Secrets of Our Lives by RAHS EL

Secrets of Our Lives

SECRETS OF OUR LIVES Written by Roseville Area High School EL Level 4 Students

SECRETS OF OUR LIVES Copyright ÂŠ 2017 by Roseville Area High School EL Level 4 Students. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

For more information, or if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to purchase a copy of the book, contact James Housworth at james.housworth@isd623.org

Book and Cover design by Canva Design

Contents VIRIDIANA AMIS ........................................................................ by V.P. 10 A LESSON OF LIFE .................................................................... by P.G. 13 THE BLAZE ................................................................................... by R.A. 16 THE STORY OF MY GRANDMA ............................................ by C.Y. 19 THE SEPARATION MADE ME GROW UP ......................... by C.L. 22 THE MEAN WATER BALLOON ............................................. by T.X. 25 MY FRIEND .................................................................................... by S.H. 27 THE WORST SIX MONTHS ..................................................... by H.A. 30 BEST FRIENDS AGAIN!............................................................ by D.G. 38 LIFE OF A REFUGEE ................................................................ by K.M. 40 GOING TO HOLLYWOOD ...................................................... by Y.A. 42 THE BIG CHANGE ........................................................................by J.R. 46 STEALING MANGOES.............................................................. by P.B. 48 NEW YORK â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;09 ............................................................................ by K.H. 50 DECISION BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD THINGS ........by E.S. 51

MY LESSON .................................................................................. by G.T. 53 DREAMS ........................................................................................ by P.M. 56 LOSING A FRIEND .................................................................... by M.S. 58 MY FIRST TIME IN MEXICO .................................................. by B.A. 60

Dedicated to our families

VIRIDIANA AMIS Written by V.P.

hen you look at me, what do you see? You see a happy girl who's always smiling and laughing, right? Well my past is actually very different from being happy. Here's my story. January 10, 2002 is the day I came into this world. My mom and dad were not together when they had me, they both went their separate ways and found new partners after I was born. I lived with my mom and her husband Mike. When you hear the word “mother” what do you think of? You think of a selfless, loving human who must sacrifice many of her wants and needs for the wants and needs of her children. A mother works hard to make sure their child is equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to make it as a successful human being. My mom, on the other hand, is an alcoholic and a drug addict. There were days where she didn't act like a mother. My days as an eight year old went from getting candy and hugs to getting beat badly with cable cords and getting spit at. There were times where she'd throw wooden drawers at me, she'd pull my hair till it fell out, and she’d punch me till she wanted to stop. Several times as she'd punch me, I'd stand there crying, begging for her to stop, but she only stopped till she thought it was enough. It was almost every single day where I'd go to school beat

Secrets of Our Lives

up from the night before. I'd cry to my teachers, telling them I don't wanna go home, but nothing was ever done. Her words hurt worse than the dark bruises that were left all over my body. “You’re a mistake I can't take back,” “I regret meeting your dad and having you,” “I'd wish you'd burn in hell.” Little did she know, that's what she was putting me through. I had a sister, but she was the only one who had a normal childhood and wished she could go back, meanwhile I'd sit there getting beat every single day wishing it was different for me. One day, after one year, I was finally taken away from her and put into a hospital because I was in serious need of medical help. After the nurse finished taking pictures of the marks and bruises I had on my body, she sat next to me and she said, “You won't be seeing your mother anymore.” I have never heard such beautiful words before. I was put into several foster homes, people didn't want me because I was super boney and I was always crying, they thought I was a crazy child. Little did they know I just wanted to be happy and I wanted to be loved. My life went from walking through hell everyday to being able to smile and laugh with others. I am currently living with my grandma and my two aunts. I am very outgoing and some even say I'm an extrovert. I have no contact with my mother. My childhood with her went from her being the best person on earth to being the most hated. There will be a moment in my life where she will be gone forever, but it feels like she’s never really ever been there, so when that day comes I’ll continue to be the smart, healthy, beautiful, clumsy, successful person that she didn’t help me become. You only get one mom and you only get one dad. I currently have neither and am practically raising myself. So I suggest you appreciate what you have and tell your parents you love them every chance you get. Because that chance was taken away from me. 11

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Thank you.

A LESSON OF LIFE Written by P.G.

s it okay to not know things in life? Is it okay to be confused about how you feel? Is it okay to think different than other people? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always asked these kinds of questions to myself, trying to figure out answers for it. I still havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t found answers for some of them. It was cold and windy night. I was sitting in the corner of my couch. I was talking to my friend like usual. My niece and nephew were jumping, yelling, laughing, playing around, they were happy. And they knew that they were happy. Then my sister in-law came up to me like something surprising, something really good or even better had happen.

