A Visitor in Grandma's Kitchen
1On a warm summer evening, Imani and her cousin Diego were drying dishes at Grandma Bea's house. Suddenly, something small and tan skittered across the wall above the sink.
2Imani dropped her towel. "Something is on the wall!" she shrieked. She backed away until she bumped into the refrigerator. What if it jumps on me? she thought. Her heart thumped like a drum.
3Diego leaned closer instead. "Whoa, it's a gecko," he whispered. He stood very still so he would not scare it away. How can it walk straight up a wall? he wondered.
4Grandma Bea hurried in from the porch, wiping her hands on her apron. When she saw the gecko, she chuckled. "That's only Pepper," she said. "He lives on the porch and eats the bugs near the light. He must have slipped inside when I opened the door."
5The gecko turned its big round eyes toward Imani. "He is kind of cute," she admitted in a small voice. Her shoulders slowly relaxed, and she took one tiny step closer.
6Diego found a plastic cup and a piece of stiff paper. "Can I carry him outside?" he asked. Grandma Bea nodded. Diego gently slid the cup over Pepper, and Imani held the screen door open wide. Diego set the cup down on the porch rail and lifted it, and Pepper darted off into the dark. "Good night, Pepper!" Imani called with a smile.