Growing Home

Growing Home Stories and drawings by

Isyeanne larasati putri Colors by

Ismi qomariyah Muhammad Emil Zaky Ramadhan

Hello there, I'm Isyeanne the the creator of thi s comic. I had the privilege of growing up in an env ironment that allowed me to meet a wide diversity of peo ple, cultures, backgrounds and I am very grateful for that. It has been a major aspect of my upbringing and identity.

This comic that you hold is made of a couple stories from my teenage years in which I have learnt or understood lessons and values that are import ant in grounding myself as a person. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed reminiscing and reflecting upon my super youth.

I'd like to extend special thanks to Sendie, Sen delle and the Edmond family because if it weren’t for everyone I would not have any of these memories to wri te. Sendie and Sendelle you’re the bestest hermanas any one could have asked for.

Between old laundry and dust, sitting on a sofa... Lies and old battered stuffed toy.

Sure it doesn’t look like much but this is a special Teddy.

1

E

CLOS

ff *Sni ff *Sni

I’m no ordinary teddy, I’m special & EXTRA snoopy. No, not like the dog. I like sniffing around,.

and this is when I catch ip with my owner’s life, but today I feel like reminiscing and sharing a blast from the past

Because I want and I can.

Who’s going to stop an old bear recounting old tales? Also my owner has huge communication issues, maybe one of you can remind her to say ‘I love you’ more to people.

Ah here it is, a teenage girl’s diary.. so juicy.

Perhaps a bit much to read a teen girl’s diary, but oh the raw honesty, first lessons, friendships and hot shame one bares.

Perhaps there would be something in here for you too.

Look She’s assembled them into..

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An actual table of contents – what a dork.

My name is Isyeanne, I recently moved to this new country..

Philippines!

I’ve been here for a while, well long enough to get to know some new acquaintances but I still feel alone and I get homesick from time to time.

I moved out here with my uncle’s family, because they’re here to study and I wanted to have a chance to learn somewhere else and take a leap.

The New Neighbours

Explore what lies out there I guess.

It’s still pretty scary.

It’s still pretty scary to not have my mom with me I’ve never been this far away from her but I want to be a little bit brave I think.

Don’t get me wrong, people have been really friendly to me but I still feel like a bit of an outsider.

Ring

Hello? She’s here..

Ring

v

Isyeanne there’s someone on the phone for you!

Hello.. Yeah its me Isyeanne.

What there’s a new family? Are you guys welcoming them?

Wait me too? Now? Okay, okay I’ll be at the benches in a minute.

What’s that about?

I guess I gotta go?

How am I supposed to welcome new people when I’m fairly new myself?

I’m going out for a bit to say hi to new neighbours.

Oh well, I guess I’ll just show up with a fruit.

see ya.

7

Hey Isyeanne!

We’re just waiting for the rest.

Thats alright, do you know where the new family is from?

Ha

Ha

They’re from Haiti.. And I heard that the family has sons.

Don’t know much, but they sound cute. I mean Haiti, Caribbean, beaches..

It sounds like cute people things.

Guys! Sorry that took a while, you guys want to head up?

Ha Ha

Ha

Yup, they live on the fourth floor.

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I hate stairs.

A few moments later...

Why do they live so far up? Is this all worth it? Why don’t we have lifts?

2

nd

floor

If they added lifts I think our parents would be in debt till the second coming.

Come on you guys, new latino boys our age.. We are on our way! We have faith

You give mom vibes and moms usually are welcoming committees

Peshy, you should press the doorbell.

pant Pant pant

Eish, you guys huh? Fine I’ll ring the ka* bell.

*ka - Small thing

Iyeh..

Come on you guys, new latino boys our age.. We are on our way! We have faith

Halo? How can we help you?

Hello! Welcome to Philippines!

We wanted to come by and say welcome to you and your family

Ah, thank you girls.

Let me call the rest of My family..

Oui! We’re coming Mom!

Sendie, Sendelle!

There’s guests that are wel� coming us!

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That’s great, all of us are in 8th grade too! That’s so cool!

I guess we’ll be in the same class!

Halo, my name is Sendelle.. I’ll be studying in 8th grade. What about you guys?

Woah, biology sounds super cool!

Halo! I’m Sendie the older sibling.

