Learning the Game
- Gear up to flash forward in time again. It's now the end of seventh grade and Francisco is sad that the year is over. Most kids are happy about summer vacation, but for our main man, summer vacation means picking strawberries, grapes, and cotton before starting school part way through the year. It isn't exactly relaxing.
- When Francisco gets home, the guys in town want to play a game called kick-the-can. Carlos, this dude who kinda seems like a bully, bosses everyone around, and when a kid named Manuelito wants to join, Carlos says no way. But at least Francisco forgets about school ending while he's playing the game, so that's cool.
- The next day Francisco is off to pick strawberries. He meets a new bloke named Gabriel, who's picking strawberries for the first time.
- They all eat lunch together and learn that their new pal is a seriously hard worker who has three kids whom he sends money to each week.
- One day, Francisco and Gabriel go work for a nearby farm where the guy in charge is a total jerk. He tells Gabriel to pull a plow, which is pretty demeaning. Gabriel says that oxen are meant to pull machinery and he isn't the same as an ox—things get heated, the two men almost get into a big fist fight, and the contractor in charge leaves. Sheesh, that was intense.
- After work, it's time for kick-the-can and yep, that bully Carlos is still around. You can bet that Francisco isn't in the mood to have a bully on the block, so Francisco tells Manuelito he can come play. When Carlos fights back, Francisco stands his ground and says he just won't play then—so Carlos gives in and Manuelito gets to play. Yay.
- But there's bad news the next day: Gabriel has been fired. Sad face.