Samm-T and His Story

The great competition 

It all begins on a beautifully sunny day.

Mindy was checking the weather forecast. There was a rain warning with a chance of becoming a thunderstorm, but that didn't bother her.

Her mind was only thinking about the bike competition that she would have with her teammates.

The race was amazing, but the rain would make it so much more fun.

Mindy and her roommates lived in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city of Florida. The neighborhood only had 100 houses, which were built in a particular way. All the houses formed a great circuit. This gave Mindy and the others a chance to create a makeshift track for their bikes.

The track had some old barrels that they used to accumulate points while they ran, it was one of the rules of the race. The barrels marked the path where they had to run and whoever did not pass that way would be disqualified.

The idea was not to bump into or touch the barrels, which were nothing special, but in the creative minds of the youngsters, the barrels simulated energy portals that allowed them to move on to the next part of the track. If they collided with them, they would explode.

The imagination of young people had no limits.

In addition to the barrels, they had also put in some old car wheels to point the way. The finish line was between some coconut palm trees and the first one to cross them would win the race.

Mindy left very happy on her bike. The sunny day had turned dark and cloudy. In the distance the clouds could be seen flickering from the approaching lightning. Mindy knew it wouldn't be long before the rain and thunder hit the neighborhood.

Mindy walked closer to the starting line, while her friends were there waiting for her. The first to see her was Dobry, who was in a tall tower made of wooden sticks at the base of an old tree. As Dobry greeted her, another friend of hers, Tick, realized that the race would finally begin.

Tick ​​also had a lot of imagination. It was easy to find him because he always wore headphones, which didn't have wires, but he believed that they worked, since in his mind he could listen to his favorite songs at any time.

Another who saw Mindy arrive was Mike, who was a tall, skinny young African American with a huge nose and big eyes. Unlike Tick, who thought he was the best of all, Mike was humble. He and Mindy were very close, their houses were next to each other.

Mike was known for his high intelligence and for being the young man on the biggest bike.

Abona saw that Mindy made a sign for her to move forward, because at any moment it would start to rain. Abona was a white-skinned girl, and her hair had many colors. Her way of dressing was very authentic, nobody matched her style. For many people, she dressed strangely, but she saw the world in a different way, she was very special.

The most curious thing about Abona was that her bicycle had large black glasses and her protective lenses were cracked. Among her friends she was known as the most talkative, she always had something to say and wanted everything for herself.

The last to realize Mindy was coming was Dorma. She was an overweight girl, but also very tall. Even with the weight of her, she always did things that surprised others. She liked any kind of food. Out of all her friends, she was the only one with short blonde hair, her skin color was similar to caramel.

“About time you got here" -Dobry told Mindy.

“Don't complain so much, you know that I like to prepare a lot to compete.”

“But we're here, can we start?” -Tick asked standing behind the starting line.

“Well, you heard Tick, everyone gets on the line to start" -Dobry ordered.

They all got ready without saying anything, but suddenly it started to rain.

Despite the rain, neither seemed distracted. They all watched the track, planning how to gain the upper hand. In the distance it was seen that the clouds and thunder were also approaching.

After a while, it started to rain harder. The rain combined with the darkness, made the lightning lights look gloomy, though none of it scared them. It was not the first time that they competed in the rain, thunder, and lightning, that only increased the excitement and made the race more fun.

“Ready, Set, Go!” – Dobry shouted, while a great lightning fell, and everyone ran at high speed. 

Dobry got scared by the lightning and got down from where he was climbing and riding his bike, he headed towards his house to see the palm trees from the balcony and know who would be the first to cross them.

During the race, Dorma took the lead. She went with such agility, that she always left Mindy very surprised. No one noticing how tall and heavy she was, could imagine that she would be so fast. Dorma always took advantage of people who underestimated her, to surprise them.

Behind her was Tick trying to catch up, but Dorma wouldn't let him. Tick ​​was upset, but she didn't let that distract her. Behind Tick came Abona at full speed. She pedaled so fast that she seemed like she was going to fly out of the seat, but her effort paid off, because in an oversight of Tick Abona she took a curve near the first barrels overtaking her friend.

When she passed him by her side, she stuck her tongue out at him and kept pedaling very hard. A little further back, Mike and Mindy were doing their best not to stray too far from their friends.

Mindy seemed very focused on not tripping as she passed the first few barrels, but because the rain had increased, she collided with a box on the road, landing on the left side of the road.

The path Mindy was on was easier but also a bit longer. She didn't stop pedaling but she didn't take her eyes off her friends either. They all stayed in the same positions, but Mindy noticed that Tick was mimicking Dorma's movements and Abona was inching closer to them.

"Let's see if you can copy everything," Mindy said, looking for the best way to approach them.

A flash of lightning lit up the path and Mindy noticed she was closer to a small rise, so she pedaled harder to use it as a ramp. The others continued to compete, until, to everyone's surprise, out of nowhere, Mindy went flying through the air landing near them.

