A few seconds later, the door opened



and they were welcomed by a small, grey-haired man. Well, actually, he was mostly bald, but









77

there was a fringe of hair around his head, and that was grey. Margo liked his eyes; they seemed



to sparkle and snap.



Granny said, ―Margo, this is my neighbor Mr. Lee. Mr. Lee, this is my granddaughter



Margo.‖



―Good day, Mr. Lee,‖ said Margo.



―It is a pleasure to meet you,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―Your grandmother told me you are working on



a treatise on her international neighbors.‖



Margo wasn‘t sure what Mr. Lee meant, but she nodded politely anyway.



―Please come into my little home,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―I have an idea about how I can help you



with your project.‖



Mr. Lee‘s living room was almost filled up by his piano, which was bigger than the one



Margo had seen at school. There were two chairs crowded in beside the piano, obviously put



there for a small audience, and Mr. Lee asked them to sit on them.



―Are you going to play for us?‖ asked Granny.



Mr. Lee sat down on the bench in front of his piano and played a few notes. ―Yes,‖ he said.



―My idea was to tell you about a scene from my childhood, using music to help me describe it.



Do you think this will be helpful for your project, Margo?‖



―Oh, yes,‖ said Margo. ―I can make mind pictures from your music. I‘ve never done that



before.‖



Granny said, ―You look so comfortable sitting at the piano, Mr. Lee.‖



Mr. Lee laughed softly. ―I spend much of my time sitting right here. This piano gives a



voice to all I have in my heart and mind. It helps me remember, and it keeps me company,‖ he



said.









78

―Now,‖ he went on, ―I suggest you close your eyes, so you can ‗see‘ in your minds what you



hear with your ears.‖ Margo and Granny closed their eyes.



Quick, quiet notes trickled down into their ears. They rippled steadily, from high notes to



low notes: dee-day-doo-da, dee-day-doo-da, dee-day-doo-da, over and over.



Margo said, ―It sounds like water, Mr. Lee.‖



―Yes, water,‖ agreed Granny, ―and so calm and soothing.‖



The music changed to a series of notes that went up and down smoothly, like they were



gliding along. Suddenly, there was a single, sharp note followed by a bunch of notes all



together. Margo said, ―A splash! Was that a fish swimming and then it jumped?‖



―Um-hmm,‖ hummed Mr. Lee, and he played it again.



Then he played two low notes, the second a little higher than the first: ba-dum, ba-dum,



bdrum, ba-dum.



―That sounds like an old bullfrog to me,‖ said Granny.



―Oh yeah!‖ exclaimed Margo, ―a big old bullfrog.‖



Now they heard a long, high note. At the very end, the tone went up: tooooooooo-ip. Then



it was silent, then, toooooooo-ip. Again a long pause. Tooooooooo-ip.



―Is it a flute?‖ Margo asked.



―Listen again,‖ said Mr. Lee, and he played the long tooooooo with the little ip at the end.



―Oh! It‘s a bird calling. I can see it now,‖ said Margo.



―Ah, marvelous,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―So, what do we have so far in our musical picture?‖



Margo said, ―Water, maybe a lake. A fish that jumps, a frog croaking, and a bird calling.‖



―Just so,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―Now one more part.‖ He played the trickling-down notes over and



over. Then he played a low chord and held it.









79

―There‘s the water,‖ said Margo.



―Is that a boat in the water?‖ Granny asked.



―Ah, you listen well, my neighbors,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―Now you have some images and



feelings that are part of my memory picture from my childhood.‖



He played the rippling notes and said, ―On a still lake in the quiet before sunrise . . .‖



The water sound continued, and Mr. Lee added the up-and-down notes. ―A fish swims by . .



.‖ The piano gave the blip and splash. ―. . . and jumps out of the water.



―A frog sings his morning song by the shore where the wind rustles the tall grasses. . . .‖



Ba-dum, ba-dum, bdrum, sang the piano, while the water and fish music continued.



The long toooooo-ip sounded, repeating and far away. ―From the fields, a bird calls . . . A



boat moves slowly through the water . . .‖ The low chord sounded.



―. . . pushed by a man with a long pole.‖ Then a new tune started, a bass melody, calm and



strong and happy.



―The man is standing in the boat. He wears a straw hat on his head. He is a Chinese



fisherman. He is my grandfather.‖



The music played on, all the melodies together. In her mind‘s eye, Margo saw the scene and



felt the lovely quiet of early morning.



Mr. Lee stopped. Margo and Granny opened their eyes. ―That was wonderful, Mr. Lee,‖



said Granny. ―You have really shared your memory with us. I feel like it‘s my memory now,



too.‖



Margo said, ―I think you love your grandfather very much.‖



Mr. Lee smiled. ―Yes, I do. It makes me happy to remember him as I saw him when I was



a child in China.‖









80

Margo looked around Mr. Lee‘s living room. She had felt far away listening to the music,



and now she was noticing things close to her. Something on the wall caught her eye. She



wandered over to it to get a better look.



―And now,‖ said Mr. Lee, ―I will play something for Mrs. Rossi.‖ He started to play a very



different kind of music.



Listening, Granny smiled and her face got soft. Margo could see that Granny knew the song



by the way she moved her head to the rhythm. Then Mr. Lee played another song, and Granny



started to sing with it, very quietly. When the song was over, Margo said, ―What were you



singing, Granny? I couldn‘t understand the words.‖



―That was an Italian song. I used to sing it when I was a little girl.‖ Granny smiled at Mr.



Lee. ―I haven‘t thought of that song in a long time. How do you know Italian folksongs, Mr.



Lee?‖



Mr. Lee said, ―When I was younger, I studied music. While I loved the music of China, I



was also interested in other styles. My teachers helped me find music from many countries, and



I practiced very hard to be able to play it with the feelings of the people who wrote it. In this



way, I was able to learn about other cultures even without traveling.‖



Granny said, ―I would say you learned very well. You played those songs just like I



remember them from my childhood.‖



Mr. Lee‘s eyes smiled. He looked at Margo and said, ―What have you found there, Margo?‖



―It‘s a painting, isn‘t it, Mr. Lee?‖ said Margo. ―I think these are mountains. And these



prickly things—are they trees?‖









81

―Yes, they are,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―That is a Chinese painting. There are such tall, skinny



mountains in China. They are very rocky, and the trees that can grow on them are often gnarled



and twisted like the ones in the painting.‖



Margo said, ―There is a little bridge right here. It‘s kind of hard to see what things are in



this painting. Is this a real place?‖



―It may be,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―On the other hand, it may not be.‖ This painting is like the



music I played for you about the lake and my grandfather. It helps you imagine. Like a poem, it



doesn‘t give you every detail just the way you would see it with your eyes. Some kinds of art



show you the world outside; other kinds point to the world inside you, where memories, ideas,



and feelings live.‖



Margo nodded slowly, thinking.



Mr. Lee said, ―That bridge reminds me of a famous traveler from your native country, Mrs.



Rossi.‖



―Who?‖ asked Granny.



―Someone who learned about many countries by actually traveling to them. Someone who



is said to have lived in China for more than twenty years, a very long time ago, in the 13th



century.‖



―Oh! Do you mean Marco Polo?‖ Granny said.



Mr. Lee nodded.



Margo said, ―I know a game called Marco Polo. You play it in the water. But, how did the



bridge in the painting remind you of that?‖



Granny said, ―I have heard of a Marco Polo Bridge. It is near Beijing. That‘s the capital of



China, Margo. There is a description of that bridge in a book about Marco Polo‘s travels. I









82

remember it had something like 400 lions on it.‖



―That‘s a lot of lions!‖ said Margo.



Mr. Lee said, ―Yes, and they are very impressive. There are 485 lions on Lugou Qiao



[loo·gwa shiow]. I have seen them.‖



―Wait a minute,‖ said Margo. ―I‘m confused, Mr. Lee. How could you see the same lions



as Marco Polo?‖



―They are stone lions, Margo. They have been on that bridge for more than 800 years,‖ said



Mr. Lee.



Granny asked, ―What was the name you said for the bridge?‖



―Lugou Qiao,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―That is what we call it in China. It is called Marco Polo



Bridge in the West because Marco Polo was the first person to describe it to the people of



Europe.‖



Margo looked at the painting again and said, ―It must be a much bigger bridge than this one



if it has that many lion statues on it.‖



Both Granny and Mr. Lee agreed.



Margo said, ―Can I come back later with my notebook? I would like to draw this painting.‖



―Of course,‖ said Mr. Lee. ―Come any time.‖







Back in Granny‘s apartment, Margo sat right down to write about their visit with Mr. Lee.



As she was remembering all that happened, she asked Granny, ―What did Mr. Lee mean about a



treat for your neighbors?‖



Granny had to think for a minute, then she smiled. ―He said ‗treatise‘ dear, not ‗treat.‘ Let‘s



pull out the dictionary and look it up.‖









83

Names and Places



Margo was good and hungry for supper that evening. She had played soccer at the park



again, and it gave her a good appetite. The table was set for three because they had a guest. ―I



just love your Swedish meatballs, Granny!‖ she exclaimed as she took a bite. ―Aren‘t they the



best, Mr. Star?‖



Mr. Star said, ―They are especially good Swedish meatballs, and it‘s nice to be here with my



neighbors. Thank you for inviting me. My wife and children are away this month, so I have



been eating alone. It is . . . different.‖



Granny said, ―We‘re glad you could join us, Mr. Star.‖



Margo said, ―I don‘t think I‘ve ever had supper all by myself. How is it different?‖



Mr. Star said, ―A friend of mine once said that eating alone is like putting gas in a car. It



gives our bodies the fuel they need to keep going. But when we share a meal with friends or



family, it also feeds us socially. It‘s like a special sauce poured over the food. My friend called



it ‗company sauce‘.‖



―I‘ve noticed that, too,‖ said Granny, ―although sometimes I enjoy eating alone.‖



Margo tipped her head to one side and said, ―I guess I‘ll have to try it myself so I can



understand what you mean. I like the idea of ‗company sauce‖ though.‖



―Where are your wife and children now, Mr. Star?‖ Granny asked.



―They are in Dinétah, that‘s Navajo Nation in English,‖ he said. ―They are doing what you



are doing Margo—visiting their grandmother.‖



―Where is Navajo Nation?‖ Margo asked.









