Song Lee in Room 2B (2 page)
Read Song Lee in Room 2B Online
Authors: Suzy Kline
Sidney showed us some neat pictures of a barbecue on his back porch. He and his stepdad were wearing chef hats and cooking hamburgers.
When it was my turn, I put on Gram-pa's ten-gallon hat, got out Grandma's book about Texas, and started talking.
“I've never been to Texas but I'm going someday. Someday, I'm going to be the rootinest, the tootinest, and the shootinest cowboy ever to raise the dust on a high Texas plain.”
When I was showing a picture of a rodeo, Song Lee and her mother appeared at the door, so I stopped talking.
“Hello, Mrs. Park,” the teacher said.
Song Lee was not smiling when she dashed to her seat.
After Miss Mackle talked with Mrs. Park in the hall, the teacher returned. “Go on, Doug,” she said.
So I did.
“You can visit the LBJ Ranch in Texas. LBJ are initials for Lyndon B. Johnson. He was president after Kennedy was shot. This is a picture of the Alamo.”
Miss Mackle smiled when I sat down. “I liked the way Doug had bookmarks in his book to show us special places in Texas. He was very organized. And his hat was fun. Who would like to go next?”
We all looked at Song Lee. She shook her head. “I ... go ... last.”
“Harry?” Miss Mackle called.
Harry walked up to the front of the room with a souvenir book. I had seen it hundreds of times. It was about the House on the Rock in Wisconsin.
“You walk out on this long narrow beam and see the hills and trees below. Mom said it was creepy because the beam teetered. I thought it was fun.”
Miss Mackle shivered. “You're ... very brave, Harry.”
Harry grinned.
Twenty minutes later, it was time for the last person to speak. Miss Mackle tried to be casual about it “Eh ... let's see, Song Lee, I guess you're next.”
Slowly, Song Lee got out of her seat. She walked up to the little wooden stand that sat on a desk and had a sign that said PODIUM.
Mary and Ida smiled at their friend.
Harry and I shook our heads. There was no way she was going to do this.
Song Lee took one look at the class and then ran out to the hallway.
I knew it!
Everyone looked at the teacher.
I thought she'd get mad. But she didn't. She just sat at the side of the room.
Waiting.
Then something appeared in the doorway.
It was a big piece of cardboard that had a brown trunk, branches, lots of leaves, and a dozen pink Kleenex
flowers.
flowers.
Harry and I pointed at the round holes that were cut out for eyes, nose, mouth, and hands.
“SONG LEE!” we all shouted as the tree moved across the classroom to the podium.
I stared at the two pink lips in the mouth-hole of the tree. They were beginning to move.
“I was born in Seoul, Korea ... where Summer Olympics take place in 1988.”
“Would the tree speak louder, please?” Miss Mackle said with a big smile.
When Song Lee nodded, the pink Kleenex flowers jiggled.
“Korea is size of Virginia. It is like Switzerland because it has many mountain and beautiful blue sky. There are many palace, royal tomb, secret garden, and stone pagoda. We also have 3,000 island in Korea.”
“Ooooh,” the class replied.
Song Lee continued, “It is ten oâclock in Room 2B. In Korea, grandmother Bong sleep. It is midnight in Seoul.”
Mary made some tally marks on a piece of paper. “Korea is 14 hours ahead of us!”
Song Lee shook the branches and made her green leaves and pink blossoms quiver. “In spring, we have many picnic under cherry tree at Korean park. My family play Ping-Pong and archery.”
Harry stood up and shot a pretend arrow at Sidney.
“BOING!”
“BOING!”
Song Lee giggled. “It is time now for cherry-blossom tree to leave.”
Everyone cheered as Song Lee scooted outside to the hallway.
Miss Mackle went over to the yellow homework chart and added another star for Song Lee. This time it was a gold one!
As soon as Song Lee returned to her seat, she covered her face.
“Your talk was great!” I said.
Harry clapped. “You're the best tree in the world.”
When she spread her fingers apart, I could see she was smiling.
I found out one thing about Song Lee that day. She may be shy, but she can sure surprise you.
Green with Envy
T
he next week it was St. Patrick's Day. Everyone in Room 2B was bringing something for our green smorgasbord.
he next week it was St. Patrick's Day. Everyone in Room 2B was bringing something for our green smorgasbord.
As soon as Song Lee, Ida, and I got to class, we showed Miss Mackle what we brought.
“Mmmmm,”
the teacher said, peeking inside the girls' plastic containers. “Lime jello and pistachio pudding! What did you bring, Doug?”
the teacher said, peeking inside the girls' plastic containers. “Lime jello and pistachio pudding! What did you bring, Doug?”
I couldn't wait to take off the plastic lid and show everyone. “Green eggs.”
“GREEN EGGS?” they shouted.
“It was easy. Mom and I just peeled some hard-boiled eggs and colored them with green food coloring. I got the idea from Dr. Seuss.”
Miss Mackle clapped her hands. “What fun! Well, I think you three should take these things downstairs to the cafeteria and ask Mrs. Funderburke if you can store them in the big refrigerator.”
“Sure!” I said. It was exciting to get permission to go to the school kitchen.
Just then, Mary hurried into the classroom with a big box.
Miss Mackle smiled. “Goodness, Mary. What's in there?”
“Green cupcakes.”
“Yum! They don't need refrigeration ... do they?”
Mary shook her head.
“Then you won't need to go with Song Lee, Ida, and Doug.”
Mary scowled as she leaned in the doorway and watched us walk down the hallway.
When we got to the kitchen, Mrs. Funderburke threw her hands in the air. “Oh, no! Not more green things!”
“Yes!” we replied.
“Let's see,” the cook said, as she opened the big shiny chrome refrigerator door. “We already have grapes, green peppers, snap beans, Harry's ants ...”
“ANTS?” Ida covered her mouth.
Mrs. Funderburke laughed. “Ants are a delicacy. Harry has exquisite taste.”
I made a face. I like to study ants but not
eat
them.
eat
them.
“Don't tell anyone,” Mrs. Funderburke said. “Harry wanted his ants to be a surprise.”
“We promise,” Ida said, crossing her heart.
Song Lee crossed hers twice.
After we set our things carefully inside the big refrigerator, I smelled the air in the kitchen.
“Mmmmm.
What are you baking?”
“Mmmmm.
What are you baking?”
“Oatmeal scotchies, Doug. Would you three like to sample one? They just came out of the oven.”
“Yes!”
When Mrs. Funderburke handed us a warm cookie on a napkin, Song Lee softly said, “Thank you very much.”
“Thank you very much,” Ida and I copied.
When we got back to class, Mary was waiting for us at the door. “What took you so long?”
I licked some butterscotch off my lips. “We got a cookie. A warm one right out of the oven.”
“No fair!” Mary replied.
“We also heard a secret from the cook,” Ida said.
Song Lee gave us a look. I could tell she was disappointed. Ida and I were making Mary feel left out.
“What secret?”
“We can't tell,” Ida said.
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