[00:00.00]so we would't have to move each year.

[00:03.44]And our house would have running water

[00:05.80]and pipes that worked.

[00:07.53]And inside it would have real stairs,

[00:10.03]like the houses on TV.

[00:12.61]And we'd have a basement and at least three

[00:15.32]washrooms,so when we took a bath

[00:17.75]we wouldn't have to tell everybody.

[00:20.77]Our house would be white with trees around it,

[00:23.55]a great big yard and grass growing

[00:26.04]without a fence.

[00:27.92]This was the house Papa talked about

[00:30.32]when he held a lottery ticket,

[00:32.43]and this was the house Mama dreamed up

[00:34.58]in the stories she told us

[00:36.10]before we went to bed.

[00:38.53]But the house on Mango Street

[00:40.62]is not the way they desribed it at all.

[00:43.57]It's small and red with narrow steps in front,

[00:47.49]and windows so small you'd think

[00:49.37]they were holding their breath.

[00:51.58]There is no front yard,only four little trees

[00:54.94]the city planted on the side of the street.

[00:57.79]Out back is a small garage for the car

[01:00.48]we don't own yet,and a small yard

[01:03.05]that looks smaller between the two buildings

[01:05.22]on either side.

[01:07.12]There are stairs in the house,

[01:09.03]but they're ordinary stairs,

[01:11.25]and the house has only one washroom.

[01:14.51]Everybody has to share a bedroom.Mama and Papa,

[01:18.71]Carlos and Kiki,me and Nenny.

[01:18.71]