But the others didn't have time to worry about her, because they were approaching the area where they would do a lot of jumping.

Due to the speed with which Mindy was coming, when she made the first jump, she avoided the others. She was going so fast that she nearly lost control. 

"Come on, Mindy, you can, you can" -Mindy whispered to herself as she flew through the air.

Mindy was the first out of the jumping area, but not without a scare first. For a moment her bike wobbled, but she was able to control it without falling to the ground. She knew that what she had done had been incredible.

But she also knew that the others would not give up and that they would surely come after her at full speed, because the race was not over. The last part was still missing, and it was the most difficult of all, because there were the curves with the barrels and the wheels of the cars.

However, Mindy didn't lose focus on her. She went through all the barrels not forgetting the tight curve, which was very difficult. If she went fast, she might hit the barrels on the other side, but if she slowed down, the others would leave her behind and she would have no advantage to reach the home stretch.

But none of those possibilities outweighed her desire to pass the curve with the others around her, although they did not all fit at the same time. That's why whenever they competed, they each looked for a way to get to the corner first, although Mindy didn't like the idea of ​​going fast at the moment, so she went a little slower.

Tick ​​was in the lead now, pedaling really fast, and unaware that Mindy had slowed him down, he ran past him yelling at her.

“See you at the finish line!”

Mindy, seeing how fast Tick was going, got a little worried and tried to warn him, but the sound of rain and thunder stopped her. Seconds later, her other mates also walked past her.

“Watch out for the curve!” -Mindy yelled, but no one heard her.

Suddenly, after a flash of lightning fell very close to Mindy, she noticed that part of the ground was covered in mud and was afraid of slipping, so she reduced her speed even more.

Tick noticed it too, but since he was going too fast, he lost control, shooting off into the grass and mud. The others tried to brake, but as they were going at high speed, they could not do it in time and also fell into the mud.

Mindy approached them and, seeing that everyone was fine, she said very calmly:

“Excuse me, friends, but I have a race to win.” 

Mindy calmly rounded the bend and dodged the car wheels, pedaling as hard as she could through the wet dirt, but her small stature didn't help.

Her friends, without wasting time, got on her bikes and also began to pedal hard, to reach the final stretch first. Mindy looked back and saw that despite her head start, her friends were slowly closing in on her.

As she pedaled, lightning struck and lit up the dark sky. The light allowed him to see that ahead there was a large hole full of mud, it seemed as if one of the lightning bolts had struck that place and due to the rain, it was filling with water.

Mindy was worried and she didn't quite know what to do, so she slowed her down and tried to warn the others.

“Wait! There is a gap!” -Mindy said, but no one paid any attention to her.

She tried to catch up, but her friends were going too fast.

The inevitable happened, because due to her eagerness to reach the goal, no one saw the big hole full of mud and they fell headfirst, as if they were diving into a pool. The bicycles also fell into the mud.

Mindy made sure everyone was okay and she knew that if she hurried, she could finish the race before they even tried. But there was a problem.

“How do I cross this gap without getting out of the way?” -Mindy asked herself quietly.

The closer she got, the less she knew what to do. Suddenly, a flash of lightning made her see something that she had not noticed, the lightning that broke the ground, had also broken a wooden box and now it looked like a ramp.

Although she wasn't quite sure, she at that moment began to pedal much faster.

Her friends, seeing that she did not stop, tried to tell her that there was a gap, but they did not know the plan that Mindy had in mind. She believed that they were trying to get out of the mud hole, so she was even more motivated to make the big jump and win the race.

Suddenly, after a loud clap of thunder, Mindy went flying through the air, passing over her friends. They all looked at her in surprise, because from where they were, they couldn't see the broken wooden box, so for them, what Mindy was doing was impossible.

She flew through the air and landed across the finish line. Her friends looked at her in amazement not understanding how she did it.

Mindy was also shocked by what she had just done, she just sat on the bike not believing that she had won. Her friends came out of the muddy hole a bit beat up, when suddenly they heard Mindy yell:

“I did it! I knew it would work out for me!”

Mike, being the first to reach her, approached her and said very excited:

“Incredible! That was great! How could you do that?”

Tick also said:

“Yes, tell us how you did it, how could you fly on top of us?”

“Come on, Tick, you say it as if she wasn't capable of doing amazing things” –said Abona.

“I don't think it's about that, I even want to know how she did that great trick, it was incredible" -Dorma said, brushing a little mud from her pants.

"Yes, tell us how you flew" -Tick said.

“Fly? I didn't fly, what happened is that when I was ahead on the straight, thanks to a flash of lightning, I could see that there was a hole in the road that I hadn't seen before. I don't know if it was lightning that broke the ground, what I do know is that there was no way to cross to the other side without going off the track, but when I tried to warn them, they didn't listen to me. Then, when I saw them fall into the mud and realized that they were okay, the sky shone again and at that moment I saw that there was a broken wooden box. Then it occurred to me that I could use it as a ramp, so I pedaled as fast as I could and, going up the ramp, I shot out and crossed the gap, becoming the champion” -Mindy explained to her friends while trying to catch her breath.

