A Step from Heaven Read Online Free

there. Maybe the teacher is playing.
    The teacher points to her lips and says, “Laanchu.” Then she is eating from the empty bowl again.
    I say, “Laanchu,” and chew hard like I am eating a piece of dried squid. This makes the teacher so happy she is clapping and smiling and saying, “Goo, goo!”
    The teacher watches me. Again I say the word that makes her so happy, “Laanchu.” But this time the teacher does not clap. She twists her lip in the corner.
    I say, “Laanchu.”
    The teacher holds her chin. I play with my color sticks and pretend I do not see her thinking about eating me. After a very long time, the teacher gets up and goes to her desk. She comes back with a bag filled with big yellow crumbs. They are just like the car seat crumbs I am not supposed to pick at. I am worried. The teacher knows I disobeyed Uhmma.
    The teacher takes one of the crumbs, puts it in her mouth. She sits down and holds out the bag. I pull out a crumb. The big yellow crumb up close looks like something I know. I turn it around and around until I see the little tail. It reminds me of the little fishes Uhmma dries for dinner. I make the little fish swim in the air. The teacher nods. “Yehs!” she says.
    â€œYehs,” I say and make the fish swim more. “Yehs.”
    â€œNoo,” the teacher says, shaking her head. She points to the fish. “Go-do-feesh.”
    I point to the fish. “Go-do-feesh?”
    â€œYehs,” the teacher says, nodding. “Go-do-feesh.”
    Then the teacher pours a big pile of Go-do-feesh onto my picture of the sea and gets up. Her tall legs push her high into the air. I am afraid her head will hit the roof. She looks down at me and puts another Go-do-feesh into her mouth. She chews and says, “Laanchu.” She points to me.
    I put one Go-do-feesh in my mouth and bite it slowly. It crunches like sand. A smoky salty taste sits on my tongue. These Go-do-feesh are good to eat. I nod and say, “Laanchu.” The teacher smiles and goes to sit behind her desk.
    I make the Go-do-feesh swim in the sea and then get eaten by a big sea monster. When the girls and boys come back inside, the big sea monster has eaten all the Go-do-feesh. This bad sea monster has forgotten to save one to teach Uhmma and Apa. I am so sad my head is hanging sideways on my neck. I will get a big thump from Uhmma’s knuckle. Then I remember that I have the rubbing sticks. I draw the Go-do-feesh into my sea.
    Sea Shirt points to my picture and says, “Go-do-feesh.”
    I say, “Laanchu.”
    Sea Shirt talks fast Mi Gook words.
    I shake my head. Smile. I know only little Mi Gook words now. But someday I will know all of them. In the future.

Not Forever
    It is not forever, Apa says to Uhmma. They sit in the front of the car, looking out at the house. Old brown paint peeling off. Old brown grass flying away. Crisscross metal fence all around. Apa pushes in the magic light button for his cigarette. Uhmma rubs her blow-up stomach. Round and round. I am afraid Uhmma will pop like the balloons at my first Mi Gook birthday party.
    Apa turns in his seat and says to me, This will not really be our house. We will just borrow the bottom part from the man who lives upstairs.
    Uhmma turns to Apa. Could we not wait longer and save more money?
    Apa lights his cigarette. Blows out the smoke. He shakes his head. You know what it is like. How can you stand to live like that? Always thanking them, always having to be careful. We have no privacy.
    Yes, you are right. But soon the baby will be here and then I can work. I will look for two jobs and then we can save for our own house.
    Woman, what are you talking about? Apa rolls down the window and sticks his cigarette outside. Tap, tap.
    I just mean the baby is only a few weeks away. I can work soon. Could you not wait a few more months?
    What did I just tell you! Apa shouts. Woman, were you listening? Did you hear anything