84

Mr. Star said, ―In the southwest of the United States, in the area called Four Corners. After



supper I can show you on a map.‖



Margo asked, ―Is it a country?‖



Mr. Star said, ―In some ways it is a country, and it is also part of the United States. The



Navajo people are American citizens, but Dinétah is older than the U.S.‖



Granny said, ―Do you remember, Margo, what Kapi said about the aboriginal people in



Australia?‖ Margo nodded. ―Well, the Native Americans are the aboriginal people of this



continent. The Navajo are one of the many groups of indigenous people in our country.‖



Mr. Star said, ―You will probably learn more about the history of the Native Americans in



school when you are a little older. It is a very interesting and complex story.‖



―Sounds like it,‖ said Margo. ―There is so much to learn about the world. Since I came to



visit Granny I‘ve met so many people who moved here from other places. I didn‘t know there



were so many places. But there is something I don‘t understand. When people move, how do



they feel ‗home‘ in the new place?



Mr. Star put his fork down and said, ―It‘s funny you should ask that, Margo. I was just



thinking about the idea of home. I will tell you about my name.‖



Margo looked puzzled. ―Why your name?‖ she asked



―You will understand when I tell you,‖ said Mr. Star. ―My parents say that when I was very



little, I would often point at one particular star in the night sky. It is a special star that always



stays in one place in the sky. All the other stars seem to walk slowly in a circle around it. Do



you know which star I mean?‖



―I don‘t,‖ said Margo. ―Do you, Granny?‖



Granny smiled. ―I do. It is Polaris, the North Star.‖









85

Mr. Star said, ―The North Star has a special meaning for the Navajo people—it is a symbol



of the center of the home, the hearth fire. The meaning of this symbol comes from a time when



people used fire for heat and cooking, before we had furnaces and stoves. Because I always



pointed at that star, my parents called me Northstar.‖



Margo said, ―But, I thought your name was Mr. Star.‖



―I have two names,‖ he explained. ―You see, when I went to school I had to have a first



name and a last name. That was the rule. So, we decided that my school name would be John



Star, and that is the name on my college diploma. Outside of Navajo Nation, people know me as



Mr. Star, but my family calls me Northstar.



―So here‘s what I was thinking,‖ he went on, ―My parents understand home as something



that stays in the same place. But my name means ‗home,‘ so I must take ‗home‘ with me



wherever I go. Sometimes I feel homesick for the people and places of my childhood. Then I



remember that home is where I am, and I feel better.‖



Granny said, ―That‘s a lovely way to think about it.‖



Margo was frowning. ―But, that‘s because your name means home, Mr. Northstar. What



about other people? How do they feel home?‖



―Thinking about my name was my way of understanding this. Other people find other



ways,‖ said Mr. Star.



Margo said, ―You mean, like Mr. Lee playing his memories on the piano? . . .‖



―Or Mrs. Alvarez cooking food she loved when she was little?‖ added Granny.



Mr. Star said, ―That‘s it. We can each bring other homes into our mind and hold them,



wherever we happen to be.‖









86

Margo jumped up from the table. ―Just like Granny‘s carpet!‖ she exclaimed. Mr. Star



looked confused. ―Granny, where‘s the note from Banu? We have to show Mr. Star.‖ With a



quick nod, Granny got up to find the note.



Mr. Star said, ―Is that the note my friend translated?‖



―Yes. Come on, Mr. Northstar.‖ Margo practically dragged him into the living room. ―Sit



right here on the sofa.‖



Granny brought the note, and Margo explained, ―What you said about holding other places



in our minds reminded me of how we fly on Granny‘s magic carpet.‖



―It‘s magic?‖ Mr. Star asked.



―Oh, yes. It‘s really magic,‖ said Margo. ―Here, look at the note. It‘s like instructions. . . .



This part: . . . close your eyes and imagine other places, other people, other times. That‘s what



you said, right?‖



Mr. Star looked at the note. ―So,‖ he said, thinking, ―you make mental pictures, and then



you go there?‖



Margo‘s eyes gleamed. ―Do you want to try it?‖



―Sure,‖ he said.



―Okay. Tell Granny and me about a special time and place you remember. Give us lots of



details so we can make a really clear mental picture.‖



―Right,‖ said Mr. Star. ―When I was about your age, Margo, my father and I took a trip on



horseback across Dinétah. My father wanted me to get to know our land. We decided to ride all



the way to the Grand Canyon. It took several days and we camped at night along the way. I will



describe it to you.









87

―The land is wide and dry. Here and there, huge rocks stick up out of the earth. They are all



different shapes—tall spiky towers and flat-topped hills—all different. I don‘t know how to give



you a sense of how big they are. From a distance they look something like chess pieces scattered



over the desert, some standing up, others lying on their sides. But they are enormous, taller that



skyscrapers. The Navajo say that these are the bodies of terrible monsters killed by Monster



Slayer a long time ago and turned to stone.



―Sitting high on my horse, I can see mountains in the distance, like a jagged fence on the



horizon all around. Those mountains are actually very big, but they seem small to me because



they are so far away. The sky is like a huge blue bowl over our heads. I feel small in this big



place, but I also feel safe, like the land and the sky are two big hands cupped under and over me.



I know this is my place.



―We ride our horses mile after mile over dusty, yellow ground, with only a few bushes and



tough grass growing here and there. Then, suddenly we come to a huge crack in the earth. On



the other side of the crack, the land continues just the same, but how to get across? It is way too



far to jump. I can see deep down into these cracks. They are full of red and rocks. In some of



them, I can see the tops of trees far below us. There are many of these cracks in the dry earth of



the desert. They are called canyons.



―The only way across the canyons is to work your way down one steep side, across the



bottom, and up the other side. It seems impossible for horses, but my father knows the ways that



the horses can go without falling into the canyon. It takes a long time to climb carefully down to



the bottom. Inside a canyon it is a different world. The air is hot and still. Some canyons have



streams flowing through them, and the horses get a long drink. Except for places where people



have dug wells, there is almost no water on the desert above us. After we rest a little, we have to









88

climb up the other side of the canyon. Then, we go on, walking across the dessert, mile after



mile.



―One day, in the afternoon, we see a mass of boiling clouds with a dark rain-curtain below



them. We watch the thunderstorm coming toward us for a long time. I ask my father where we



will go to get out of the rain. He laughs and says, ‗The storm goes where it goes. If we are in its



path, it will rain on us. But, it is moving. It will pass.‘ And that is what happens. It rains so



hard I can‘t see where we are going. My horse follows my father‘s horse through the wind and



water. Then, suddenly, I can see again. I look behind us, and there is the storm moving away



across the land. It is still raining, only not on us.



―My father says, ‗Look!‘ And I look ahead where he is pointing. There is the biggest



canyon I have ever seen. It is so wide, there are mountains inside it. It is so deep that I look over



the edge and see an eagle soaring far below me. Down at the bottom, I see a winding, blue-green



ribbon. That, my father tells me, is the Colorado River. We were looking at the Grand Canyon.



It is the most wonderful sight. Words are not enough to express how I felt.‖



Margo had been listening so intently that it took a minute for her to realize that Mr. Star had



finished his story. She took a deep breath and said, ―Oh, Mr. Star, I really want to see this place.



Please show me where it is, and let‘s try to go there right now.‖



Together they looked at Margo‘s globe and then Granny‘s atlas to locate Navajo Nation.



Granny offered to look on the Internet for photographs of the Grand Canyon and Monument



Valley (where the stone monsters are), so Margo could see them. Mr. Star said that was



important, because it would help her make a mental picture of what he saw with his father on



that trip. While Granny was busy with the computer, Mr. Star drew a star map in Margo‘s



notebook of the North Star and the Big and Little Dippers.









89

When Granny called Margo to see the pictures on the computer, she understood what Mr.



Star meant. No one could imagine anything so huge and glorious as these places if they hadn‘t



seen them, at least in a picture.



Then, they all moved the coffee table and arranged themselves on the carpet. They sat side



by side, with Margo in the middle. Granny held the note and Margo held the globe. Mr. Star ran



his finger along the patterns on the carpet. They all closed their eyes and imagined the desert,



the storm in the distance, and the bright blue, sunny sky above them.



The carpet bucked, just like a horse. Margo yelled, ―Yee hah!‖



Granny shouted, ―Yippee!‖



Mr. Star looked quickly at them and then at the carpet arching and flattening. The living



room dissolved, and they could see the lights of the city getting smaller by the second as they



rose into the sky.



―Look, Margo,‖ said Mr. Star. ―There is the North Star.‖



Suddenly there was a roaring in their ears. The darkness was thick and swirled around them



in all directions. There was a bright flash of light. Margo heard Mr. Star yelling over the wind,



―Who is thinking about a thunderstorm? Imagine a blue sky!‖



Instantly, they were rushing through perfectly clear air. The setting sun was straight ahead;



the brown and yellow desert was below them. Margo saw reddish lines of shadow on the



ground. They looked as if someone had opened the earth with a giant knife. Canyons. Granny



and Mr. Star were looking in the direction of the sun, shading their eyes with their hands. Margo



looked that way, too, and the carpet slowed down. She saw, standing right at the edge of the



world, two horses, a man on one and a child on the other.









90

Margo gasped. She knew this was the Grand Canyon because she had seen the pictures.



There were the flat-topped mountains like islands in a sea of air. There were the bands of color



on the rocky cliffs. There was the other side of the canyon, faded in the distance. But, oh. This



was so much more than what she had seen on the computer screen. This was real. She stretched



her arms out like wings. Her hair flew back from her face in the wind. Full of the incredible



beauty and immensity of the view, she started to stand up.



The globe tipped over and rolled lazily toward the edge of the carpet. Margo lunged



forward to catch it. For a second she looked straight down into the shadow of the canyon,



nothing but air for a mile below her. Granny shrieked as Margo caught her globe.



Everything was quiet. Margo landed on the wooden floor of Granny‘s living room. Mr.



Star‘s hands were wrapped around her ankles. The globe rolled to a stop under the coffee table.



―Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh,‖ sobbed Granny. She pulled Margo onto her lap



and rocked her like a baby. ―Ah, carissima mia. I thought I had lost you.‖ Margo looked up at



Granny‘s face, her eyes warm with love.