“Well, either way, you did great” –said Abona.

In the distance Dobry jumped with excitement at what had happened. They all came to where he was, and he was waiting for them with towels and a little water.

"Dobry, tell me you recorded it" -Dorma said.

"Of course, look" -replied Dobry.

Everyone watched the big jump over and over again.

"It was really something impressive" -said Tick.

"Everyone is already liking it on social media" -Dobry said, while the others used the rainwater to wash off the mud.

"You really don't waste your time" -Mindy told Dobry.

They all laughed when they heard it. They had almost finished cleaning up, when the storm became very electric and a siren began to sound, warning them that they should take refuge inside, so they said goodbye and went home.

Mindy pedaled alone on the road, while she thought about everything that had happened. When she looked up at the sky, she noticed that the wind had changed, and the thunderstorm stopped approaching. Minutes later she arrived at her house, put her bike away and looked at her phone, which was ringing. It was a message from Dobry telling her that she couldn't wait to go to school and find out what everyone would say when they saw the video. Mindy read it, smiled, and entered her house, where her parents were waiting for her with a delicious meal.

One special day 

Mindy kept thinking about how she had won the competition. She entered the house and noticed that everything was very quiet.

“Mother? ma! I'm here…” -Mindy said, while she walked slowly looking for her parents.

She continued looking for them in the rooms, but there was no one, Mindy was sad because that had never happened to her. The more she searched, the more alone she felt. Mindy continued to look for them and call out to them in every corner of the house.

Passing by one of the windows, she noticed that the storm was getting worse and not knowing what else to do, she went to the place she hadn't looked yet, the kitchen. When she entered, she saw that there was something on the table and to her surprise, it was a small cake with three strawberries on top.

She looked at him surprised because it was her favorite cake. Mindy was very happy and said smiling:

“That's why I love them so much.”

Until suddenly, she heard her father's voice saying:

“Surprise! Happy Birthday!”

Then they began to sing the birthday song as her parents came out from behind the kitchen curtains and Mindy was all the happier to see them.

When she finished the song, Robert, Mindy's father, took out the present that he had hidden behind her and, giving her a kiss and a hug, he handed it to her. She, very excited, took it in her hands but, instead of opening it, she looked everywhere because she did not see her mother, so she worried, she asked her father:

“Where's mom? Something happened?”

“No, daughter, she's fine, don't worry. Come with me, you still have to see something” -answered her father.

Mindy looked at him curiously, wondering what it could be.

"Come on, put this on" -Robert said, pulling a red handkerchief out of his pocket.

Mindy was confused now, but she still took the handkerchief.

"Trust me and put it on so you can go where I want to take you" -his father continued.

"Yes, Dad, I trust you, it's just that all this took me by surprise" -answered Mindy, leaving the gift on the table, and putting the handkerchief over her eyes.

Making sure Mindy couldn't see anything, Robert took her hand and started walking with her, leading her to the back of the house, where Mindy's mom had a big surprise.

When they arrived, Robert went in first, but when Mindy tried to get through, the door slammed into Mindy.

“Ouch! Father! What are you doing? It hurt me a lot!” -Mindy exclaimed, rubbing her arm.

“Sorry, daughter, she let go of the door and it closed faster than I thought” –replied to her father, opening the door again for her to enter.

“Okay, dad, let's continue, but be more careful, I don't want to hit myself again” -Mindy said.

“Come, we're close now" -her father answered, guiding her to the place where she should stand.

“We're here, you can take off your handkerchief now.”

Mindy was so glad to finally see what all the mystery was about. Her mother Ruby was with several of her friends, who had instruments in her hands.

When everyone realized that Mindy was there, they began to play and sing the song that Ruby had taught them. Everyone did it with great joy and applauded to the rhythm of the music.

Mindy couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing, her parents and her friends were dancing and singing with love and emotion. Mindy gave her parents a hug feeling very grateful, because even though her family didn't have a lot of money, they were always looking for ways to impress her. 

When the song ended, everyone shouted:

“Congratulations, Mindy Cross! May you have many more years!”

Mindy was very grateful and excited, so she began to clap her hands in gratitude.

“Thank you all for this nice surprise” -Mindy said with a big smile.

“All the best is for you, we love you” –said her mother giving her a hug.

“Ma, I thank you very much for this surprise, but… where did you get all this from? Don't tell me you spent your savings for me” -Mindy said.

“No, daughter, we all got together and collaborated with a lot of love to make this surprise for you” –replied Robert.

“Yes, my love and as you see, I think it was worth it, right, friends?” -Ruby asked Mindy's friends.

When they heard her, they nodded their heads, smiling at Mindy, who was feeling very happy, thanking each one of the people who were there.

“Do you see, daughter? With effort and help, many things can be achieved” –said Ruby.

“I see that, mom," -she replied with a smile.

“My baby is growing up so much, she'll be quite a young girl soon,” -Robert said.

