“Goodbye, home!” Shanti shouted.
She waved to Didu.
To warm monsoon rains.
And the green palm trees Of her village.
The plane landed far away.
In a town with cold rain
And orange and yellow leaves.
Shanti clutched her parents’ hands.
“Hello, home?” she whispered.
Their apartment felt like the village.
Inside was Ma cooking luchi.
Funny stories in Bangla.
No shoes.
Baba’s big laugh.
But outside, town was strange.
New money to learn.
New manners, too
Like napkins on laps.
No elbows on tables.
English words Shanti didn’t know.
So back and forth she skipped. Remembering the village.
Learning the town.
Again and again. In Between.
Ma showed her how to dance Kathak.
Tonya brought her to ballet class.
Baba taught Shanti Bangla letters: kaw, khaw, gaw.
Shanti read him The Little Engine That Could in English.
Halloween brought trick-or-treaters,
Shanti gave out candy.
“Next year, join us,” Tonya said.
“Maybe,” Shanti answered.
Christmas came to town next.
At Tonya’s house, Santa Filled a stocking for Shanti.
Back and Forth she ran.
Learning the town.
Remembering the village.
Again and again.
In Between.
Comprehension Questions
1. Why does Shanti need to learn new things?
A. She is learning for when she visits family in the United States
B. She and her family immigrated to the United States from India
C. She wants to learn aspects of the American lifestyle
A. She learns from her parents and also learns from her friends
B. She only learns from her friends
C. She only learns from her parents
Your Thoughts
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.