Mr. Star wiped his hand across his forehead. ―What happened?‖ he asked in a low voice.



Margo reached out and took his hand. ―I didn‘t tell you something about the carpet,‖ she



said, ―and Granny forgot it for a second: it only works when your heart is fearless. If you get



scared, you‘re home.‖



Mr. Star took a slow breath and nodded.



An impish, little smile came into Margo‘s face. She said, ―Granny, there‘s something else



we forgot.‖



―What?‖ said Granny.



―Dessert!‖









91

Day 7

Stones



A large, laundry basket with Granny‘s legs was clumping down the stairs. Right behind,



came Margo holding a smaller basket to her chest with both arms. The big front door opened,



and it got lighter for a moment. Then a voice said, ―Good day!‖



From behind the basket, Granny‘s voice said, ―Good day to you, Rox.‖ Margo looked over



her basket and around Granny and saw a woman in a raincoat carrying a mailbag over her



shoulder.



―And who would this be?‖ asked the woman, looking at Margo.



―This is my granddaughter Margo,‖ said Granny.



―G‘day,‖ said Margo cheerfully. ―You must be the postie.‖



The woman glanced at the handful of letters she was holding and said, ―How did you



guess?‖



Margo chuckled. ―It was easy. Is your name really ‗Stones‘?‖



―Stones? Oh, you mean ‗Rox.‘ Well, my name is really Roxanne Meadows, but people call



me Rox for short. I like it.‖



―Oh,‖ said Margo, ―Are you from Australia?‖



Rox shook her head. ―I was born in England,‖ she said, ―but now I live here in the States.‖



Granny said, ―Why did you think Rox was from Australia?‖



―Well, she said ‗good day‘ and she talks like Kapi does. What‘s it called? Accent.‖



Rox said, ―An Australian accent is quite similar to British English, although not exactly the



same. Are you two on your way to do some laundry? That hamper you‘re carrying seems rather



awkward, Christina.‖







92

Granny said, ―I‘ll be fine once we get down to the sidewalk. This basket has wheels. I only



struggle with it on the stairs.‖



Margo said, ―Do you have any mail for us?‖



―I just happen to have a couple of letters here for your grandmother, and there‘s a postcard



for a Margo Peters,‖ said Rox.



―That‘s me!‖ said Margo. Rox handed her the postcard. ―Hurray! It‘s from Mom and Dad.



Can I read it right now?‖



Granny said, ―If you can stand to wait, I‘d rather get the laundry started first. We‘ll have



plenty of time to read it at the laundromat.‖



―Okay,‖ said Margo and tucked the postcard into her basket beside the detergent.



Rox looked at Granny‘s full hands and put the other letters in Margo‘s basket, too. She said,



―I hope you have a brolly with you. It‘s supposed to rain today. That‘s why I‘m wearing my



mac.‖



Margo looked puzzled. ―A brolly?‖



Granny said, ―I‘m guessing that‘s an umbrella, because Rox said it might rain. A mac is



what we would call a raincoat, right Rox?‖



Rox said, ―Right.‖ She turned to the row of mailboxes and said, ―Cheerio!‖



―Cheerio,‖ said Margo. ―That‘s like ‗good-bye,‘ isn‘t it?‖



―Right again,‖ said Granny and Rox together.



I love it when that happens, thought Margo as she and Granny picked up their baskets and



went out the door.









93

Cloudy, with a Chance of Showers



It was cloudy outside, and little puffs of wind turned the leaves upside-down. Granny



looked up at the sky for a second, thinking about rain. Distracted, she missed the bottom step



and stumbled. The basket flew right out of her hands, tumbling laundry all over the sidewalk.



Granny muttered as she collected socks and t-shirts, ―Awhhh, this is one time I miss having



my own washer and dryer.‖



Startled, Margo hurried to help her. She was worried that it was somehow her fault.



Together they quickly got all the laundry back in the basket.



Granny straightened up and pushed a lock of hair off her forehead. She seemed to brush



away her irritation at the same time. ―Well, that was unexpected,‖ she said. ―We have more



laundry today than I am used to carrying.‖ She took the handle and started to walk, pulling the



basket on its wheels. Margo picked up her basket and followed, wondering if it was a good time



to ask Granny about moving back to her old house. Maybe not right now, she decided.



Granny turned to Margo and said, ―I‘m sorry I grumbled when the laundry spilled. I was



mad at myself for not being more careful on the stairs and a little scared, like I was when you



almost fell off the carpet last night.‖



Margo caught up with her and leaned her head against Granny‘s arm in a no-handed hug.



―You aren‘t mad at me?‖ she asked.



―No, cara mia, not even a little bit,‖ Granny said. ―Say, how was your phone call with your



parents? We didn‘t get to talk about it yesterday.‖



Margo thought back to that conversation. ―It was okay,‖ she said, ―but I like talking with



you more. They just talked about going to galleries and Mom‘s work. I wanted to tell them







94

about flying on the carpet, but they had to go. And, Dad called me ‗baby.‘ I don‘t like that any



more. I‘m not a baby.‖



Granny‘s eyes looked deep into Margo‘s. She didn‘t say anything, but Margo didn‘t need



her to. It was enough to be heard and understood.







When they came to the glass door of the Quik Wash n Dry, a man was just coming out. He



held the door open for them. ―Thank you, Mr. Anderson,‖ said Granny. ―Is it laundry day for



you, too?‖



With a sigh, the tall redhead said, ―Yes. It has to be done. I‘m going over to the café until



the washing machine finishes its cycle. See you later.‖ He walked away.



Margo remembered meeting Mr. Anderson when she first arrived. Now she noticed that he



had an accent. ―Where is he from?‖ she asked Granny.



―Why do you think he is ‗from‘ somewhere?‖ Granny said.



―I guess it‘s his accent,‖ said Margo. Then she added thoughtfully, ―Kapi said I was the one



with an accent. I guess everybody is from somewhere. . . . Where are you from, Granny?‖



Granny was taking a $5 bill from her purse. She handed it to Margo, saying ―We need some



quarters for the machines. If you will get change, I‘ll start putting the clothes in washers. Then,



we can talk more about this.‖



Margo figured out how to use the change machine. It was easy. Then she carried the big



handful of quarters to Granny. Granny was pouring detergent into a washer, and she showed



Margo how to start it. Water began to stream onto the clothes. Granny closed the lid saying,



―Now, about your question . . . I was born in Firenze—Florence, Italy.‖









95

Margo said, ―Really? I thought you always lived in the house down the street from Mom



and Dad and me.‖



With a twinkle in her eye, Granny said, ―Actually, I have lived in three countries. I lived in



Italy until I was 22 years old. Then I went to graduate school in Canada. That‘s where I met



your grandfather. When we got married, we moved to the U.S. I moved to the house on Walnut



Street when your mother was a baby.‖



Margo tried, unsuccessfully, to imagine her mother as a baby.



Granny tucked the empty laundry basket under a table, and walked to a row of orange plastic



seats. Margo sat down beside her.



―Shall we look at that postcard from your parents now?‖ Granny said.



The postcard had a picture of a huge fish at the Chicago Aquarium on one side. On the



other side, it just said, ‗Dear Margo, Chicago is windy and wonderful. Mom is working hard on



her research, and Dad has met several artists he wants to represent at the gallery. Love, Mom



and Dad.‖



Margo was disappointed. ―They didn‘t say anything about me,‖ she complained.



Granny said, ―They don‘t know how exciting your life has been. You will have a lot to tell



them when you see them again.‖



Margo decided to write in her journal for a while.







A little while later, a woman sat down heavily on the seat right next to Margo. She seemed



to be older than Granny and wore an amazing necklace of big yellow beads. ―Hello, little girl,‖



she said. ―Are you helping with the washing?‖



Margo looked up and said, ―A little bit. Are you one of Granny‘s neighbors?‖









96

―I think we live in the same building, your grandmother and I,‖ the woman answered. ―I



have seen her there.‖



Granny reached out her hand toward the woman. ―I am Christina Rossi, from 2B, and this is



Margo,‖ she said.



―Well, isn‘t that nice,‖ said the woman, shaking Granny‘s hand. ―I am Mrs. Kartini.‖



Margo said, ―I saw your name on one of the mailboxes. That‘s a beautiful necklace you



have on.‖



―Why, thank you,‖ said Mrs. Kartini. ―It comes from my native country, Indonesia.‖



―Indonesia,‖ repeated Margo. It was a fun word to say. She could feel her mouth going



back and forth between smiling and puckering, ―In-do-ne-sia. Where is Indonesia?‖



―Between Australia and Asia, right along the equator,‖ said Mrs. Kartini. ―Indonesia is a



nation of islands, thousands of them. Some people say my country is like an emerald necklace,



each stone a green, tropical island. I guess it would resemble a string of emeralds from the sky . .



. although some of those emeralds are active volcanoes! Are you having a nice visit with your



grandmother, Margo?



Margo nodded.



―I had a grandfather who was very special.‖



―What was special about him?‖ Margo asked.



―The way he looked at me,‖ said Mrs. Kartini, ―like I was the most beautiful and wonderful



child in the world.‖



Margo smiled. ―I know what you mean.‖









97

Mrs. Kartini said, ―I loved to talk with my grandfather. He was always so interested in what



I thought. I remember him waiting for me outside my school. He always walked with me from



school to our house. ‖



―Did he live with you?‖ asked Margo.



―Of course. He was part of my family.‖



Just then, Granny got up. ―The washers have stopped, Margo. Do you want to help me



move the clothes to the dryers?‖



―Of course,‖ said Margo. ―I‘ll see you later, Mrs. Kartini.‖







Margo pushed the rolling cart full of wet clothes over to the big dryers along the wall. At



least, Granny said they were dryers. They looked like doors with funny, round windows in them.



Then Margo remembered the doors that didn‘t look like mailboxes in Granny‘s apartment



building. Maybe these doors would turn out to have dryers behind them. They did, of course,



and Granny held Margo up so she could put quarters in the coins slot and turn the knob that



started the dryer.



Mr. Anderson rolled up to the dryer next to them with his own wet clothes. Margo said,



―Hello again, Mr. Anderson.‖



He looked at her a moment. ―You seem to be having a good time today,‖ he said.