“Dad, don't exaggerate, it's only 8 years, I still have a long way to go to be a teenager” –Mindy said.

“Don't worry, my love, I know you like to focus on the now, but since we are your parents, we can't ignore how much you've grown," -Ruby said.

“You guys are always so nice to me, I'm so glad you're my parents," -Mindy said, approaching to hug her parents.

When the others saw them, they were very moved and began to clap with joy. Mindy realized that everyone was looking at her, she blushed a little and said:

“Ma! pa! Everyone is looking at us!”

“Don't be like that sweetheart, you'll always be our baby, never forget it.” -Ruby said. 

Mindy didn't say anything but gave everyone an embarrassed look.

“I'll bring the cake” -Robert said, releasing Mindy.

Her mother gave her one more squeeze and whispered in her ear: 

“Okay, I know that in your way of seeing things you feel sorry for others. Now go with your friends, my girl.”

Mindy returned her mom's hug and, as they parted ways, walked over to her friends.

“Happy Birthday! You're already bigger than me, how do you feel?” -Abona asked very excited.

“Don't exaggerate, she's only four days older than you" -Tick said.

“I don't think that's important we just want to know what pet they gave you. Tell me, friend, what pet did they give you?” -Dorma asked.

Mindy didn't know what to say, until, suddenly, her mother approached slowly, interrupting them:

“Excuse me, guys, the cake is ready, so go get it because the ice cream melts.”

They all went quickly to get their piece of cake, while Ruby noticed that Mindy's friends were carefully looking around the place, looking for where their new pet could be hiding, so she approached them and said:

“I want to tell you that, due to the rain, we couldn't receive the surprise gift, but tomorrow we will surely have it.”

Mindy looked at her mother in surprise, knowing that she was not allowed to have pets. 

"So tomorrow you'll find out what Mindy's new pet will be" -Ruby continued.

Abona's mother, called Margarita, approached Robert, and said:

“Don't be like that, at least tell us what kind of pet it is. Will he be a puppy like all the other boys?”

“Margarita, that's why it's called a surprise. If I tell them, it won't be a surprise anymore. We want to surprise our daughter and her little friends” -replied Robert, who was looking at his wife without knowing what else to say.

"Well said, my love, the rain may have made us wait longer than planned, but it's still a surprise, so we must be patient," -Ruby said as she distributed the last pieces of cake and ice cream.

When everyone finished eating, the games they had prepared for the party began. All the guests began to play and whoever did not, ate refreshments from the tables. 

Ruby took advantage of the fact that everyone was entertained, so she approached her husband and said quietly: 

“I don't know how we will do it, but we have to get a pet, do we have money to buy one?”

“I have no idea, I don't know why you told them that," Robert answered.”

“The boys talked about pets and, seeing the look and silence of Mindy, that was the only thing that came to mind. You know how important what others think is to her,” -Ruby said.

“You are always so creative and loving, that's why I love you so much. I don't know how but for you and for our daughter I would do everything possible to get a pet.”

While they both talked, Mindy watched them a little curious to know what they were talking about, because she was still surprised that her parents told her that she would have a pet, that had taken her by surprise. But what she didn't know was that her father was also surprised by what had happened.

He noticed her daughter looking at him and smiled at her, then Mindy smiled back. Her eyes and her smile motivated Robert. 

"Don't worry, my love, we'll keep our promise and tomorrow I'll bring a surprise for our girl," -Robert said, kissing Ruby on the forehead.

She felt a little relieved and kissed her husband back. She then went to bring refreshments to the guests, but Robert realized that he had stopped raining and stared out the window, thinking about how he would keep his promise and bring a pet home. 

New day 

The next day in the morning, Mindy woke up because of the sunlight coming through the window and lighting up the whole room. She opened it and noticed that there was not a single cloud. It was a beautiful sunny day.

It was still early for school, so she went to take a shower and brush her teeth. From the bathroom she could smell the rich smell of the pancakes that her mother was preparing, she could also hear her father's voice as she got ready for work and her mother's voice singing her favorite song.

Everything was happening as usual. A new day and the routine of every morning. However, Mindy's mind was only thinking of one thing: her new pet.

“Mindy don't be late; breakfast is almost ready!” -Ruby yelled from the kitchen.

“Okay, Mom, I'm coming," -Mindy answered.

When she finished getting ready, she came out of her room and saw that her father was not ready yet. Robert was a simple, handsome man who owned a cleaning services company called Always Clean. 

Every morning at work always had the same routine. Since he was young he liked to run, so every morning he would go out for a run for several miles and then get ready to go to work. 

"Dad, if you're late, I'll eat your pancakes," -Mindy said playfully.

"I'm done, so we'll see who gets there first," -her father replied with a smile, as he ran to the kitchen.

Hearing this, Mindy went after him, but the school uniform wouldn't let her go very fast.

Ruby finished cooking and said:

“Breakfast is…! -But she saw Robert and Mindy running into the kitchen. – “And what’s with the two of you? -Ruby continued.