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At that time my mother was talking to someone in her room. My sister in-law was giggling and smiling. Then, she told me that my mother was actually talking to my father. I was really surprised and shocked. My mother and father haven’t had even a little talk ever since like I was born. And I’m 15 years old now. Also my father never lived with us. It’s not like I’ve never seen my father, I have but not a lot. I would see him like three to five times in a year. Whenever I’d seen him, I would just ask him for some money like five to ten dollar. I never actually never had good conversation with him. And I’ve always felt guilty for the separation between them, because they separated since I was born. I know that they had many different reasons for that but even knowing that I’ve always thought that I was the reason why they were separate. I’ve always thought that, if I wasn’t born then they would be still together and happy. So, I was really surprised. Then my mother came up to me. She said that my father wanted to talk to me. At that time I didn’t know what to feel. I was asking myself, should I feel happy about or sad or mad? But why would I feel mad or sad about it? I should be happy, but I was not sure about it either. So I put a big and happy smile on my face. But inside I was really confused about my feeling. I knew that fake, unreal smile on my face would make my mother, my father, and my sister inlaw think, that I was really happy. And I felt like this is not right. I shouldn’t be faking at this time. I was so concerned about what am I going to say to him, what is he going to ask me and how am I going to answer his question back. That I didn’t care about my fake smile on my face and if it was right or wrong to do it. Then my mother gave me her phone, I grabbed it and I hopped on the couch, acting super happy and excited. Oh and my friend was still on the call. I just put my phone on my pocket and I started talking to my father. I said “baba” which means father in my language. “What are you doing?” he said it back. “I’m just talking to my friends,” I said. “What about you?” 14

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“Nothing much, just sitting and doing usual things,” he said. Then I asked him, “How you doing?” “I’m doing good, and how are you?” he said back. “I’m doing good too,” I said. And that was our conversation. We only talked for like two or three minutes. After that, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what I was thinking of at that moment. So, I called my sister in-law and ask her if she wanted to talk. She said, “No, you talk.” Then I said, “No, I don’t know what to say.” Then she said, “Okay, fine”. So, I gave the phone to her, and I started talking to my friend again She only talked for like five minutes. My father said he wanted to talk to my mother. So my sister in-law gave the phone to my mother. My mother went to her room and started talking. While I was talking to my friend, I told him how happy I was. I told him that I finally got to see and talk to my father and I was really excited. While I was saying that I was still confused about my feelings. Then I didn’t think about that. That fake smile was gone. I was myself again. I didn’t think of my father again. In general I don’t really think of my father. Even when I finally think of him sometimes, it makes me think some crazy and dumb things. So, I don’t really like to think of too but sometimes I just do. But not a lot though. I think of him like three to five or maybe six times a year. Well, actually I don’t know how many times I think of in a year. Whenever I think of him, I think of the questions that I’ve always asked myself. I don’t know why, but I always ask so many weird and crazy questions to myself, even when I know that I’ll never find answer for some of them.

THE BLAZE Written by R.A.

Ruins of the Nepali refugee camp after The Blaze.

t was in the evening. We were eating dinner, I was closest to the door so I could hear people talking outside: “What’s going on?”

As I get out after I am done eating I could feel the wind coming in my face welcoming me outside with a hello. Suddenly when I was in my porch I heard people yelling: “There’s hell coming!” I didn’t believe them, so I went front of my house scooting backwards. I didn’t see the fire but I saw the light of the fire beaming in the village in the evening. It was coming from the other side of the village which meant every house was gonna be in hell, that moment I was really stressed seeing a bad future for my family and village. I

