Answer:
The flashback just before the end of the story affects the passage because:
It demonstrates how much the narrator has changed through this experience, which is a surprise.
Step-by-step explanation:
This question refers to the short story "Whistling my Troubles Away." Benito, the main character, takes the job as a camp counselor to do his favorite cousin a favor and to make some extra money in order to buy himself a new computer. However, before accepting the job, he tells his cousin he does not know what to do with the children, much less how to help them with coming up with a performance. As the story progresses, Benito evolves. He grows closer to the kids and, as it turns out, one of his habits, whistling, is enough to come up with an adorable performance for the parents to watch. That's when the flashback occurs:
I thought back to my conversation with Luci, just a few weeks ago.
“I don’t even like little kids,” I had told her. “And I certainly don’t know how to do drama with them.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Luci had assured me. And she had been right.
I smiled at Camila. “I’ll take it.” I said. “I know exactly what to do with the next group of kids.”
Notice how much Benito has grown and changed. He is now confident in his abilities, confident that things will work out. That is the purpose of the flashback. It affects the passage by showing readers how this experienced has changed Benito.