"It's just that dad challenged me to a race, to see who would eat the other's pancakes," -Mindy replied, catching her breath.

"You two look like two kids," -Ruby said laughing. 

Robert tickled Mindy as she walked away from him laughing. 

"Come on, stop the game, here's pancakes for everyone" -Ruby announced putting the plates of pancakes on the table.

Mindy and her father thanked God and began to eat. Ruby was very happy for her because she had prepared it with a lot of love. 

"My love, this is delicious, you're the best," -Robert said savoring it.

“Yes, mom, they are very good” –added Mindy with her mouth full.

“Eat calmly, no one is going to take them away” –Ruby replied laughing.

“You know I always eat fast; I don't know why it surprises you" -said Robert.

“I only care about you love, you know I don't like you eating so fast" -Ruby answered.

“Thanks, love, but if I take too long, it doesn't give me enough time to run the miles I want. You know I don't like being late for work, you know my motto…” -Robert said, but Mindy cut him off before he finished.

“You never arrive on time, you arrive early or late, but never on time” –Mindy said, and her parents laughed when they heard her. – “What? What are they laughing at? That's right, it is Dad's old motto,” -she added.

“Uh-huh, and how do you know he's so old?" -Robert asked, looking at his daughter with narrowed eyes.

Ruby noticed and interrupted saying:

“Just look what time it is, the school bus will almost pass by. Come on Mindy, so you won't be late.

Mindy grabbed her things to go with her mother to the truck stop. She was about to get out of it, until she suddenly turned around and said to her father, looking him in the eye:

“Dad, I haven't forgotten my surprise. I can't wait to see what pet you're bringing me as a gift, I still can't believe I'll have one” –Robert smiled at her, and Mindy jumped up and down with joy. 

Ruby and Robert looked at each other in surprise, not knowing what to say. 

“Mom, here comes the truck!” -Mindy yelled from the stop.

Ruby went with her, and Robert watched them walk away from the house, noting how happy his daughter looked and thinking about how he would go about getting a pet. 

"Enjoy your day, my love," -Ruby said to Mindy as she got into the truck.

"Thanks mom, I can't wait to show everyone my pet and take it to school" -Mindy answered.

“Very well, my love” –Ruby said watching her daughter greet her friends.

Ruby went back to the house and when she didn't see Robert in the kitchen, she started calling him:

“Robert, Robert, where are you?”

Robert entered the kitchen and answered with some concern:

“Here I am, what happened? you are well?”

“I don't know how you're going to do it, but we have to get Mindy a pet” -Ruby said very seriously-. “I don't know why I had to tell him we'd give him a pet.

Robert, noticing how worried his wife was, told her:

“Don't worry, my love, I'm with you through the good times and the not so good ones. So…”

Until Ruby took a closer look at the clothes her husband had put on and burst out laughing, cutting him off. Robert was surprised and said:

“Let's see what you're laughing at. Don't you like my running suit?

“It's just that you look very athletic in those tight pants” -Ruby answered.

“Just look at what time it is, I'm leaving or else it won't give me the time to run the miles I like. Besides, I have to see how I can get a pet” -Robert said.

Ruby kissed him goodbye and went to organize the room. Robert left the house and began to stretch his muscles to start running. When he was ready, he started his routine, but only one thing was on his mind… How would he get a pet for his beloved Mindy?

One of the neighbors greeted him with a laugh at the running clothes he was wearing, but Robert wasn't worried about any of that. He only had mind to think about Mindy's surprise.

Minutes later, as he passed a construction area, he heard dogs barking and it occurred to him that maybe he could take one. When he approached them, he noticed that the dogs were very angry and, not knowing what else to do, he continued on his way looking around for any ideas that came to his mind.

Every minute that passed was one minute less until Mindy came home from school, hoping to find her new pet.

The School

Mindy heard the voices of several of her friends calling out to her:

“Come on, I saved you a seat,” -Abona said.

When she heard her voice, she was very happy and sat down with her friends. Mike and Tick were up front and Abona and Mindy were behind. Dorma sat on the other side saving Dobry's seat.

“Mindy, did your parents already tell you what your new pet would be? -Abona asked.

When everyone heard the question, they were very attentive to what their friend was going to answer. 

“No friend. My parents insist it's a surprise” -Mindy answered.

“It must be something very special, because they have a well-kept secret” –said Tick adjusting the headphones that he always had on.

Mike, noticing that Mindy didn't answer anything, said:

“Well, we'll have to wait until her parents give it to her.”

Mindy nodded her head, until suddenly Dorma said:

Hey, here comes Dobry.

They all made a sign for him to join them. Dobry greeted them and sat down with Dorma.

“What did your mom give you today in the bag?” -Mindy asked.

“She gave me donuts, chips and oranges, which one does she want?” -Dobri replied.

“Donuts!” –They all shouted at the same time.