Secrets of Our Lives

sprinted around my house warning my neighbors, “There is fire coming from the other side!” I ran back inside my house telling my mom and brothers, “There’s fire! There’s fire! There’s fire!” My mom didn’t believe me so she bolted outside to look, as she came back inside to grab my sister her expression was changing from happy to mad. The fire got close and closer every minute, We didn’t have much time left. For 3 seconds I teared up and all I heard was people yelling with fear and the sound of fire intimidating us to leave. That exact moment I knew what fear felt like. My brothers and I started carrying stuff while we were doing that my father arrived from the store with no expectation of this happening. The fire got closer and closer every second i could see the shooting sparks lighting other house’s in fire. My brother carried the last pieces of furniture outside. The fire was one house away. 30 seconds later, the fire spread and our house was on fire. I started tearing up, my neighbors were tearing up too, all their hard work was gone. When they were leaving their destroyed home they were yelling to the fire: “You ruined our lives!” I could feel their aggressiveness. I felt the heat of the fire in my face which told me to get out. Hiking across the river and over the hills carrying furniture and going back and forth to carry furniture across the river and up the hill, it was like we were training for the Olympics. When I carried the last piece of furniture over the hills, I looked back and all I saw was devastation. The whole village started carrying the furniture toward the forest, it was like we were escalators. When we reached the place we wanted to settle temporarily, everyone started organizing their stuff, all the people in the village discussed what to do next and watched TV until it ran out of batteries. The next morning I decided to go back to the village to see the aftermath, all I saw was ashes and charcoal and some wood left. When everyone in the village checked it out, all I could see was people 17

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depressed. Since the village had a strong bond between each other, they all made a future plan. Months after people started fixing their homes. When I see people from our camp in the U.S it takes me back to 9 years ago, when all I saw was fear.

THE STORY OF MY GRANDMA Written by C.Y.

n 2014 when I was about 12 years old, my grandma passed away. At first I didn't believe it because for some reason in my mind I thought people that I love would never leave me. Soon I realized that she was gone I went into shock, I felt this cold and sad darkness rush down my body like my soul had jumped out and run away. I walked into the room where she laid and seeing that her spirit had left her body, it was my first time seeing a dead body but this time it was one of my love ones, soon later I couldn't hear my family crying nor

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see them. It felt like I was in the room alone with my grandma's body. Then from behind me I hear someone coming in which made me snap back into reality I turned around and my uncle comes in and falls onto his knees and starts to cry. My auntie and uncle tried to pick him up and tell him that everything will be okay and that she's in better place now. On the day of the funeral I remember seeing her body lay there. She looked so different and when the bowing started I remember looking over the paper money and saw little people running back and forth outside and inside. I remember looking at my dad and asking him, “What are those little people doing?” He said “Where?” Then I pointed behind the paper money. My dad couldn't see them but he said, “Don’t worry they are helping grandma pack her things.” But looking back those little people somewhat looked like Duwende (pronounced Doo-Wen-Day). When the funeral was over I remember taking her to the cemetery and thinking to myself this will be the last time me seeing her body and then it started to snow a lot and I remember my family telling me that grandma is sad and crying because she can't stay with us anymore. When everything was over we all went home. Almost everyone had a dream about her, if not then in the next 2 or 3 days. I remember in my dream I was walking around in my middle school and for some reason something was telling me to go into my locker so I did and when I walked in, it was so dark. I turned around and couldn't see the light coming from my locker anymore so I started to walk forwards and soon I saw a light and a guy. He was just standing there and opened a door and without moving his mouth he said, “This way.” I was so confused and so I just listened to him and walked into the door and I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw big mountains I never seen before and the sun looked like it was setting. It was so big and close. Then I looked down and saw a long line with a big gold gate I was like, “Ohhhh no…that's going to take 20

Secrets of Our Lives

hours to get down there and stay in line.â&#x20AC;? Well I thought wrong. It only took 2 steps to get down there and I walked into the gates and saw people running around and grabbing popcorn. The ground was beautiful then I looked over and saw my grandma I ran to her and started crying but she just looked at me and didn't say anything and I kept telling her I miss her but she didn't say a word to me, she only looked at me. Then I looked at the movie projector and all of our memories were playing. What I learned is that everything doesn't live forever but memories will always be there, nothing hurts more then having someone you love pass away.

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THE SEPARATION MADE ME GROW UP Written by C.L.

ince I decided to go to America to have a better study myself, I know I had to face the separation between my parents and me. I turned around and looked into my father’s eyes. I smiled at him. Choo-Choo, I was on the train to Beijing. My father went with me and sent me to the airport. I decided go to America to study by myself. As I decide to go to America, they seemed realize that I had to leave them and lived by myself for one year. They know I had no experience to live alone, so they tried their best to teach me how to take care of myself. I was tired of their lectures. I was naive at that time because I believed that I can live well by myself. I want to prove I can take care of myself without their help. We seemed to have an unhappy vacation before I leave. Choo-Choo-Choo. I was on the train to Beijing. I went with my father because my mother can not leave her work at that day. I could see her sad through her eyes. On the train, I looked outside of the window. The weather was cloudy. It was pretty depressive outside and inside. We kept silence for a long time. He attempted to find some topic to talk with me, but we always couldn't continue it. ‘‘What plan do you have before you study in America?’’ He questioned. I did not know how to answer him. If I say no plan, he must be worried about me again. I kept silence on the train. The rest of the 22

