in t as excited as my motured t of me as many different images, trying eacy ballerina girl standing by tains, ing to  music t ing on my tiptoes. I  ced out of tray. I epping from oon music filling the air.

    In all of my imaginings, I  I . My moto sulk for anything.

    But sometimes tient. quot;If you dont  me out of ; it ;And t;

    Every niger dinner, my mot at tcable. S neests, taking ories of amazing c or Not, or Good , and a dozen ot in a pile in our bat t assortment. Sories about remarkable children.

    t nig out a story about a tals of all tates and even most of tries. A teaced as saying ttle boy could also pronounce ties correctly.

    quot;s tal of Finland?quot; my mot tory.

    All I kneal of California, because Sacramento reet ;Nairobi!quot; I guessed, saying t foreign o see if t o pronounce quot; ; before she answer.

    tests got iplying numbers in my s in a deck of cards, trying to stand on my  using my ing temperatures in Los Angeles, New York, and London.

    One nigo look at a page from tes and t everyt;No; I said.

    And after seeing my moted face once again, someto die. I ed tests, tations. Before going to bed t nigaring back—and t it o cry. Succrying to scratc the mirror.

    And t seemed to be t face before. I looked at my reflection, blinking so I could see more clearly. taring back at me s, s, or rats filled s of s. I  let  be .

    So nos, I performed listlessly, my ended to be bored. And I  so bored I started cou