Mama' s voice floated through the apartment a s she sang a Mexican folk song that I had heard all my life．“Hola, ” she greeted me when she came out of the bedroom．“Plea se speak to me in 1 , ” I interrupted．She paid no attention and 2 speaking in Spani sh．The word s 3 me of my grandparent s and birthday partie s in Mexico, but I knew my mother' s life would be 4 if she learned to speak Engli sh．We had lived in the United State s for three year s, and she still had difficulty 5 to store owner s and my teacher s．I wa s determined that she should try．“Why won't you speak Engli sh? ” I 6 ．“Don't you want to be 7 to talk to people here? ” “I sabel, ” she whi spered．Mama alway s whi spered when she wa s up set with me．“What? ” I wa s not 8 with her, either．She 9 for the Engli sh word s．“Come with me to the, uh-how do you say it? Meeting．” “What kind of meeting? Where i s it? ” I 10 her, but now she refu sed to an swer．In 11 , we drove acro s s town to the college, where she pulled into a brightly lit parking lot．I wa s 12 ．I had expected a meeting at someone' s 13 -a garden club or a parent s’ group．Then I 14 a sign on a door．My mother wa s 15 night cla s se s to learn Engli sh!
“I don't under stand． 16 you’re learning Engli sh, why won't you speak Engli sh at home? ” I a sked．“You'll learn fa ster if you 17 with me．” “I speak Engli sh here, ” she said in her thick accent．She he sitated, putting the word s together, and then went on, “I speak Spani sh at home 18 you．”
I 19 under stood-she spoke Spani sh at home so that I wouldn't forget the word s, song s, and 20 of Mexico．I said, “O．K．, Mama, e stabien．”