Margo said, ―Yup. These rolly carts are great. Do you want to race?‖



Mr. Anderson just looked at her.



Margo tried again. ―Mr. Anderson? Will you tell me about something you remember from



when you were a little boy?‖









98

Mr. Anderson put coins in his dryer and pushed the door to close it. The round door



bounced right back at him, and he said, ―Drat. Stay closed, will you?‖ to the door, giving it a



harder push. ―When I was a little boy . . .‖ he said. ―Oh, that doesn‘t matter. It was long ago



and far away.‖



―Far away?‖ asked Margo, always curious, ―Where?‖



―In South Africa, not far from Cape Town,‖ he said.



Margo glanced at her notebook on the row of seats. She wanted to take notes of Mr.



Anderson‘s story, but Mr. Anderson was walking away.



―I‘m going back to the café while these clothes are drying. I can‘t remember anything



special from my childhood. It was long ago and far away.‖



Margo watched the glass door swung shut behind him, and put her pencil back behind her



ear. ―I don‘t think Mr. Anderson has any home feeling at all,‖ she said walking back to the seats



where Granny was sitting with Mrs. Kartini.



―Why do you say that, Pumpkin?‖ Granny asked.



―He can‘t remember when he was a little boy in South Africa,‖ said Margo. ―All of your



other neighbors could. I think his imagination is broken.‖



Granny smoothed Margo‘s hair. ―He may not want to remember, cara mia, for reasons we



don‘t know. Or, he may prefer not to talk about his past with someone he doesn‘t know well.‖



―But,‖ said Margo, ―if we don‘t have a clear picture, we can‘t go there on the carpet.‖



Granny thought about this. ―I understand that you are disappointed. Maybe you can find



another way to get to know Mr. Anderson and learn about his country.‖



―Maybe,‖ said Margo, in a not-convinced voice. ―How long until the clothes are dry?‖









99

Mrs. Kartini chuckled from the other side of Granny. ―A lot quicker than what I remember



from my childhood,‖ she said.



―Why?‖ Margo asked, sitting down on a seat.



―Because we hung our clothes outside to dry, and it rains a lot in Indonesia. My mother was



forever asking me to check the clothes. They were usually still wet. Sometimes we noticed it



was going to rain and brought them in anyway. Then Mother would iron everything, just to get it



dry.‖



Margo looked around. She saw a woman folding a sheet at a table. The sheet was big, and



the woman was trying to keep it off the floor. Margo went over to her and said, ―Can I help you



with that?‖



The woman jumped a little. She hadn‘t seen Margo coming. ―I guess so,‖ she said, ―if you



want.‖



Taking a corner of the sheet, Margo smiled at her. ―I like to help,‖ she said.



―This good,‖ said the woman as they finished folding the sheet. ―Are you from here? I



don‘t see you before.‖



―I‘m visiting my grandmother,‖ said Margo.



―Ah, good. Grandmother,‖ said the woman. The woman put the folded sheet on the table



and said, ―I see her and Mrs. Kartini in apartment. I am here to visit my son, Ali. He lives in



that building.‖



―Good day, Mrs. Bukhari,‖ said Granny, coming toward them. ―How are you?‖



Mrs. Bukhari bowed her head a little and said, ―I am okay. Your granddaughter help me.‖



―Margo, Mrs. Bukhari lives down the hall from me,‖ said Granny, smiling at Mrs. Bukhari.



―Her son tells me that she is a wonderful poet.‖









100

Mrs. Bukhari shook her head. ―Was poet. Not now. Not English.‖



Margo looked at Mrs. Bukhari, interested. ―What kind of poetry do you write? Did you



ever write a poem about when you were a child?‖



Mrs. Bukhari said, ―Yes. I remember one poem about olive trees. When I was young like



you. My family pick olives. We all work together, bring many olives into baskets. I tried to eat



one from the tree. Oh! The taste is . . .‖ She looked at Granny to help her with the word.



―Bitter,‖ said Granny.



―Yes. Bitter. Olives not good to eat from tree. My mother told me, ‗First we put olives in



water with salt. Then they taste good.‘ I always remember that bitter in my mouth. I wrote



poem, in Arabic. I think you not understand it. I go home now. Ali is waiting.‖ She put her



folded laundry into a bag and said, ―Good-bye. Thank you, Margo.‖



As she walked to the door, Margo ran after her. ―Mrs. Bukhari?‖ she said. ―Where are your



family‘s olive trees?‖



Mrs. Bukhari stopped and looked sadly at the floor. ―All gone,‖ she said. ―They were in the



hills around Nablus, in West Bank. Now, all gone.‖ She turned away and went out the door.



Margo went back to Granny, who was pulling dry clothes out of the dryer. She felt Mrs.



Bukhari‘s sadness. ―What happened to the olive trees?‖ she asked.



Granny said, ―I don‘t know. The place she is from has had many troubles, for a long time. I



can see that she misses her home, but she seems so bitter—like she cannot be happy here, even



with her son, who loves her very much.‖



Bitter, thought Margo, like the olives. That gives me an idea. . . .



She and Granny folded their clothes in silence. They noticed that it was getting darker



outside and Granny said, ―It looks like the rain is coming. We‘d better hurry or our clothes will









101

get wet on the way home.‖ They packed the clean laundry into Granny‘s basket and headed



back. Part way down the block, Margo remembered her notebook. Granny said, ―You run back



for it. I‘m going to keep walking.‖



Mrs. Kartini looked up from the book she was reading as Margo burst back through the



door. ―I forgot my journal,‖ Margo said. ―We have to hurry. It‘s going to rain.‖



Mrs. Kartini smiled a patient smile. ―It always does,‖ she said. ―Just run between the



raindrops, child. Then you won‘t get wet.‖



―I‘ll try, Mrs. Kartini,‖ said Margo. ―Thanks for the idea. Bye!‖ And she ran out the door



to catch up with Granny.



When they were almost home, Margo felt the first rain drop. They saw Mrs. Bukhari



walking slowly. As they passed her, Margo said, ―Hurry, Mrs. Bukhari. You‘ll get wet.‖



She and Granny hurried up the steps and almost bumped into a young man coming out of the



building. He had an umbrella in his hand. Granny said, ―Good timing, Ali. Your mother is right



behind us.‖



Margo said, ―Oh! Can I take her the brolly?‖ The man looked puzzled but handed her the



umbrella. Margo sprinted back down the stairs.







A few minutes later, Margo helped a smiling Mrs. Bukhari carry her laundry up the stairs to



her son‘s apartment. Ali opened the door for his mother, and Margo handed him the dripping



umbrella. Mrs. Bukhari put down her bag and took Margo‘s face between her two hands.



Speaking excitedly in Arabic, she kissed Margo on the forehead over and over. Tears were



running down her face. Ali looked very confused.









102

Margo looked up into Mrs. Bukhari‘s eyes and said, ―Good-bye, Mrs. Bukhari. I‘ll see you



later.‖ She walked toward Granny, who was watching from her apartment door.



―What happened? I‘ve never heard Mrs. Bukhari talk so much,‖ said Granny.



Margo smiled. I just told her that maybe salty tears would wash way her bitter feelings, like



it did for the olives. I think she liked the idea.‖









Banu



Margo rushed into the apartment, all hot and breathless from playing soccer at the park. She



stopped short in the doorway, partly because her shoes were very muddy and partly because



something seemed different.



―Granny, I‘m back,‖ she called, but only the refrigerator humming in the kitchen answered



her. Then she figured out what was different—the carpet was missing. Ah, she thought, Granny



has gone flying. She took off her shoes and went to change her clothes.



When she came back a couple of minutes later, there was Granny, sitting on the carpet,



globe in hand. She was smiling a far-away smile. ―Hello, Margo,‖ she said. ―How was the



park?‖



―Just great,‖ said Margo. ―I got back a few minutes ago. Where did you go?‖



Granny patted her hair and stood up. ―I got a letter from Banu today. It was in the basket



with the laundry detergent.‖



―Oh, yeah,‖ said Margo. ―Stones, I mean, Rox put it in there with my postcard. Your hands



were full.‖



―Hmm,‖ said Granny, ―I remember. So, I read her letter, and I missed my old friend so



much. She described her house in the mountains so clearly. I just had to try to see her.‖







103

―Did you see her?‖ Margo asked.



―Oh yes!‖ Granny said, sighing softly. ―We had a wonderful visit. We drank tea together.



And we talked about all that has happened in our lives since we saw each other the last time.‖



―You talked to her?‖ Margo couldn‘t believe it.



Granny nodded. ―Banu said that is why she sent me the carpet—so I could visit her. She



knew about the carpet, but she couldn‘t come to me because she didn‘t have a mental picture of



where I was. We hadn‘t seen each other in forty years.‖



Margo hugged Granny. ―I‘m so glad you got to see your friend! This carpet was a



wonderful gift. Granny, what‘s that around your neck?‖



―This?‖ said Granny lifting the necklace so she could look at it. ―It‘s an amulet I‘ve had for



many years. Something I inherited from my great-grandmother. I found it when I was looking



for a photo of Banu.‖



Margo reached out to the turquoise stone hanging on a ribbon around Granny‘s neck. When



she touched it, she felt a tingling in her fingers and her mind was filled with swirling pictures.



She took her hand away. ―What do you know about this . . . amulet? Is that what you called it?‖









104

Day 8

Another Rainy Day



Granny called from the living room, ―Margo, did you bring rain boots with you?‖



―I sure did,‖ answered Margo from her room.



―Well, you will want them today. It‘s pouring rain outside.‖



Margo appeared, covered in yellow from head to toe. She had on her yellow rain hat, her



yellow raincoat (or mac, if you‘re from England), and her shiny yellow rain boots. ―Let it rain,



Granny! I‘m ready for anything.‖



Granny looked up from the letter she was reading. ―More ready than I am,‖ she said. ―I‘d



better get my raincoat and a . . . brolly.‖



Margo sat on the sofa to wait for her, rubbing her boots together so they squeaked. On the



coffee table in front of her were the letter Granny was reading, two photos, and Granny‘s amulet.



Granny had told her that the amulet was very old and had been in her family for hundreds of



years. Margo put her finger on the table beside it and started turning it around and around.



