Amy Novesky - Me, Frida

Then she packed her blue trunk,
and she and Diego flew north. Frida
had never left Mexico before.

Soon they were standing in the
very city shed paintedDiego, big
as an elephant; Frida, a lovely little
bird on his arm.

They lived at 716 Montgomery Street, in the
artists quarter. Beneath a leaky glass roof and
dangling globes of light, they drank caf con leche
and ate sliced oranges.

Outside, the world was cool and gray. Frida felt
very far away from home.

Diego was working on a mural for the city. While
he sketched, Frida was restless. She strummed a
guitar. She sang Mexican folk songs called corridos.

Quiet, querida , cooed Diego. He loved his
beloveds singing, but there was work to be done.

Before Diego began painting, he
wanted to study his subject. Frida
followed him as he explored the city.

They climbed up and down its
many steep hills. They gazed up at
its shiny skyscrapers. Diego thought
they were great, like ancient ruins.
Frida disagreed.

They explored orchards and oil derricks,
a gold mine, and redwood groves. They stood
beneath the towering trees.

Diego felt empowered by everything he saw.
Frida fell asleep on the way home.

And then, with a team of assistants, Diego
went to work painting entire city walls.

Some nights, he didnt come home at all.
Other nights, Mr. and Mrs. Diego Rivera
attended parties. The citys elite celebrated
Diego. Frida stood quietly at his side. No
one even looked at her.

On the long days without Diego, Frida
felt lost. She was in a foreign city. She didnt
speak much English. And she didnt have
many friends.

So Frida started exploring the city on her own.
She wandered through narrow street markets.
She touched pretty birds in tiny, ornate cages and
searched in little shops for silk to make skirts. She
admired moon-faced babies.

Frida especially loved Chinatown. It smelled of
incense, fish, and fog.

Soon Frida felt bolder and rode on a streetcar.
She took a ferry across the Golden Gate and walked
in the green headlands high above the ocean.

From there, she could see the entire glittering