Big Trouble
Three days later, after school, Pedro dug the point of the knife into the block of cheese and cut himself another thin slice. Then he got a green pepper from the refrigerator and washed it. He cut it from one end up to make crooked rings of pepper. He put those on top of the cheese. Now there he had it: the perfect cheese and green pepper sandwich. A gourmet’s delight.
Dad never understood about cheese and pepper sandwiches. He was a hotdog and chips kind of guy. There were some things they would never agree on.
Take privacy, for example. Three days had passed since Pedro stood in line for the fake Santa at Shoemaker’s and gave him his letter. And during those three days, Dad had not stopped pestering him about it. He was upset that Pedro had written the letter alone. He thought Pedro could at least have shown the letter to him, his only father, before sending it. He would rather have gone with him to Shoemaker’s, even though he went there every day for work in the Big and Tall men’s clothing section.
And he insisted on knowing what Pedro had listed on it.
“Is it that new game for the computer, Little Bear?” Dad asked at breakfast.
“It’s that construction set, the one you build robots with, right?” he asked after school.
“Is it an MP4 player?” he asked when he was kissing Pedro good night.
“Dad,” Pedro said every time. “Don’t fret. This is something between Santa and me. Why do you want to know, anyway?”
“Oh!” Dad would say. “But I have to know, Little Bear. I’m your father!”
Pedro bit into his perfect cheese and green pepper sandwich and shook his head. He would not yield. He was determined to keep it a surprise. Not a word would cross his lips.
The front door opened. Dad came in. Pedro could tell right away that he was upset. He had that don’t-mess-with-me look: eyebrows close together, lips closed tight, shoulders slightly hunched.
Pedro put his perfect cheese and green pepper sandwich on the plate and smiled.
“Hi, Dad,” he said. “How was work?”
“Do you know what this is?” asked Dad, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket.
Pedro knew right there and then that he was in big trouble.