Granny was taking a long time. Margo‘s eyes wandered to the photos. In one, two teenage girls



stood holding hands and smiling at the camera. The other showed a group of people all sitting at



a huge table brimming with food. Margo wondered who the people were. Without thinking



about it, she picked up the amulet and held it on her palm.



She heard voices laughing and talking. Was someone in the hall? Then she noticed that the



people in the picture were moving!



Granny came back in her raincoat and said, ―Sorry that took so long. I just couldn‘t find my



umbrella. Are you looking at the pictures that Clara sent?‖









105

Margo didn‘t look up. She was trying to hear what the people were saying. Granny got



curious and leaned over to look at the photo with her. ―I remember that day so well,‖ she said.



―I wish . . .‖ The living room faded and they were off, coffee table, photos, raincoats, and all.



Granny sat down quickly, surprised, but happy. ―Here we go again!‖ she said.



All around them, Margo saw fluffy white clouds. ―Where are we going, Granny?‖ she



asked.



―To Italy, cara mia,‖ said Granny. Her eyes shone like sunshine. She picked up the photo



and told Margo the names of the people gathered at the table. ―This is my nonna, Lucia, and



here is Guido, my grandpa . . .‖ Just then the clouds sailed up behind them, and the people in the



picture were right below them.



Margo said, ―But how, Granny?‖



Granny laughed. ―There were stories, but I didn‘t believe them . . .‖



Margo said, ―I don‘t understand.‖



―Well, dear, I don‘t either, but this is what I think: They always said this amulet had the



power to let you see and hear things far away. You were holding it and looking at the picture of



my family. Then I said I wished to see them, and the carpet took us. Let me see the other photo.



Ah. This is my cousin Clara and I, when we were going to boarding school in Venice. We were



there for a year.‖



Margo looked at the amulet in her hand. ―I‘m still confused,‖ she said. ―Let‘s try



something. You think about being in Venice with your cousin.‖



Granny looked at the photo, and the carpet sped off over hills and rivers. Soon a city



appeared on the horizon, and a wide expanse of water behind it.









106

Margo said, ―I thought so. Keep remembering, Granny. I think the amulet is helping me see



your memories.‖



The carpet landed in a narrow street, under a ledge of some kind. On both sides of the street



there were tall, stone buildings, shiny with water. It was raining. Margo and Granny looked at



each other. ―Let‘s explore!‖ they both said. Granny took one of Margo‘s hands, and Margo



squeezed the amulet tight in the other. Not sure what would happen, they stepped off the carpet



onto the wet stones of the street.



―It‘s a good thing I have my umbrella,‖ said Granny, holding it over both of them.



They came out onto a bigger street. People were walking by them under umbrellas of all



colors, busy with their own errands.



Granny said, ―I know where we are. The school is not far from here.‖ They walked along,



looking at the old buildings and the people. Margo‘s eyes were full of wet stones and signs she



couldn‘t read. They were in Italian, of course.



There was a fountain in an open place where two streets crossed. A little dog trotted up to



them, sniffed, and went on its way. Granny pointed. ―There. That‘s where the photo was taken.



It was the last day of school, rainy like today. It feels just the same.‖



Margo said, ―It‘s still a little hard for me to imagine you living in other places, but seeing it



with my own eyes helps.‖



They kept walking and soon came to a canal. Margo was amazed when Granny told her that



some of the streets in Venice were water. Granny showed her the boats, called gondolas, that



were like taxis. Granny didn‘t have any Italian money with her, so they couldn‘t ride in one.



But that was okay, Margo was happy to walk in the rain, splashing in puddles, and being with



her Granny.









107

Granny was full of memories as she walked in the city where she had lived. She pointed out



this and that as they went along. They came to a place where they could see the open water of



the bay. Granny stopped, saying, ―See that island out there? That‘s Murano, where the glass



blowers are.‖



―Murano,‖ repeated Margo. ―Where have I heard . . . Oh! Your little blue bird is from



Murano.‖



―That‘s right,‖ said Granny. ―I remember when my parents took me there. We saw so many



beautiful things made of glass. And the glass factories! I got to see the white-hot ovens, and the



long poles with blobs of glass so hot they flowed like honey. A glass blower would heat the



glass in the oven, and then blow through the long pole. The glass expanded, just like a soap



bubble. I could have watched all day.‖



After a while, they went back to the little alley where the carpet was waiting for them. It



looked so strange there, with the coffee table on it, just sitting there in a doorway. Margo and



Granny sat down on the table. They were tired from walking. ―I want to see where you were



born, Granny,‖ said Margo. ―Can we go there?‖



―I think so,‖ said Granny. ―The carpet seems to be able to take us to places I know, even if



you don‘t have a mental picture of them.‖



Margo said, ―Maybe it‘s because of the amulet.‖



Granny agreed. ―It could be,‖ she said. ―I think your curiosity and fearlessness help too.



Look, the red roofs of Florence!‖



Margo could see a city ahead of them. A river flowed right through it. This is where



Granny grew up, she said to herself, trying to make sense of it.









108

They came again to the table in the photo. Granny‘s family was there, still eating and



talking. Granny pointed to a girl with long, dark hair. She looked a little like Margo.



―Is that you, Granny?‖ Margo asked.



Granny didn‘t answer, and Margo looked at her to see why. Happy tears were filling her



eyes and her hand was on her heart. She sniffed.



Margo said, ―Are you crying?‖



Granny turned her face to Margo, and Margo knew she was not sad. The love in her eyes



washed over Margo, warm and good. ―I wish I had a tissue,‖ said Granny, rummaging in her



pocket.



That was enough for the carpet. In a moment, it settled back down on the living room floor.



Margo and Granny sighed. Margo put the amulet on the table and snuggled up to Granny. They



sat that way for a little while. Then Granny said, ―Now what was it we were getting ready to



do?‖



Margo said, ―We were going to the store, Granny.‖



―Oh yes,‖ said Granny. ―And we can add tissues to our shopping list.‖









A Taste of India



When Granny opened the door of the Indian restaurant, a wave of spicy aromas came out to



greet them. ―Oh, Granny, what is it that smells so good and so different at the same time?‖



Margo asked.



Granny smiled. ―You‘re about to find out,‖ she said. ―The people we are meeting are from



India, and I‘m sure they will be happy to answer your questions.‖









109

Inside the door, Granny‘s neighbors the Patels were waiting for them. ―Hello!‖ said Mr.



Patel in a bright, cheerful voice. ―We are so happy you could meet us for dinner tonight. It will



be our chance to get to know each other.‖



They all stood in the entryway, kind of crowded together, waiting for a table. This was



hardest for Margo because she was shorter than the others. Over her head, the Patels were



saying that they were both doctors. Margo tipped her head up and said, ―That makes you Dr. and



Dr. Patel. Does that ever get confusing?‖



―Well, not usually,‖ said Dr. Patel (the husband), ―because we work in different places. My



patients are children, and my wife‘s are the elderly. Some people call me Doc Patel. No one



ever calls Rani that. So that makes it clear. Oh, here is the waiter to take us to our table.‖ He



bustled off behind the waiter, and the others followed.



Margo was enchanted by the smells and sounds. She looked around, but her eyes couldn‘t



help her much in the dim light. Dr. Patel gently put her hand on Margo‘s shoulder as they



walked. ―Is this the first time you have been here?‖ she asked. Her face and voice were kind.



Margo said, ―Yes. It‘s the first time I‘ve ever been to any Indian restaurant. If the food



tastes like it smells, it will be an adventure.‖



As soon as they were settled at their table, the waiter brought them some crispy bread, like



big, thin tortilla chips, and three little bowls of sauce. There was a brown sauce, a red sauce, and



one that was pale green. Doc Patel said, ―Watch out for this one,‖ as he broke off a piece of the



bread and scooped up some of the red sauce with it, ―it‘s spicy hot.‖



Dr. Patel showed Margo how to get just a tiny bit of the sauce on a piece of the bread. ―That



way, you won‘t get a big surprise,‖ she said. Margo tried this with all three sauces, and even that



tiny bit had a big flavor.









110

They all looked at the menus. Margo didn‘t recognize any of the names of the dishes.



Granny said, ―If you were eating with a family in India, what would you have?‖



Dr. Patel said, ―That depends on what part of the country you are in. There are many kinds



of food in India. Anywhere you lived, there would always be rice or bread on the table, maybe



both. You would have vegetables, perhaps some meat, and different kinds of sauces. Spices are



an important part of all Indian cooking, although different regions use different combinations of



spices.‖



Doc Patel said, ―I have an idea. Let‘s order several dishes and all share them. That will be



more like eating in a family home, and you can try dishes from all over India.‖



Everyone liked this idea, and soon the table was full of food. There were so many colors,



flavors, and textures. There was even some bright pink chicken. Margo liked that. Dr. Patel



said it was tandoori chicken, baked in an oven called a tandoor. There was plenty of fluffy white



rice and some very interesting bread—it was round and flat and had a filling of potatoes and



onions.



Margo tried everything. Some things she liked, and others she didn‘t. One dish was so



spicy hot that it made her face red. She was careful to eat only little bites of that one, and she



was glad when Granny pointed out the raita, a yogurt and cucumber dish that helped cool her



mouth down.



―So Margo,‖ asked Dr. Patel, ―what have you been doing while visiting your grandmother?‖



Margo told her about the getting-to-know-Granny‘s-neighbors project. ―I have met so many



nice people,‖ she said, ―and I have learned a lot about the places they came from. Of course,



visiting those places has been fabulous.‖



―Oh? Have you traveled a lot?‖ asked Dr. Patel.









111

Margo said, ―All over the world! On Granny‘s carpet.‖



The Patels were quiet for a moment. Then Doc Patel said, ―You must have a powerful



imagination.‖



Margo nodded. ―I have been practicing every day. I know where India is. I‘ve seen it on



my globe.



―Tell us about India,‖ said Granny. ―What is it like there?‖



―So many people!‖ said Doc Patel. ―India is full of people, over one billion of them. The



only country with more inhabitants is China.



Dr. Patel said, ―Raja, tell them about our trip to Agra.‖



―Ah yes,‖ said Doc Patel. ―That was splendid. Do you know what famous landmark is



found in Agra?‖



Margo and Granny both shook their heads.



