Baseball in April and Other Stories

One morning, Manuel, who longs to be in the spotlight, thinks about the talent show for which he volunteered to lip-synch the song “La Bamba.” At lunch, his friend Benny advises him to dance as well. However, when it is Manuel’s turn to perform at rehearsal later that day, Mr. Roybal, the talent show supervisor, cannot get the record player to work. As a result, Manuel watches everyone else’s routines and twirls the record on his finger. When Benny comes on stage and loudly plays the trumpet, Manuel accidentally drops the record. Relieved when it does not break, he wipes it down.

All night, he thinks of his performance. He even practices in the shower. In bed, though, he prays and worries. Once, for Science Week, he had been so excited to show everyone how a flashlight worked that when it was his turn to present his project, the battery was dead. Feigning confidence, Manuel convinces himself that nothing will go wrong this time.

The next morning, despite his parents’ questions, he stays quiet, wanting his performance to be a surprise. The day goes by quickly, and soon he finds himself backstage, listening as the crowd files in and Mr. Roybal welcomes everyone.