The first time we saw the swing and the slide and the garden of the green house with the big windows my mother sat down in a chair in the backyard and said she did not want to get up Tais Tais and I looked at the garden and she pointed out tomatoes green beans and a watermelon round as my mother’s belly
Tais Tais knelt down to touch the dirt I asked my mother if I could try the swing and she said Yes Paj Ntaub
The green house became our house I helped Tais Tais hang the special story cloth about how the Hmong got to America on the empty wall by the big window of the living room
We saw an old man and woman through the window They waved We waved back Later my mother and father brought me across the street The old man’s name was Bob and the old woman’s name was Ruth Up close I could see that they were even older than Tais Tais