She then opened the donuts and gave each of them one. As they ate, Dobry wanted to say something, but since her mouth was full of food, no one understood her. Then Tick finished eating and said to his friend:

“Oh! Dobry, don't talk with your mouth full, it's disgusting, and you spill food everywhere.”

Mindy and the others started laughing, so Dobry finished his donut and said:

“Excuse me, I always forget to do that.”

Suddenly, the bus engine began to make noises similar to explosions, leaving behind a large cloud of smoke. 

"I just hope the bus doesn't make us late again," -Dorma said.

Several minutes later, the driver parked the school bus in the same spot as usual and then opened the door saying:

“Here we are, guys!”

They all got off quickly, but Mindy stayed inside waiting a little longer, because the bus always made a big cloud of smoke that she didn't like.

“Hey, Mindy! If we don't move forward, we're going to be late” -Mike said. 

Mindy got off the bus telling them:

“Thanks for waiting for me, friends.”

“Don't worry, we know you don't like the smoke from the bus” –said Abona.

“I don't blame her, that smoke isn't good for anyone, but being late to the salon is worse" -Tick said.

Suddenly, the driver returned to the bus and asked them:

“What are you guys waiting for? It's time to go inside.”

“Yes, Mr. Thomas" -they all answered as they walked through the large schoolyard. 

When they passed near the playground, the other boys looked at them with derisive laughter and sometimes said:

“Look, the weirdos are here.”

But Mindy and her friends didn't care, they had gotten used to ignoring them. They had learned that if they got angry with them, they made fun of them more and said worse things.

After walking for a while, they reached the entrance of the main school building.

The director was Mrs. Migdalia, a serious woman. Mindy's classmates, seeing her, stopped, because she scared them.

However, Mindy was not afraid of her because she knew what her weak point was. So, she Mindy didn't bother her, and she didn't bother her either.

Mrs. Migdalia, with the bells in her hands, watched all the students counting down to the beginning of the day's classes.

When the time was up, the bells that she was holding in her hands rang and she said out loud:

“Let's go guys. It's time to go inside.”

Everyone knew that they had five minutes to enter their classrooms and Mrs. Migdalia liked to punish the children who took longer. So, everyone moved as fast as possible to avoid being last.

Mindy was laughing inside of her seeing the way everyone was running scared, so she signaled to her friends, telling them that now was a good time to come in, because none of them liked to walk through the corridors full of people. people. In this way, they avoided those who annoyed them.

Mrs. Migdalia, seeing that Mindy was smiling, said to her:

“Good morning, young Mindy, I see that you come with your friends as usual.”

Mindy looked at her and replied:

“That's right, headmistress. I hope you have a good day.”

Her friends avoided meeting Mrs. Migdalia's eyes, but Mindy smiled back and respectfully said goodbye to her. She continued walking and her friends followed her without looking back.

Dobry, being the last to enter, was trying to avoid the director's gaze, but he still got very scared and ran to Mindy's side. 

“Friend, I don't know how you manage not to scare you and even be able to talk to her. She looks like a robot that has laser beams in her eyes. Sometimes I think that at any moment she will shoot me, and she will make me dust,” -Dobry said quietly.

"Don't worry, friends, as long as you're with me, you'll be fine" -Mindy answered with a smile.

"But how strange is that woman" -said Abona.

"I'll tell you later why she's like that, but now we have to go to class" -Mindy said.

“Are you seriously going to tell us?” -Dobri asked. Mindy nodded, as everyone put their stuff in their lockers.

“To study!” -Mindy yelled.

They all went to her, until she said again:

“Just remember that it's not okay to interrupt in the classroom. There are no exceptions to the rule, the last thing we want is to lose recess because we are punished.”

“No food in the hall, Dobry” -Tick warned.

They all laughed. Dobry stuck out his tongue at him and replied:

“Don't forget your headphones.”

Tick realized that he was still wearing them and ran to his locker to put them away, while the others laughed and entered the room.

Seconds later, Tick came in fixing his hair, feeling weird that he wasn't wearing his inseparable headphones. However, only his friends noticed the look on his face.

When everyone was seated, the teacher arrived, who was carrying books in his hands and said to them:

“Good thing you're here on time.”

And, without saying anything else, he put his things on his desk to start the class.

Unexpected encounter

Robert left the dogs behind and continued with his routine. Little by little he moved away from his home and got closer to the city called La Luna, which was called that because it was a place full of light and life, both day and night. Robert liked to walk the city in the mornings, because at that time, everything was quieter.

He continued on his way enjoying his day until he reached the bridge where he always crossed and was surprised to find that it was full of logs and construction machines. He realized that it would be impossible to cross the bridge, so he looked for a way to cross to the other side without going too far out of his way.

Not finding a solution to his problem, he sat on a stool to think, until suddenly, he saw some young people on bicycles crossing the bridge below.

"It looks complicated, but if they can cross it with their bikes, so can I" -he said in a low voice.

He approached the left side of the bridge, he noticed that there were some rocks and it seemed like a good idea to use them to go down. When he arrived, he also observed other things that he had not seen before. He was surprised and looked for the way to continue.