―The Taj Mahal,‖ said Doc Patel. ―I‘m sure you‘ve heard of that.‖



Granny said, ―Of course. Some people consider it to be one of the Seven Wonders of the



World.‖



Dr. Patel said, ―The Taj Mahal is the most amazing building. It took over twenty thousand



workers more than twenty years to complete it. We went there with our son many years ago.‖



Doc Patel jumped in. ―I will describe it to you. Try to imagine a huge, white building in an



open place. You walk through a huge, red sandstone gateway. Your first view of the Taj Mahal



is framed perfectly in the arched opening of this building. In front of you is a long pool of water



that guides your eyes and feet to the magnificent structure of white marble. The Taj Mahal has a



dome, shaped like an onion, in the center, with four tall, thin towers forming a square around it.



The marble is carved all over with beautiful writing and designs, and there are thousands of









112

gemstones, of all different colors, set into the stone. Really, I cannot describe it. You need to



see a picture. There must be one in the restaurant. I‘ll ask the waiter.‖ He got up from the table



and spoke to a waiter, who pointed to a picture on the other side of the room.



Doc Patel came back and took Margo and Granny to see it. Margo agreed that it was an



impressive building. The photo showed it with its complete reflection in the long pool Doc Patel



had described.



He said, ―Our son was also impressed when he saw it, even though he was very young at the



time. He says that seeing that building was what made him decide to be an architect when he



grew up. He is in college, studying architecture now.‖



They went back to the table, and the grown ups sipped a hot drink called chai. Granny gave



Margo a taste. It was warm and sweet and spicy. Dr. Patel told them that chai is a mixture of



tea, milk, sugar, and spices—cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and cardamom.



Then it was time to leave because the Patels were going to a movie downtown. Margo and



Granny headed back to the apartment.



As they walked in the warm evening, Margo reviewed their meeting with the Patels in her



mind. Aloud, she said, ―I don‘t think the Patels believed me when I said I saw all those countries



on your carpet.‖



―Well,‖ said Granny, ―it is pretty hard to believe. I didn‘t believe it a first, either.



Remember?‖



Margo chuckled, ―Oh yeah. Granny, I think I‘d like to see the Taj Mahal. What about



you?‖



Granny said, ―I think that‘s a lovely idea.‖









113

Day 9

Tea at the Café



Margo walked into the café with Granny. The air felt thick with the smell of coffee and



chocolate, with just a hint of cinnamon. They had walked by the Café International many times,



and Margo had gotten very curious about what it was like inside. So, today they were finally



going there for a special treat. It was also their last outing together because Margo was going



home the next day. But, Margo didn‘t want to think about that.



Stepping up to the counter, Granny said, ―I‘m going to have an espresso in honor of our



recent trip to Italy. What would you like?‖



There were so many choices listed on the board, high up on the wall behind the counter.



Margo wanted to read all of them before making up her mind. Granny helped her with the words



she didn‘t know. She decided to have a steamer—frothy, hot milk with a sweet flavoring added.



―If we had come here every day and I chose a different flavor each time, I still couldn‘t have



tried them all,‖ said Margo. ―That‘s a lot of flavors.‖ In the end, she chose caramel. It turned



the milk a lovely brown color and smelled heavenly.‖



They picked up their drinks, and Granny said, ―Where would you like to sit, cara mia?‖



There were several possibilities. Next to the window would be good for watching the



people who walked by outside. All the way at the back of the café, it was dark and mysterious—



that might be fun, too.



―Gammon!‖ shouted a voice.



―You have won again, Mehmet,‖ said another voice. ―Let‘s see if Ahmed plays better than I



do.‖









114

The first voice said, ―Oh, look who is here! It‘s our young friend Margo. Please come join



us.‖



Margo and Granny made their way between chairs and little round tables to a group of



people sitting by the wall. When they got closer, Margo recognized Mr. Aydemir, (He was the



one who had called them.) Mr. Henein, and Mr. Machado. The table beside them was empty, so



they sat there and said ―good day‖ to everyone.



―Bom día, menina,‖ [bon·JEE·a me·NEE·na] said Mr. Machado. ―Have you ever played



backgammon?‖



Margo hadn‘t, but Granny had. She said, ―I used to play it with my brother when we were



children.‖



―Well, now you will see how a master plays. No one has beaten Mehmet all week. But, just



between us, I think our Egyptian friend can do it. He is older and wiser.‖ Mr. Machado spoke



with playful seriousness.



Mr. Henein smiled and began to set up the board for a new game. As he snapped the pieces



into their starting positions, he said, ―Backgammon is a very old game, good for very old men



like me.‖



―Is it older than mancala?‖ Margo asked, scooting her chair closer.



Mr. Machado said, ―I don‘t think so. Isn‘t mancala the oldest board game known?‖



Mr. Henein picked up one of the two dice, nodded at Mr. Aydemir across from him, who



picked up the other, and they rolled them at the same time. Mr. Aydemir rolled a three; Mr.



Henein‘s roll was a six. Mr. Henein picked up both dice and said, ―I believe that is correct,



Raimundo. Mancala is the oldest. Backgammon is similar to senet, a game played in the Egypt



of the Pharaohs. Not quite as old, but still ancient.‖









115

He began playing, and the other men paid close attention. His movements were calm and



sure. The pieces clicked as each player moved them. They took turns shaking the dice in a little



cup and then spilling them out onto board where they rolled quietly on the felt. Quickly, they



moved the pieces around the board. It went so fast that Margo couldn‘t figure out how they



counted the moves.



Margo and Granny sipped their hot drinks while they watched the game. Margo decided it



was a good time to find out more about these neighbors. She felt behind her ear for a pencil and



found instead a barrette. She had forgotten that they were dressed up for their special outing.



And I didn’t bring my notebook either, she thought. It will be good practice for my memory.



She said, ―Mr. Machado, I‘m writing an article about Granny‘s neighbors, and I couldn‘t



find your name on the mailboxes. Where do you live?‖



―I live near here, but not in your grandmother‘s building,‖ he said. ―However, since you are



writing an article, I will tell you that I come from a river.‖ He grinned.



Mr. Aydemir said, ―He‘s just kidding, Margo. He comes from Rio de Janeiro, which means



‗river of January.‘ It‘s a city in Brazil.‖



Margo looked at Granny. ―Have we been to Brazil?‖ she asked.



Granny shook her head.



―Never been to Brazil, eh?‖ said Mr. Machado, still smiling. ―Do you know where it is?‖



Margo said, ―No, but if you tell me what continent it is on, I can find it on my globe.‖



Mr. Machado said, ―Brazil is in South America. You will find it easily on your globe,



because it is a very big country.‖



Mr. Henein rolled the dice and said, ―Ah. It is over.‖ He moved all the rest of his pieces off



the board with a flourish.









116

Mr. Aydemir looked stunned. ―How did that happen?‖ he asked.



Mr. Henein said, ―Sometimes you win; sometimes not. This time . . . not.‖



Mr. Aydemir raised his hands palm up and shrugged. ―Then, I will buy çay [chai] for



everyone,‖ he said. ―Do you want some?‖ he asked Granny and Margo.



Granny shook her head. ―None for me, thank you. I‘m happy with my espresso.‖



Margo said no and thank you, too.



Mr. Aydemir got up and went to the counter.



―We had chai last night at an Indian restaurant,‖ said Margo.



Mr. Henein said, ―That would be masala chai, tea in the Indian style. Mehmet will bring tea



with only sugar. That‘s how they drink it in Turkey, and also in Egypt. Tea is called çay in



Turkish. In Arabic it is pronounced, ‗shai.‘ How do you say it in Portuguese, Raimundo?‖



―We call it cha [sha],‖ he said.



Mr. Aydemir came back with the tea just as Granny was standing up. ―Are you leaving,



Christina?‖ he asked.



―I have a few things to take care of at home,‖ she said. ―It was wonderful watching your



game. Are you ready, Margo?‖



Margo said, ―Granny, can I please stay a little while? I haven‘t asked your neighbors about



their special memories yet.‖



Mr. Henein said, ―We will be going home soon. We can bring Margo back.‖



―Thank you,‖ said Granny.



Mr. Aydemir said, ―Oh, did you ever find out who sent you that Persian carpet?‖



―As a matter of fact, yes,‖ said Granny. ―It was an old friend of mine.‖



Margo said, ―and it can fly.‖









117

All three men turned their heads to look at Margo.



After a moment, Mr. Aydemir said, ―Did you see it fly?‖



―I flew on it,‖ said Margo.



―Oh,‖ said Mr. Aydemir.



Granny said, ―I‘ll see you in a little while.‖ Everyone said good-bye and waved, and then



they turned back to Margo all talking at once.



―You flew on it?‖ asked Mr. Aydemir.



―A carpet that flies?‖ said Mr. Henein.



Mr. Machado said, ―How does it work?‖



Margo sat up straight, took a deep breath, and started to tell them the whole story. The



neighbors listened attentively. ―. . . and so,‖ she finished, ―my getting-to-know-Granny‘s-



neighbors project has turned into a world adventure.‖



―You must see Istanbul,‖ said Mr. Aydemir emphatically. ―It is a beautiful big city in



Turkey. That‘s where I used to live. You remember my uncle, the carpet seller? His shop is in



Istanbul.‖ He took a quick breath and kept talking. ―First, you find Turkey on the



Mediterranean Ocean, in the northeast, near Greece. You will see where a narrow passageway



leads to the Black Sea through a smaller sea, the Sea of Marmara. At the other end of this little



sea, you will see my city on both sides of the Strait of Bosporus. This looks like a river, but it is



part of the sea. You have never seen such a place! The domes of mosques bubbling up into the



sky, with tall minarets and modern skyscrapers pointing up to heaven like fingers! Ah! I wish I



could show you myself.‖ Mr. Aydemir stopped, out of breath. ―I would take you to my family



home,‖ he said more calmly. ―You could drink real Turkish tea and eat real Turkish food. . . .



Maybe someday . . .‖









118

Margo‘s eyes were glowing. ―It sounds wonderful, Mr. Aydemir. You must really love



your country,‖ she said. ―Don‘t you want to go home?‖



―Home,‖ he said. ―Yeesss, I like to go back to Istanbul, to see my family and breathe that



air by the sea. And also, I am happy here. I have my good friends, like Ahmed and Raimundo.



