Read Online Yeny and the Children for Peace by Michelle Mulder - Free Book Online

grown-ups thought the children’s vote was a good idea.
    For the rest of the day, Yeny wondered what she should do about her parents. In the end, she decided to tell them what she planned on doing in the afternoons for the next two weeks—or at least she’d tell them
some
of it. She’d say she was going tosmall meetings. They didn’t seem to have any problem with that. And she’d tell them that Elena and Rosa and Sylvia were going too. That would make both Yeny’s mother and Aunt Nelly happy. They always liked the idea of the older kids looking out for the younger ones.
    â€œThey’ll never let us go to the election itself, though,” Elena told Yeny that afternoon, when they were out behind the house, washing clothes. “There’s no point trying to convince them.”
    Yeny was scrubbing at a grass stain in her white trousers. Elena was washing twice as fast as Yeny was.
    â€œMaybe you’re right,” said Yeny, “but things can change. Papá always said he’d never live in the city, but look at us now.”
    â€œYes,
gracias a Dios,”
Elena said, blowing her long black hair out of her eyes. “So much more interesting than the village.”
    Yeny made a face. Sure the city was exciting now because of all the meetings and the vote, but Yeny would rather be in the village any day. She would love to step out the door of her house and see María Cristina and a dozen other friends.
    Yeny and Elena had nothing in common. But they’d have to work together to persuade their parents about the election.
    â€œIf I try to talk to them about the vote,” Yeny asked, “will you help me?” It should have been the older sister standing bravely against the parents, she thought, but Elena had never been particularly brave.

    Elena shrugged. “I want to go to the election as much as you do, and I’ll say so if they ask. I’m only telling you not to get your hopes up.”
    Yeny held up her white trousers. The grass stain was finally gone. “Good,” she said. “As long as we stick together.”
    In the two weeks before the vote, Yeny was hardly ever home. She was always busy talking to other children, making signs about the election, or visiting Rocio next door.
    â€œI’m so happy you’re making friends,” her mother said one evening. She was cutting thick
yuca
root on a plastic plate, first slicing away the waxy brown skin, and then chopping the rest into big chunks. (Yeny hoped she was making
sancocho
, a delicious soup full of meat, potatoes, plantains, and yuca.) Mamá finished chopping one root and grabbed another. Then the
clack clack
of her knife stopped for a moment, and she turned to Yeny. “I’m proud of you for helping to organize the next party too, you know. I was pretty worried about you on the day of the last one. I know you had your heart set on going.”
    Yeny squirmed in her seat and stared down at her homework. Mamá was being so nice that she almost felt guilty for not telling her about the election. Adult elections could be very dangerous, with bombs and everything, and since there had never been an election for kids before, no one knew if it would be any different.Personally, Yeny thought the armed groups would look pretty silly if they got scared of a bunch of kids. But she didn’t know if her parents would agree. They seemed afraid of everything these days. When she talked to them, she would have to stay calm and make sure she didn’t say anything scary.
    â€œI only want to make friends, Mamá,” she said. “It’s lonely here in the city sometimes. I miss always having something to do in the village, and I especially miss María Cristina.”
    Mamá started slicing a carrot. “Well, you seem to be doing a great job of fitting in,” she said. “I like to see you come home from your meetings so excited. Both your father and I are proud