chapter 3

quizas pases con otro que te diga al oido

esas frases que nadie como yo te dira

y, ahogado para siempre mi amor inadvertido,

te amare mas que nunca...y jamas lo sabras

i go home that day and finish all my homework. then i spend the rest of the night perfecting my poem. it was really good for a second language. i think it would get me at least a b. i made kevin listen to me recite it. " hey joe, that was really good. " he said. i smiled and thanked him. my favorite thing about kevin is that he is a terrible liar. he could never tell a lie even if he wanted too. thats why he leaves that to me cuz i get away with everything. i go to bed and the next morning i rush to school, skiping breakfast. the first half of the day was a blur. all i know is that i was starving at lunch. i should remember to stop skipping meals.

after lunch, i have a study hall and i finish some homework. as the bell rings i slide into my seat for spanish near the back of the class, "buenas tarde clase." my teacher said. " before we start, is there anyone absent?" no one was absent. good. " exellent. now who would like to recite their poem first?" she asked. my hand shot up. "Jose, you would like to go first?" she asked me. "si." i said. why was she so surprised? "and my name is Joe not Jose." i said walking to the front of class, in front of bianca, who loved spanish and always sat in the front. she smiled slightly at me." you may begin." said my spanish teacher.

"ok. my poem is called poema de renunciamento by jose angel buesas."i said. i looked at bianca and began.

pasaras por mi vida sin saber que pasaste.

pasaras en silencio por mi amor.y al pasar,

fingire una sonrisa como un dulce contraste

del dolor de quererte y jamas lo sabras.

bianca's face turns to a frown. i continued with my poem.

sonare con el nacar virginal de tu frente.

sonare con tus ojos esmeraldas del mar.

sonare con tus labios desperadamente.

sonare con tus besos y jamas lo sabras.

then she smiles. i guess it was a nice stanza. the teacher also looked impressed. i still continued with my poem. there were some really hard words that i couldn't say that well but i still tried. they didn't sound that bad. that comes from a guy who transforms into a nerd everyday at 3:00.

quizas pases con otro que te diga al oido

esas frases que nadie como yo te dira

y, ahogando para siempre mi amor inadvertido,

te amare mas que nunca...y jamas lo sabras

yo te amare en silencio... como algo inaccesible,

como un sueno que nunca lograre realizar

y el lejano perfume de mi amor imposible

rozara tus cabellos... y jamas lo sabras.

y si un dia una lagrima denuncia mi tormento,

--el tormento infinito que te debo ocultar--

te dire:" no es nada... ha sido el viento".

me enjugare la lagrima... y jamas lo sabras.

after i had finished my poem, bianca smiled at me as i walked to my desk. "very good jose. estoy muy impressionada." said my very confusing spanish teacher. i smiled because i think it was a compliment. my friend carlos flicked me a paper football and told me to open it. for those of you who dont know, it is very tedious work trying to unfold a paper football. it read:

dude! how'd you do that? i thought you were a greengo! you are so not anymore. you even rolled your R's. good job. Carlos.

i looked at him and smiled. thanks dude.