Return to Sender by Julia Álvarez Read Free Book Online

golondrinas.” It's her turn to teach Tyler something.
    “I took Spanish,” he tells her. But among the words Ms. Ramírez taught his fifth- grade class, Tyler doesn't remember golondrinas. “Any day now they'll leave and won't be back till next spring.”
    “Where do they go?” she wants to know.
    “Mexico,” he says before he even thinks that's the same place Mari is from, the place he's not supposed to mention or she might burst into tears.
    But instead she seems delighted. “They fly all the way to Mexico?” When Tyler nods, she adds, “Just like the mariposas.”
    “Mariposas?” Tyler vaguely remembers learning that word in his Spanish class.
    “Butterflies,” she explains. “They're those little orange and black butterflies and they go to Mexico in the winter. I saw it on TV. They have another name.”
    “You mean monarchs?” Tyler offers.
    “Yes!” Mari's face lights up again.
    Tyler loves how every word out of his mouth seems to surprise her. It's wonderful to be the teacher for a change. And he's also learning some Spanish words from her, which is sure to impress Ms. Ramírez this fall. “Butterflies, birds.” He counts them off. “I guess everybody wants to go to Mexico.”
    Mari beams proudly. She gazes out the loft door as if she is looking for something. “Which way is it to Mexico?” she wants to know.
    “Thataway,” Tyler says, pointing southwest. “But it's not like you can see it from here,” he teases, because she is leaning out the window like she might catch a glimpse of it.
    She pulls back. “I know,” she says, sounding embar-rassed.
    “Mari! Mari!” a man's worried voice suddenly calls out.
    “My father,” Mari says, hurrying toward the ladder. “Please don't tell!” she calls out as she climbs down out of view. A minute later, Tyler spots her running across the backyard to the dark figure standing at the lit- up trailer door.

    Coming in from the barn, Tyler is surprised to find his parents still sitting at the kitchen table, having a serious conversation.
    “Tyler, son,” his dad greets him. “Come have a seat, will you?”
    Uh- oh, what now? Tyler wonders. He's allowed to leave the telescope in the loft of the barn as long as it's out of the way. The flashlight is back in its cubbyhole by the door. It's almost as if he's giving himself a once- over to be sure there's nothing incriminating on his person. All these secrets peo-ple are asking him to keep are making him feel like he's living in a scary universe.
    “Son, I know you're wondering why we asked you not to go telling folks that we got some Mexicans working for us.”
    Tyler sits down, feeling relieved. Finally, the big mystery will be explained to him.
    But his mother is shooting glances at his father. “We haven't yet decided how we're going to approach this,” she reminds him.
    “I think the boy should know. What if there's a raid or something?”
    A raid?
    “Are we doing something wrong?” Tyler is shocked. All his life his parents have taught him to obey the laws and respect the United States of America. In fact, one of the names they toyed with for the farm was Patriots’ Farm, an-other name Sara vetoed on account of it sounded too much like a football training camp. Just as well they don't have a name. That way it won't be all over the paper: patriots’
    farm raided for breaking the law.
    “It's not wrong in God's eyes,” his dad explains. Some-times, a country has these laws that have nothing to do with what's right or what's best for most of the people involved. Turns out Mexicans need a certain document to be working in this country. “They all say they have it and that's all you need to know, legally,” his dad adds. “These three Mexicans showed your mom and me their cards with Social Security numbers. So your little friend—”
    She's hardly his friend. But Tyler has to admit, the lesson tonight just flew by. He hasn't had this much fun stargazing since Gramps died. Even looking