Back to the Old Street

Clara comes back to her old town after ten years. She is happy, but she is also nervous. She walks from the station to the street of her old house.

The bakery on the corner is now a phone shop. Clara is sad, but she is curious. She reads a sign: there is a new library. Everything is different.

At the end of the street, she sees Mr Ortega, an old neighbour. He tells terrible jokes. He looks at her for a long time. “You look like your mother,” he says. They talk about old friends.

Mr Ortega says, “The old school is closing. There are not many students.” He also says, “Miss Vega, your teacher, lives near here.” Clara writes the address.

The next morning, Clara knocks on a green door. Miss Vega is eighty-four. She remembers every student. They have tea and look at old photos. Clara feels at home.