diff --git a/examples/hello.jt b/examples/hello.jt
index efed740..4bc50f6 100644
--- a/examples/hello.jt
+++ b/examples/hello.jt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import io
 
 // main can return int or void, void mains are handled by jortsc
 fn main () -> int {
-    io.puts("pants")
+    // todo: put it back to io.puts
+    ioputs("pants")
     0
 }
diff --git a/jortsc/parser/ast_nodes.py b/jortsc/parser/ast_nodes.py
index 18c4d7f..bff1c05 100644
--- a/jortsc/parser/ast_nodes.py
+++ b/jortsc/parser/ast_nodes.py
@@ -27,3 +27,19 @@ class Identifier:
 @dataclass
 class Import:
     module: str
+
+
+@dataclass
+class String:
+    value: str
+
+
+@dataclass
+class Number:
+    value: str
+
+
+@dataclass
+class FunctionCall:
+    function: str
+    args: list
diff --git a/jortsc/parser/lexer.py b/jortsc/parser/lexer.py
index 9405713..7d61ff7 100644
--- a/jortsc/parser/lexer.py
+++ b/jortsc/parser/lexer.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ class TokenType(Enum):
     comment_end = auto()
     whitespace = auto()
     number = auto()
+    string = auto()
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ TOKENS = [
     (r'\-\>', TokenType.reserved),
     (r'\.', TokenType.reserved),
 
-    (r'\"[^\n]*\"', TokenType.reserved),
+    (r'\"[^\n]*\"', TokenType.string),
 
     # basic math ops
     (r'[\+\-\/\*]', TokenType.reserved),
diff --git a/jortsc/parser/syntatic.py b/jortsc/parser/syntatic.py
index f6d118a..7e9bc62 100644
--- a/jortsc/parser/syntatic.py
+++ b/jortsc/parser/syntatic.py
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ from typing import Optional, Any, List
 
 from jortsc.parser.lexer import Token, TokenType
 from jortsc.parser.ast_nodes import (
-    Function, TypedVar, Identifier, Import, ReturnType
+    Function, TypedVar, Identifier, Import, ReturnType, String, Number,
+    FunctionCall
 )
 
 
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@ class Reader:
         self.cur = 0
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return f'<Reader cur={self.cur} cur_tok={self.peek()}>'
+        return (f'<Reader cur={self.cur} tot={len(self.tokens)} '
+                f'cur_tok={self.peek()}>')
 
     def peek(self) -> Optional[Token]:
         """Peek at the current token."""
@@ -168,6 +170,34 @@ def read_reserved(token: Token, reader: Reader):
     return handler(reader)
 
 
+def read_value(token: Token, _reader: Reader):
+    """Read a given value"""
+    if token.type_ == TokenType.string:
+        return String(token.value)
+    elif token.type_ == TokenType.number:
+        return Number(token.value)
+
+
+def read_statement(token: Token, reader: Reader):
+    """Read a statement"""
+    # token is an identifier, so first check for a function call
+
+    # TODO: handle more things than a function call
+    call_fn_name = token.value
+    token = reader.expect_val('(')
+    res = []
+
+    while True:
+        token = reader.next_safe()
+
+        if token.value == ')':
+            break
+
+        res.append(read_value(token, reader))
+
+    return FunctionCall(call_fn_name, res)
+
+
 def read_start(reader: Reader):
     """Read the start of a program."""
     print('reader', reader)
@@ -181,8 +211,6 @@ def read_start(reader: Reader):
     ast = []
     res = []
 
-    print('cur', token)
-
     # handle blocks
     if token.value == '{':
         # next can be a whitespace, or a }
@@ -193,10 +221,12 @@ def read_start(reader: Reader):
         if token.type_ == TokenType.whitespace:
             # keep going on reading
             while True:
-                token = reader.next()
-                print(token)
+                token = reader.peek()
+                print('block append', token)
 
                 if token.value == '}':
+                    print('block end')
+                    reader.next()
                     break
 
                 res.extend(read_start(reader))
@@ -211,7 +241,9 @@ def read_start(reader: Reader):
         return []
 
     elif token.type_ == TokenType.identifier:
-        res = [Identifier(token.value)]
+        res = read_statement(token, reader)
+    else:
+        res = read_value(token, reader)
 
     ast.append(res)
     return ast
@@ -228,13 +260,9 @@ def read_loop(reader: Reader):
         if ast is None:
             break
 
-        try:
-            inner = ast[0]
-        except IndexError:
-            inner = None
+        # TODO: better ast cleanup
 
-        if ast and not inner:
-            final_ast.append(ast)
+        final_ast.append(ast)
 
     return final_ast