When I was 10 years old, my family went to live in a neighborhood called Vilanova, in Avaré, a small city located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It was a very hard time for my parents because of financial problems. However, for me and my brothers, Bill and Kina, it was an unforgettably wonderful time. The summer nights were the best, because we used to play around until 10 o’clock. The neighborhood was full of trees, which made our hide-and-seek so much fun. One night, during the game, I stepped on a frog, and my brother Bill told me, “Now you become a frog, too!” I believed that blindly and faithfully. All the children laughed, and then I got scared, started crying, and went home.

When I came back later, we played a little bit more. On the way home, as we were passing through a little forest, all the frogs suddenly appeared because it was about to rain. As I was dodging the frogs, Bill said, “It’s no use. You are already in transformation.” Then Bill stepped on a slug. Naturally, I thought that he would now become a slug and started to enjoy the idea of becoming a frog a bit more. When we got home, we told our father about our transformations, but Dad just said, “Bullshit. This never happens. You guys take a shower now, and go to bed. You have class tomorrow.” Oh, Daddy!

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Born in Brazil in 1978, Gizele Justo de Oliveira worked as a registered nurse. She came to New York in July 2019, with her son and her husband. She and her family are enjoying being New Yorkers. She says she loves New York City because it is different every day. She also likes music and chocolate. Gizele Justo de Oliveira attends English classes with teacher Elke Stappert at the New York Public Library’s Washington Heights branch.