Lola and her family live in a small apartment in a building called The Park The building is in the middle of the city There is no park But there is traffic Honk hooonk go the cars Lola has one older sister Lola thinks her sister has the better name Cle men ti na sounds so much better than Lo la Clementina is taller than Lola And her braid is longer than Lola's arm You have such beautiful hair says Lola When you're older you'll have hair just as beautiful says Clementina Lola looks at herself in the mirror Her hair is coarse and wiry like a terrier Clementina paints very well The other day she painted a cat so perfect it licked its paw when she was done She's talented our Clementina says Papi Mami nods Lola looks at her own painting Her camel looks like a whale
Clementina has friends They wear pretty ruffled dresses and have ice cream in the kitchen Then they go into Clementina's room and close the door Let me in says Lola as she knocks on the door Not now says Clementina When you're older you'll get your own room Not fair says Lola She hides in the closet in Mami and Papi's bedroom The closet smells like Mami's perfume There are many boxes in the dark corners behind the long coats Lola opens the first one Winter clothes Pfew They smell like mothballs
Lola opens the second one Letters so many letters Lola recognizes Abuelita's tiny handwriting Abuelita she says I miss you The third box has a red lid with golden writing It looks expensive Lola lifts the lid carefully A pair of shoes They have high heels and go toc toc on the wooden floor toc toc through the hallway toc toc into the kitchen Mami is sitting at the sewing machine The sewing machine goes tictictictic tictictictic