I’m going to be starting out college soon. I want to take up biology.

Maybe you guys want to come in? So you can put the food and fruits on the table? maybe sit down and have some food and drink no?

Yes please!

We have some cassava from back in Haiti and chokola aisyen which is a Hatian chocolate drink.

Do you have brothers that are on the way?

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Where do you guys do your braids?

That would be great! Would you really do that?

We do them ourselves, why? Would you like me to help you guys out with a braid?

Yeah! Of course, I can braid to we can all help out.

We can all do each other’s hair!

Except me i’m wearing a wig now.

I can’t braid and I have never had my hair in any braided style really.

What about you?

Can I braid your hair then?

Okay, go for it.

A Bit of hair tugging and brushing later

Sorry, didn’t mean to pull a bit hard. This usually doesn’t hurt for me.

That’s just petroleum jelly, your hair is a lot harder to braid and keep in place because its so slippery

Woah what’s all the stuff that you’re adding?

What’s petroleum jelly even?

It makes my hair really oily.

I’ve never done this before. Ow

Don’t move!

Woah! ouch! ouch! ouch!

don’t know what this is?

What did I agree to?

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Is this going to get off quick? I’m scared this is perma� nent.. If it is I think my family would be upset at me.

I have never experienced this?

Woah! Hey what’s WRong?

Guys can this stop I’m scared to go home like this because I don’t know if this is going to be permanent.

Hey its okay, let me explain this to you. We use all these different products because our hair is different from yours and our hair needs this.

Because kinky hair absorbs and needs the moisture.

That’s okay, we usually braid our hair because braiding it can help our hair grow and protect our hair.

I know that you’ve never had to do anything like this because your hair is built different from ours.

I’m sorry this is all new, and I don’t even know how all these hair products work or what not. I’ve never experienced anything like this.

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Braiding is more than just a fashionable thing to us, it is also a part of our culture, ART and history. It’s a huge part of our identities.

Will I be okay? Is this going to change my hair permanently too?

to be honest, i feel really dumb and bad right now. you’re sure this petrolo jelly washes off right?

NO SILLY, that’s not how hair structure works. This will probably curl your hair but that’s just temporary. Also petroleum jelly is like super moisturiser.

Of course! i’m sorry i was too rough with you too. let me help you up.

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We want to learn more about you too Isyeanne. I mean how do you even take care of your hair?

Honestly, I just put shampoo wash it, sleep and wake up with what� ever my bedhead is. I mean I brush my hair once a week if I don’t forget.

and when all was said and done

I’ll give you dreads next times.

This isn’t so bad.

NOT BAD AT ALL. the end.

16

The Typhoon Okay Mom, Dad. Everything is fine here. See you guys soon after your conference.

Guys look at the weather!

It’s raining up a storm out there.

Do you think we’ll have no school tomorrow?

Okay Mom, Dad. Everything is fine here. See you guys soon after your conference.

It’s a giant rotating storm that brings rain, wind.

the governor says no school for all school levels!

Apparently the storm is a typhoon?

It’s a hurricane that happens in the North Pacific Oceans. Like the East Asia area, What’s that?

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I mean we should be fine right? I mean we’re safe and there’s no school!

WO

OOO O O O OH

BEYONCE DANCE PARTY!!!.

And this went on for quite.. A while

IT’S ONE OF THE TALLEST TREES!!

CRASH 18

The storm is really going all out huh.

BOOOO OOOOO M!!!!

Isyeanne please this is our first typhoon too how would we know

What was that? The power is really out?!

Did you know that typhoons get this bad?

I don’t know!

I was asking!

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Hey hey guys let’s all just sleep in the living room today okay? We’ll make it like a sleep over right?

Okay this is getting really scary!

Why do we live on the top floor isn’t that closer to lightning?

We could OUR DEVICES as a light source

I’ll take out all our blankets

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It’s surprisingly really cold with the storm and what not.

Will we really be okay? I’m scared. What if we sleep and the roof is just gone.

Yeah at first this was fun but it’s kinda getting out of control.

Yeah, how’d we even miss the bus? But really what if the windows just give out. I miss mom and dad.

I’m just glad mom and dad are out of the country. I mean we know for sure they’re safe right.

And I know this is scary guys but we’ll be okay. We always find ways to have fun right?

