“Tell anyone who makes friends with you,” he said, “that your brother is a very good painter and if they become your friend, he will paint portraits of them, their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their uncles, their aunts, their grandparents, their godparents …”

He listed every possible family connection until we were both laughing too hard for him to continue.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7

At Moy’s suggestion, I spent the whole weekend reviewing everything we have studied in class since I started school. I think if I review the week’s lessons thoroughly every weekend, I might be able to keep up.

Handsome and clever, too, that’s Moy.

MONDAY, JANUARY 8

Manman started work today in one of Franck’s restaurants, the same one where Papa works. She will be cooking in the kitchen. She seemed happy to leave the house, even if the work is only part-time for now.

She will be home by the time I return from school every day.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9

Manman likes her work. I am so glad. I just hope she can control the stove at the restaurant. She still has trouble controlling the one we have at home.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10

Moy has taken up running. Every morning, he gets up, puts on his exercise clothes, and goes running in the cold.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11

Mr. Marius put me together with someone today. (I think he felt sorry for me.) She is Immacula Cadet, a soft-spoken girl, whose best friend is Faidherbe, the boy who always wears his shirts buttoned up to the top. Immacula wears only black clothes, as though she is mourning the death of a loved one.

After the morning homeroom, Mr. Marius called us both outside and said he noticed from our address cards that we lived in the same neighborhood and that perhaps we should take the bus together.

Immacula asked how come she hadn’t seen me at the bus stop in the afternoons. I said my father picked me up after school and dropped me off in the morning, but I wanted to learn to take the bus by myself.

Mr. Marius asked if she could help me do that and she said yes.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12

I told Papa I found someone to help me with the bus and would like to try it again. He said if I really wanted to, I could.

Papa will still take me in the mornings on his way to work, but starting next week, I will come home on the bus with Faidherbe and Immacula.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13

Moy is painting again. When he paints inside the house, however, the smell makes our eyes water, so even though it’s cold outside, he has to open all the windows.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14

The weekend lesson review is a great success. I am starting to make a little more sense of my classes.

MONDAY, JANUARY 15

No school today. Our American history teacher, Mr. Casimir, had told us that it is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.