1981 Page #3

I can't write longhand.

You can't?

At my old school

we were going to start.

Why so late?

How do I know?

- Tomorrow I have dictation.

- Tomorrow?

It's OK, I'll teach you.

I'm not working tonight.

Very funny!

What?

Your French is lousy.

We use the same letters.

Of the 100 Polish immigrants...

Their damn school reform

is to blame.

- What's that?

- It's the new way they teach kids.

That's why you can't read or write.

- I can read.

- Oh yeah?

I only see you

with your darn catalog.

I read at school.

- Yeah, what?

- Lots of stuff.

You don't read either.

- Yes I do!

- What?

All the books here are mine.

Sure, they're all cookbooks.

What? I read biographies.

What are biographies?

You'd know that if you read.

So what's the school reform

all about?

I was working the night

they explained.

All those meetings are at night.

They figure nobody works nights.

- What'll I do?

- Tell your teacher

that for a few weeks

you'll write in block letters.

She said no.

- What do you mean?

- I asked her.

What a tight-ass.

It takes time to learn.

Can't she give you till next Monday?

I dunno, I didn't ask.

Some nutcase.

I'll call her tomorrow.

Don't start!

Gimme a kiss goodbye.

Benito?

Call to see if there's

newspaper delivery here.

Yeah, yeah.

Mom, can you buy food

for Caramel?

Of course, sweetie.

Gimme a kiss.

G'night! Bye!

- Ricardo?

- What?

Get your schoolbooks.

Why?

Why? Cause for my dad,

who grew up during WWII,

nothing was impossible.

I could learn to write in longhand

between supper and the 10 pm news.

I'm falling asleep.

I think I'd gotten

as far as X by the time

Mom got home from work.

Why's he still up?

Guess.

Here.

Another one?

Maurice gave it to me.

It's the third one.

I know, but he's a drunk,

he never remembers.

I don't say a word.

Where'd you get that Coke?

From me. He worked all evening.

It's his reward.

Wow, those letters

sure are something.

He'll get a great report card!

Look at me.

You're too gorgeous!

- Stop it!

- Shh, your sister's sleeping.

Don't be stingy with your mom.

So why don't you buy any?

It ruins your teeth.

You'll have dentures like me.

So?

People with dentures

don't go to university.

Caramel!

On days we had dictation

I thought everybody else

was luckier than me,

even Caramel.

With my writing,

I'd have traded places with him.

He keeps getting fatter.

Know many people who'd rather eat

Miss Mew than do a dictation test?

"The cookies

are made of gingerbread..."

"The cookies are made

of gingerbread" comma...

I n case you hadn't noticed,

I was quite smart for my age.

I got it from my dad.

We were both fast learners.

Longhand was no big deal.

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