Me too, I really miss mom’s food. I wish we had frite or mom’s macaroni pie.

Do you miss mom and dad or do you miss not being hungry?

Both

r g

r r

r r

I’m hungry though. I wish we had something to eat

Just airflake crackers really

snap

We’ll have something good for breakfast don’t worry.

I know we’re struggling but this helps me feel like it’s more filling.

Are you putting ketchup on yours?

Ta-da!!

You know what?

I have an idea

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I don’t understand?

What’s that for?

Well it’s just a superstition belief back in Haiti that if we but an X in front of a door that a bad thing won’t come through. Maybe the storm won’t come through you know?

Hahaha, The door should be enough.

Come over here you guys

Maybe so.

Should we put Xs on the windows too?

but I’m glad that it’s you guys I’m with.

We can’t do much to prevent anything.

It’s been a lot more fun trying to with you guys.

the typhoon came and went and soon it was morning.

Morning you guys, the typhoon cleared up sometime in the early morning and the market was able to open up so I got us some plantain for.. frite!

Some people are okay, some people need help.

After breakfast we could go out and help around.

we made it?

We’re alive!

we survived a typhoon only to eat burnt food YUM! But, what is that?

Why is mom’s green pan.. black?

it’s breakfast

food is still food

the end.

24

the big bye

Before I knew it, it was mom and dad’s turn for graduation season.

We grew so close to each other, ourselves and before I knew it, it was time to leave and start new chapters.. pursue new things.

but I don’t think I’m ready or I want to..

I don’t even know what I want exactly..

Hello are you there?

Just nervous you know. Where do we go from here?

Yeah? Sorry, I’m just thinking about things.

I mean you guy’s are leaving and I don’t know what I’m doing in premed.

What about?

We’ll do what we need to do.

And what do I need?

Su

So..

I overheard, you guys wanna take a walk?

n ! u o m

*Sumoun - Someone who can’t mind their own business

Yeah, the school is pretty good and it has what I need. Besides I guess I’ll get to be fluent in Spanish now

And you’re going back to Haiti?

So.. You’re really doing Mexico huh?

Oui, gonna take some new courses and get into counsel� ling ya know. but we’ll see.

STOP TALKING!

Woah..

Hey Didn’t you have a crush on him?

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Hey! Let’s sit by the well

think I’ll miss this a lot. I’ll miss you guys and us.

So would we you know.

I’m pretty excited but nervous about being left in Mexico alone but I really want to go to medschool.

I think I messed up when I went to premed.

We’ll all be in different countries.

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It’s the Orion’s belt!

You can always spot it.

Kinda like us you know.

it’s a shooting star!

Everyone make a wish!

I hope that somehow some cosmic universal glue binds us and they won’t forget me I don’t and leave me all want to just alone. grow apart and distant and walk into the unknown alone sigh.. Seems like a tall order but pleaseee universe?

Yeah it’s a bit hectic since some of the family is here for the graduation, we might have to go ahead.

C’mon hurry up!

Before we get bad seats!

And people were excited for graduation season.

Alright, alright I’m ready let’s go.

Graduates were happy, congratulating each other.

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Alphabetical family pictures please! The Edmond family!

You’re next

Wait!

We can’t take the picture yet! Where’s Isyeanne?

I’m here! coming!

I should’ve wished for cooking skills.

the end.

And then they all grew up to be so much more than they even expected. But I expect more,

I mean not to be a tiger mom but they’re so young and Sendie there’s so much more to learn. has currently graduated medical school

she has a newfound passion of playing doctor and getting her pictures taken.

Support her on G*tty Pictures.

With actual human breathing children! So far she hasn’t killed anyone.

Sendelle is a vice principle for a school!

She wants the readers to know that her eyebrows are so much better now though.

And well my Isyeanne?

I guess she doesn’t need me as much anymore but she eventually found her path back to arts…

she slipped into illustration somehow.

And to be honest I can’t wait to see what more adventures these girls slip themselves into but...

OH SOMEONE’s coming!

I thought I just cleaned this up before I left.. huh

the end.

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embark on a journey oF FriendshiP, discovery of the present... and presence, of mind.

Based on a collection of memories and (mis)adventures of isyeannE AND HER FRIENDS NAVIGATING THROUGH THE ROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD WE CALL ADOLESCENCE.