I have my work that I love. No, I think this is my home now. And I always hold Turkey in my



heart, like another home.‖



With the sound of chairs scraping on the floor, Mr. Machado and Mr. Henein got ready to



leave. ―It is time to go now,‖ said Mr. Henein. Margo helped carry the empty cups to the bus



tray while Mr. Aydemir packed up his backgammon board. They put the chairs back in their



places for the next customers. Margo breathed in the coffee smells one more time as they



walked out. She wanted to remember everything about her visit to the café.



Two by two, they walked. Mr. Machado was next to Margo. He said, ―I am still thinking



about how it works when you fly on the carpet. I am remembering another person who loved to



fly. His name was Alberto Santos-Dumont. He was from Brazil, like me. He was fascinated



with flying and spent many years studying and inventing ways to fly. He started with hot-air



balloons. They fly because they are lighter than air, but they can only go where the wind takes



them. Mr. Santos-Dumont wanted to go where he wanted, so he figured out how to make a



balloon that he could steer. This kind of aircraft is called a dirigible. The name means



―steerable.‖ With one of his dirigibles, he was able to fly around the Eiffel Tower in Paris. This



would have been impossible in a hot-air balloon. Santos-Dumont loved to fly. He used to fly to



the café in a little dirigible he made. Can you imagine? Seeing a man come down from the air



and parking his aircraft outside a café?‖



Margo said, ―That would be cool!‖









119

―Oh yes,‖ said Mr. Machado. ―Over the years, Santos-Dumont did many experiments and



finally found a way to fly a vehicle that was heavier than air. Other people were working on the



same ideas at that time, about a hundred years ago. I learned about this when I was in school,



and so I am curious about what you told us about flying on a carpet. It must be heavier than air. .



. . Can you steer it?‖



Margo thought about this. ―I think carpet flying is different. You don‘t steer, like with a car



or a bicycle. It‘s about having a really clear mental picture of where you want to go.‖



Mr. Machado said, ―So, what powers it? What makes it go?‖



―I don‘t know, Mr. Machado,‖ Margo said. She had never thought about it this way. ―I



guess you could say that it is powered by imagination.‖



―Hmmm,‖ said Mr. Machado. Margo could see in his face that he was perplexed. She



watched him try to understand and then give up. After a few steps in silence, he said, ―Maybe



some day I will understand this flying with imagination. Here is the building where I live. It



was a pleasure speaking with you, Margo. Good luck with your flying.‖ Then he said good-bye



to the others and walked into his building.



Mr. Henein held out his hand for Margo, and she took it. The three of them walked on



together. Margo said, ―Mr. Henein, will you tell me about Egypt?‖



He said, ―Egypt is a huge desert with a river running through it. Where the river flows there



is green, abundant life. This river is the Nile, the longest river in the world. People have lived



and farmed beside it for thousands of years.‖



They were in front of their building now. Walking up the stairs, Margo remembered that her



parents were coming for her the next day. Her eyes started to sting.



Mr. Aydemir held the door open, and they all walked inside. ―What is this?‖ he asked.









120

Margo looked and saw a big sign on the wall over the mailboxes. It said, ―Margo is going



home on Sunday. Please stop by to say good-bye to her!‖



Mr. Henein said, ―Tomorrow you leave us?‖



Margo nodded. Her eyes stung again.



―Then I will come tomorrow and give you a memory of my life in Egypt so you can take it



with you,‖ he said.



Mr. Aydemir said, ―When you finish your article, I want to read it. Remember!‖ He opened



his apartment door and, with a wave to Margo and Mr. Henein, he went in.



Margo and Mr. Henein walked up the stairs to Granny‘s apartment. ―I will leave you here,



Margo. My apartment is on the fourth floor. Thank you for a wonderful time at the café,‖ he



said.









One Last Look Around



―Hi, Granny!‖ shouted Margo, closing the apartment door behind her. She skipped into the



kitchen, and there was Mrs. B. ―Oh. Good day, Mrs. B. Are you having supper with us?‖



―Mrs. B said, ―No, my dear. I was just on my way.‖ She took her teacup to the sink. ―I



hear you are going home tomorrow. Did you have a good time visiting your grandmother?‖



―The best time ever!‖ said Margo.



―Well, I hope you will come back again real soon,‖ said Mrs. B. ―I‘ll talk with you later



Christina. Bye bye.‖



Granny said, ―Thanks for coming over, Elena. It was nice catching up with you.‖







Margo and Granny had a wonderful supper and cleaned up afterwards like they always did.







121

―Well, Pumpkin,‖ said Granny, turning off the kitchen light as they went into the living



room. ―How would you like to play a game?‖



―What kind of game?‖ Margo asked.



Granny sat on the sofa and put the globe in front of them. ―A world geography game.



Here‘s how we play,‖ she said. ―Close your eyes and spin the globe. Stop it by putting you



finger on it somewhere. Then, think of someone you know from there or something you know



about that place.



―I get it,‖ said Margo. She spun the globe and stopped it. ―Turkey!‖ she said. ―That‘s easy.



I know Mr. Aydemir from there. Your turn.‖



Granny‘s finger ended up pointing to the middle of an ocean. ―Well,‖ she said, ―I don‘t



know anyone from there, but I do know that it is the Atlantic Ocean, which is bounded by North



and South America, Africa, and Europe, with Antarctica at the bottom and Greenland at the top.‖



After they each had a few turns, Granny showed Margo some things she had gotten together:



a piece of red yarn and some blue, sticky stuff for putting posters on a wall. ―Do you have your



journal handy?‖ she asked.



―It‘s right here,‖ said Margo.



―Great. Have you written something on each neighbor‘s page?‖



―All except Mr. Machado‘s. I just found out where he lives and where he comes from,‖ said



Margo. ―I was going to write that in tonight, along with what Mr. Aydemir told me about



Istanbul. Wow, Granny. Mr. Aydemir really loves his native country. He was so enthusiastic!‖



She opened her notebook to the list she had made on that first day of her visit. She giggled.



―What makes you laugh, cara mia?‖ asked Granny.









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―I was remembering when I started this list. They were just names. Now I know these



people.‖



Granny said, ―It makes a difference, doesn‘t it? So, now let‘s find all of the countries



you‘ve learned about and put a dab of the sticky-tacky on each one.‖



This was really fun, and when they were done, there were little blue dots all over the globe.



Then, Granny handed Margo the yarn and said, ―Use this to connect the dots, and that will be our



flight plan for one last look around on the carpet.‖



Margo got started. She said, ―I‘m going to add a couple more dots.‖



―What for?‖ Granny asked.



―Well, this one,‖ she said as she pressed it on, ―is where we start our trip.‖



―And the other?‖



―The other one will be a surprise. Don‘t look.‖



Soon, there was a red line zigzagging all around the globe.



―Wow!‖ said Margo. ―Let‘s get going!‖



They moved the coffee table and took their usual places on the carpet. Granny had her



amulet in her pocket, just in case. ―What‘s our first stop?‖ she asked.



Margo looked at the globe and said, ―Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!‖



Once again, Granny‘s apartment seemed to dissolve. In a moment they saw something tall



sticking up out of a large city.



―Wait a minute,‖ said Granny. ―This is Paris, in France. That‘s the Eiffel Tower.‖ The



carpet swooped down to street level, and they saw a man in a top hat step out of a funny-looking



contraption and walk into a café.









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Margo laughed out loud. ―I know what happened. Mr. Machado told me all about a man



from Brazil, who made flying machines. He didn‘t tell me anything about Rio de Janeiro.‖



―I see,‖ said Granny. ―That was interesting. What‘s next?‖



Margo moved her finger along the yarn. ―Senegal,‖ she said. The carpet whooshed up into



the sky.



They went from place to place, seeing all the countries Granny‘s neighbors had told them



about. It would take a long time to describe all that they saw, so here is the list that Margo made



later:



Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—Oops! A café in Paris



Senegal— a child with many little braids on her head watching a woman weaving a basket



South Africa—all misty, couldn‘t see anything (too long ago and far away!)



Kenya—a little boy on a hilltop pointing at a flock of pink flamingos



Egypt—from very high—miles and miles of yellowish sand with a line of green running



through it to the sea



Italy—a man handing a blue glass bird figurine to a smiling little girl



West Bank, Israel—a little girl on a windy hillside looking at an olive she had just picked



Turkey—a little boy sitting on a stack of carpets—wishing to fly?



Russia—a little girl and a man looking at some cows in a valley



India—a young couple with their child in front of the Taj Mahal



Indonesia—a little girl running quickly with her arms full of sheets



Australia—a little girl watching sparks fly up from a big campfire



China—a little boy sitting on a flat boat at the feet of a man with a long pole



Korea—a little girl scooping up an armful of autumn leaves and tossing them into the air









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Guatemala—a little girl sorting fish on the sand by a boat



Arizona, USA—a little boy nuzzling a colt, nose to nose







―And now for the surprise!‖ said Margo, moving her finger to the last dot on the globe.



Below them they saw a dark green field. As they floated in closer, they realized that it was



the tops of many trees. Chimneys and streetlights peaked through the roof of leaves here and



there. The carpet flew lower, following a street, and stopped in the yard of a house. On the



porch there was a swing. A woman with a grey bun and a little girl with a cap of black hair were



swinging and laughing.



Margo looked at Granny with serious eyes and said, ―This is where I remember you best.‖



Granny picked up Margo‘s hand and held it. Together they walked all around Granny‘s old



house. Granny said, ―I think you would like me to be with you all the time, like when you were



little.‖



Margo nodded. She felt like a little girl right then. With a pouty voice she said, ―It was



perfect, Granny. I want you to move back and live right down the street from me again.‖



Granny didn‘t say anything. It was one of those times when words aren‘t needed. She led



Margo back to the carpet and sat on it, pulling Margo gently onto her lap. Stroking Margo‘s



hair, she sang an Italian lullaby, one she had often sung to her when she was a baby. Tears came,



and Margo buried her face in Granny‘s sweater. While Granny sang, the carpet softly slid into



the air and rocked them both as it flew.