He passed by a small lake and saw some ducks and some little birds bathing. In the distance he also observed the young people riding their bicycles. Robert was glad to see them and smiled, because if it weren't for them, he wouldn't have had the idea of crossing under the bridge and finding this new path.

“The young people of today are very ingenious. In my time, I would have been scolded for jumping like I did” -she said with a smile and continued down a small path made of stones.

Since there were only two people in there, Robert would run when he was alone, but he would walk slowly when he saw someone else. As he approached the lake, he noticed that it was full of many little goldfish.

He continued down the path, until he came to a part where he split in two. Robert chose the path closest to the lake, since, from where he was, the young people on bicycles could be seen closer. Furthermore, the buildings of the city were located in that direction.

The only curious thing about that path is that he seemed much lonelier than the other. When he was halfway through, Robert noticed something very strange in that part of the lake, because the water was moving.

As he leaned closer to watch, he remembered that he was supposed to find Mindy a pet and with everything that had happened on the bridge, he had forgotten.

Robert went over to see if he could catch one of the minnows for his daughter, but the motion of the water stopped.

"I think I scared the fish away" -he said quietly.

He stood still for a few minutes, but nothing happened. He returned to the road very thoughtful, until, suddenly, he saw a young man on a bicycle approaching at full speed.

When Robert noticed, he quickly moved out of the way, tripping over a rock he hadn't seen before and falling into the water.

The young man got scared and pedaled hard, away from the place. Robert came out of the water soaking wet and laughed to himself, wondering where that rock had come from.

As he shook himself out of the water, he noticed that the rock began to move, which took him by surprise and, in shock, he almost fell into the water again.

When he was calmer, he observed that the rock wasn't really a rock, it was a turtle! Something dirty, but a turtle at the end.

Robert watched the difficulty with which he walked, then he moved a little closer to her.

He seemed to be lost, so he took her by the shell and left her on the ground in the direction of the lake, saying:

“Little friend, it's dangerous over there, so go back to the lake. No one will bump into you or crush you.”

Robert stared at her, but she didn't move. 

“Come on, little friend, go to the water” –he continued saying to the turtle.

Suddenly, it seemed that the tortoise heard his words because he began to walk.

“That's it, little friend, very good. Go back to your little hoes” –Robert encouraged her.

But the turtle, instead of walking towards the lake, went towards the stone path, then Robert stopped in front of it saying:

“No, not over there, it's dangerous. Go to the water.”

But the little tortoise ignored him. Then Robert got annoyed, gave him a clear path, and said:

“You know what? If you want to go there, do it. Don't complain if someone runs over you.”

Robert continued on his way, but as he walked away, he heard in the distance the group of young people who were coming on their bicycles. He worried about the tortoise and started looking for her, until he realized that she was already halfway there.

“But why don't you listen to me? Don't be stubborn and go back to the shore, they're going to crush you and you'll be like a cake in the birthday boy's face” – said Robert, as he approached her.

But, to the anguish of Mindy's father, the youngsters reached the place where the turtle was first, passing very close to it on their bicycles. Robert turned his eyes expecting the worst, but the young men passed without doing any harm to the little turtle.

Surprised, he came to his lake and said:

“Incredible! You are very lucky.”

The little turtle looked at him for a few seconds and continued on his way. 

“You know what? If you don't listen to me, I'll go. I'm almost out of time and there's still a long way to go” - Robert said walking away from her.

When he was away, he turned to look at her one last time and saw another group of young people approaching her again. The group was led by the young man who almost collided with him just now.

Robert thought the worst, since he was already very far from the turtle, and he kept looking at what was going to happen.

"Run little turtle, they're going to crush you," -he whispered.

But to his surprise, the turtle stopped, raising its head to where he was and began to walk slowly towards him. Mindy's father noticed and began waving his hands at her, saying quietly,

“But what are you doing? Don't be silly, not here, they'll crush you, comes back.”

However, no matter how hard he tried, the tortoise kept walking towards him.

Seconds later, the inevitable happened. The group of young people passed very close to her.

Robert watched everything very carefully.

“Ouch! Oh yes, this is as far as it went” –Robert said in a low voice.

Three of the eight youths passed without crushing her, but he noted that the others were much closer than last time. So, he couldn't take it anymore and ran away, while he shouted:

“They will crush it! They will crush it!”

But when the leader of the group heard him, he turned around and went back down the path with his companions.

Robert quickly approached the turtle and said to himself in a low voice:

“Surely now they crushed her. I told you, but you didn't listen to me.”

But when he saw her, he was surprised.

“I can't believe it… You're alive! You are well! You must be the luckiest turtle in the world” –said Robert taking it in his hands and carrying it to the shore of the lake. – “Let me clean you, you are a lucky turtle, but with a hard head.”

After cleaning it and taking a good look at it, he remembered Mindy again, smiled and said:

“You know what, little friend? I think you will be the ideal pet for my daughter. Besides, this way I'll save you from being crushed. From today you will be part of the Cross family, but I warn you, that thick head will have to learn to obey the elders.”