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Day 10

Good-Byes



Margo was floating on a warm, gentle sea. She felt perfectly relaxed and content. Smiling,



she opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the globe. The yarn wrapped around it,



connecting the memories of Granny‘s neighbors, looked like it was holding the whole world



together. Margo remembered all the people she had met and smiled. Granny’s neighborhood



sure is big, she thought.



As she sat up, another memory crept into her mind. She swung her legs out of bed and



dragged her clothes on. With a sigh, she walked down the hall to the kitchen.



Granny looked up from reading the newspaper and opened her arms to the sad little girl.



Margo went to her, and the arms folded around her.



Margo whispered, ―Good day, Granny.‖



―Good day, cara mia. How about some breakfast?‖







Margo was packing her suitcase when she heard the phone ring. Then, the doorbell rang.



She peeked her head out of the bedroom to see what was up. Granny called, ―Margo, will you



see who‘s at the door? I have to answer the phone.‖



For the next couple of hours, it was non-stop. Neighbors called and neighbors dropped by:



Mrs. Kim brought Margo a Korean doll made of folded paper and stayed for a cup of tea.



Mr. Mwai gave her a mancala board that he had carved especially for her. He told her to



practice a lot and they would play together when she came back another time.









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Mrs. B called and then came right over with a tray full of cookies and cinnamon rolls. As



soon as she got there, she started making tea, and she didn‘t stop, except to wash teacups and



chat with the visitors.



Dr. Patel called and said, ―I wanted to say good-bye in person, but I have to go to the



hospital for an emergency. Doc Patel will come up soon to give Margo a little going-away



present.‖



Mr. Lee shook Margo‘s hand and told her always to keep her memories alive.



Mr. Aydemir brought a tin of Turkish Delight, so she could taste something really Turkish.



The candy was so good that pretty soon the tin was empty.



Mrs. Bukhari smiled deeply into Margo‘s eyes and said, ―Because of you, I write poems



again.‖



Mr. Star was there for a while, and Mrs. Kartini and Doc Patel. Tomás Alvarez came,



pulling Missy in the wagon. Mrs. Mambéty brought Margo a tiny basket. Kapi gave her a photo



of herself with her address in Australia on the back. ―I‘ll be going home soon, too,‖ she said.



―Write to me!‖



Margo felt like she was swirling in a kaleidoscope of friendly faces. It was wonderful.



Finally, it quieted down a little. Mr. Aydemir was teaching Missy, Margo, and Tomás how



to play backgammon, and Granny was talking with Mr. Lee. Then Mr. Anderson arrived. ―Your



mother said I would find you here,‖ he said to Tomás.



Tomás said, ―Is it one o‘clock already?‖ He got up, saying, ―I have to take you home now,



Missy. Mr. Anderson is going to teach us some fancy soccer moves.‖



Mr. Anderson gave Margo a warm smile and said, ―I want to thank you, Margo. Your



questions got me thinking. The other day I was taking a walk and saw some children playing









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soccer in the park. I remembered that when I was a boy, I loved playing soccer. Now I‘m



coaching Tomás and his friends.‖



Just after they left, Mr. Henein came in. ―I‘m so glad you‘re still here, Margo,‖ said Mr.



Henein.



―Why?‖ asked Margo.



―Because I wanted to tell you a little more about Egypt for your project. Do you happen to



have your notebook handy?‖



Margo said, ―I‘ll get it.‖



When she came back, Mr. Henein said, ―Good. Please draw three triangles in a row.‖



―Like this?‖ said Margo.



Mr. Henein said, ―Fine. Now, if we add a couple more lines—May I? There. Do you know



what famous landmarks in Egypt have this shape?‖



Margo said, ―I think I‘ve seen a picture of them somewhere. They are very old, right?‖



―More than four thousand years old and absolutely huge. They are called the pyramids of



Giza, and you can see them for miles. They are near the city of Cairo, where I grew up. I am



remembering the last time I saw them. If you add a palm tree or two to your drawing and



imagine me there, with the pyramids behind me, you will have an idea. I hope it will help you



remember me.‖



―Excuse me,‖ said Granny, appearing from the kitchen, ―I just realized that Margo‘s parents



are going to be here any minute, and I don‘t think she has finished packing.‖



Margo said, ―I forgot all about it! Good-bye, Mr. Henein, and thank you for everything. I



will remember you.‖









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Mom and Dad



In her room, Margo heard a knock and then loud, happy voices. Her parents had arrived.



She closed her suitcase and pulled it off the bed. It was heavier than she remembered. There



were so many new treasures inside it, like Mrs. Mambéty‘s tiny basket, the mancala board, and a



book about the Taj Mahal from the Patels. ―Hi, Mom and Dad,‖ she called as she ran down the



hall.







―. . . and last night we flew all around the world!‖ Margo said, finishing her whirlwind



review of her stay with Granny.



Her father put his teacup down and said, ―What a delightful game you‘ve been playing with



your grandmother.‖



Margo took a quick in-breath. ―It‘s not a game, Dad. We really flew on the carpet.‖



Margo‘s mom said, ―You have always liked to play make-believe, sweetheart. It‘s okay.‖



Margo opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked at Granny for help.



Granny said, ―It‘s hard for some people to understand,‖ she said. ―Give your parents some



time. Why don‘t you show them your journal and the globe?‖



As Margo went to get them, she heard her mom say, ―Why do you lead her on, Mama?‖



Margo grabbed the globe and looked around for her notebook. ―They just don‘t get it,‖ she



muttered. ―Where‘s my journal?‖ She stomped into the living room and spotted it on the coffee



table. She snatched it up. ―I wish I didn‘t have to go home,‖ she fumed.



Suddenly, everything was dark, and the carpet lurched, knocking Margo down.









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She shouted, ―Hurray! Let‘s go to . . .‖ She looked at the globe, and the way she was



holding it, her finger pointed right at Cairo. ―. . . to Egypt! I want to see those pyramids.‖







The pyramids really were gigantic. Margo had never seen anything so big. She flew all



around them and then went to check out a huge statue she saw. It had the body of a lion and a



human head. The Sphinx! She remembered seeing a photo of it.



She wasn‘t mad any more. She just wanted to think. She landed on one of the front paws of



the ancient Sphinx and sat there, looking far out over the Nile valley. She thought, Getting to



know Granny’s new neighbors has been a lot of fun. I can’t wait to tell Sarah and Zoe all about



them. . . . But, I can’t do that if I don’t go home. . . . We could get to know the people in our



neighborhood. . . . But Mom and Dad don’t believe me . . . Maybe Granny’s right—they just need



time to see that I’m not a little baby any more. . . . I’m going to miss Granny. . . . Then she



smiled and sighed. ―Time to go home,‖ she said. ―I bet they‘re looking all over for me.‖







Granny was sitting on the couch, waiting, when Margo reappeared in the living room. She



leaned over and tousled the black hair. ―Where did you go?‖ she asked.



―To Egypt,‖ Margo replied. ―Mr. Henein was telling me about the pyramids this morning.‖



She placed the globe on the coffee table. ―I want this to stay here, Granny,‖ she said.



―Why, cara mia? It‘s your birthday present.‖



Margo said, ―I know, but you may need it—to visit your friend Banu or maybe to visit me.‖



―I don‘t think I‘ll need it,‖ said Granny. ―It‘ll be okay.‖



The door flew open, and Mom and Dad rushed in from the hall. ―She‘s not in the—Margo!‖



they shouted at the same time. Margo and Granny laughed and laughed.









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―Were you hiding?‖ asked Dad.



Margo said, ―Not exactly. I just needed a little time by myself. I‘m ready to go now.‖



―Why, Margo,‖ said Mom, ―you sound more grown up than I remember.‖



Dad said, ―I‘ll get your suitcase, Baby.‖



Margo set her chin firmly and said, ―I can carry it, Dad, and I‘m not a baby.‖



Dad smiled and said, ―Okay. I‘ll try to remember.‖



As they walked out the big front door of Granny‘s apartment building, Mrs. B called down



from her window, ―Good-bye, Margo. It was wonderful having you here. Come back soon to



see us.‖



Through the car window, Margo watched Granny getting smaller and smaller as they drove



away. She remembered something that Mr. Northstar had said that morning: ―The more you



hold in your heart, the bigger your heart grows.‖ She thought, Granny doesn’t have to move



back to her old house to be in my heart. I can have her with me in my imagination any time I



want.



She opened her notebook, reached behind her ear for a pencil, and started to write.









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Epilogue





Many years have passed since I first visited Granny in her new apartment. I‘m a grown up



now, and I live in my own apartment. Can you guess what‘s on the floor of my living room?



That‘s right—a very special Persian rug. Granny gave it to me as a housewarming present.



When I first spread it out in my living room, I thought I smelled that same spicy, magical scent



that Granny and I noticed when we pulled it out of that long tube. Memories filled my mind, and



I knew I wanted to share them in a book about the getting-to-know-Granny‘s-neighbors project.



I found my old journal in a box and got to work.



In case you are wondering, my friends and I did get to know many of our neighbors. We



also sat on every single rug or carpet we could find—trying to fly. Over the years, I kept in



touch with many of Granny‘s neighbors, and some of them became dear friends. Kapi and I



wrote to each other for many years. She is married now and has two children. Mr. Lee and



Granny created an art show, combining songs and pictures from many countries. (You probably



didn‘t know that Granny studied art history in college.) I did get much better at mancala and



even won a couple of times when I played it with Mr. Mwai. Mrs. Bukhari learned English and



published a book of her poetry in Arabic and English. Granny and Mrs. B took a trip together;



they went to Russia, Germany, and Italy. Granny visited me many times on her carpet, (She was



right about not needing the globe.) and I also visited her, in a more conventional way.



Wherever she lived, Granny always displayed a framed Italian proverb, embroidered in



bright colors. It read: Chi trova un amico, trova un tesoro, which means ―Whoever finds a



friend, finds a treasure.‖ Granny was my first treasure, and she helped me to find many more.









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I still have a deep connection with my dear Granny. Whenever I want her advice or a loving



hug, she is there. She showed me that no matter where we live we can always feel ―home‖ and



that all of our homes are in the same neighborhood.



You can really fly on the wings of imagination. All you need is a really clear, true picture in



your mind. And, don‘t forget about a fearless heart—you need that, too.



End









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