Robert was very happy to finally find Mindy's pet. He dried her off, covered her with her small towel, and continued on his way.

He then saw what time it was and realized that he wouldn't be able to finish his routine on time, so he decided to go back the way he had come, to get ready for work.

After climbing the stones, he felt that the turtle's towel was very wet and, smelling it, he realized that she had urinated on it. Robert, with a little disgust, took her out of the towel and said:

“No, no, no! You don't pee on me, that's why there are bathrooms! I'll let you pass today, because you're stressed, but you'll have to learn that you don't do that.”

The turtle just looked at him attentively and he wrapped her in a much larger towel, which she wore around her neck and said again:

“Well, little friend, you will be a very special gift, you'll see.”

When he had everything ready, he continued on his way home very happy, because he already had the great gift that he had promised his daughter.

After School

The school bell rang, indicating that classes were over for today.

All the students of different ages and nationalities went out to the large patio in front of the school, called Los Estorbos. It was named after its founder Mario La Prisa, but the most unique thing about the place was not its name, but the great pet talent competition that was held there. The most surprising animal wins.

All students could participate by showing their pets and the tricks they knew how to do, to compete for the grand prize.

As most of them left school and some left their things in lockers, Mindy put her belongings in her backpack and, looking into the distance, saw a group of young people preparing to race on her skateboards.

Suddenly, teacher Nark came out of her room and looking at her, said:

“Mindy, are you okay? I saw you a little distracted today, you seem worried.”

“It's nothing important, teacher" -Mindy answered.

“I know it's not about your grades, because you're one of the best. I'm here to help you, I'm here, tell me” –said Nark with a reassuring smile.

Mindy didn't know whether to tell her or not. As she thought about it, the teacher went on to say:

“Let's see, tell me, this will be between you and me.”

“Mm… What happens is that on my birthday my parents surprised me by telling me that they had a pet as a gift for me, but they couldn't deliver it to me, because the electrical storm delayed the shipments” –Mindy said a little nervously.

“Okay, don't worry, maybe it will arrive today,” -replied the teacher.

“But it's not just that, I don't know where my parents are going to get money for a pet, much less to pay shipping. As Nacaco says: “we don't even have a place to drop dead,” -said Mindy, head downcast. 

The teacher, hearing the last thing she said, interrupted her saying:

“Oh my God, Mindy! Don't say those things, may God keep and protect you.”

Mindy held back her laughter and replied:

“Teacher, it is a saying that I heard from Nacaco. It means we don't have money for anything.”

“Oh! Now I understand, but what an ugly saying. Mindy, not everything adults say you have to repeat, especially if it comes from Nacaco. You must be a polite and well-mannered young lady, don't let bad things rub off on you” -Nark said and Mindy nodded at her. – “Look, regarding the pet, don't worry. If your father doesn't have money, he can go to the forest and there he will find many lonely animals that need a home. I don't know if you can teach them a trick, but at least you'll participate, and you won't feel bad about not participating in the competition. Not everything in life is winning, there is also joy in sharing and participating.

“Thank you very much teacher. I have to go now, I don't want to miss the bus” –Mindy said, while she closed her backpack.

"You still have time" -Nark said.

“It's true, but my friends are waiting for me too and I want to see them before I go, teacher, you know how Mr. Thomas is” -Mindy answered.

“Okay, I'll see you later" -the teacher said, and Mindy said goodbye to her, while she ran to the backyard of the school.

Nark looked at her smiling and thought:

“Maybe he didn't like the idea, knowing his father, he is able to take a little animal from the street. I will know soon.”

Mindy reached the front yard and stopped to think about what the teacher had told her.

“A forest animal? That would be like stealing an animal from the street.”

When her friends saw her, they started calling out to her. She returned their greetings and went down the steps of the main entrance, Dobry seeing her, said:

“Friend, this time you did take a long time, did the teacher punish you?”

“Yes, tell us, what did you do? did you get caught cheating? eating? sleeping? -Tick asked curiously, but Mindy cut him off.”

“Don't be a clown, it's nothing like that.”

“Yes, don't say that nonsense or joke, you know that we are the ones who copied from her” –Dorma said. Tick stuck his tongue out at her and laughed.

“Hey, don't forget that tomorrow is the pet competition. We have to prepare well, but don't bother when I take the prize again. I've been preparing all year” -Mike said very confidently.

"Not this year, because I'll win" -said Abona.

Dobry, seeing that the atmosphere was becoming tense, interrupted them by saying:

We'll know that tomorrow at the competition, but for now we have to go, or else Mr. Thomas will give us one of his long speeches for being late for the bus.

When the driver opened the doors, everyone got in and took their seats as they did every day. The boys and girls were playing and talking, but Mindy was still staring thoughtfully out the window. She imagined what her pet would be and if she could pull off tricks to win the competition.

On the bus they only heard comments about what would happen tomorrow.