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time I pretended to sleep. In this way, I could feel less uncomfortable. It was pretty embarrassed between us. Finally, we arrived in Beijing. We went to the airport right away. There were still 3 hours left before my plane take off. I did not know why we started to recall the memory when I was young. It was a good topic because we talked that for a long time. He told me about lots of funny things that I did when I was young. Some of the memory made him laugh, some of the memory made him sad, and some of the memory made him angry. I was sure that these memory are valuable between them and me. I can clearly felt his worry and he was not willing me to leave them, but he did not prevent me. He respected my choice and encouraged me. Boom. I heard the thunder outside. It was time to have tickets checked. It means that we had to separate at the entrance of the airport. I did not want he saw I cry before I leave, because I did not want he saw my weakness. I did not want they worried about me for a long time. I decided to go straight without turning around. The entrance was not very long, but my legs carried me slowly down the ramp. Lots of moments that happened between my parents and me flash in my mind. I tried to control my feelings, but I failed. I turned around the end of the entrance and I waved my hands to say bye. After this, my legs swept me into the plane. I found my seat and put my backpack away. I looked outside through the window because I attempted to calm down. I found that the sky was raining and I began sobbing uncontrollably. I was afraid of the new life, but I had to face it. I made a decision that get good grades and did not let them worried about me. Now, I think I did my best. I keep my grades very high and I always talk to them. I always tell some funny things that happen to me. This let them feel I lived well by myself. I started to solve the problems by myself, instead of letting my parents help me. I want them to be proud of me. I find that I was wrong in the past. Parents are the persons who won't do anything bad to their children. I should listen their advice 23

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instead of be tired of their lectures. At least I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make them worry about me.

Secrets of Our Lives

THE MEAN WATER BALLOON Written by T.X.

woosh! The water balloon came fast at me and it hit me hard in my balls. I went down in pain. I crawled back to the table and sat in pain while everyone laughed at me. I stayed strong and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let my pain stop me from having fun. On July 4th we had nothing to do, so we planned a water balloon fight with friends and family. The next couple days we made colored water balloon and bought water guns and we tried to put color in the gun but it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work but we were ready for the big day. We made over five-hundred water balloons. It took us an hour to get there, it was super boring waiting. When we got there we put all the water balloon in one place and we put all the foods on the table. We set they volleyball and badminton nets up and we played badminton. We played some games after some badminton games.

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We played this one game where you have to say a word and the person next to you has to say your word and make a new word. It was a big circle so I didn’t play because I didn’t want to remember like twenty words and make up one, I was last five people too. But i had an excuse to go help my mom with more stuff from the car because my brother just came with his girlfriend and he’s lazy. After we devoured the good food, we waited like twenty minutes we this one game where you’re suppose to catch and I miss the catch and the water balloon hit me where it hurts the most, it hit me right on my balls and I went so fast down fast I was in so much pain. After that I sat down and rested, I sat thinking why did i miss that catch. I thought and thought to myself why. I sat there and watched everyone have fun. It was worst place to get hit. I felt drained after that getting hit. After I got hit in my balls i waited fifteen to twenty minutes and my balls got better but it still was hurting. I started to play again because I didn’t care if I was in pain. After a long day we all were so tired and our feets were killing us. I could barely walk. It was the worst feeling on a long time. I never got hit in my balls with a water balloon before it was a new experience but the pain from getting hit in my balls was not new. It hurts so much. After all that waiting my balls finally felt better but I couldn’t do much because my feet was now hurting. My friends and family started playing volleyball for the last hour then we clean and went home. When I got home I fell right to sleep. The next day I felt a bit weird but it wasn’t to bad. It not a good feeling to get hit in the balls if you’re a guy, you won’t like it.

Secrets of Our Lives

MY FRIEND Written by S.H.

“I

dare you to swim in that river.” “No, I won’t swim in that dirty river!” We were both laughing. Then we ran back home without our shirts on.

We were little boys. We liked to fight with each other a lot like Tom and Jerry, but we love each other. My friend’s name is Saw Klo Htoo. Back in 2006 Sep 1, I hangout with my friend Saw Klo Htoo at Store. He is the same age as me. He really fun and funny guy like Mr. Bean. He like to hunt just like me. One day in the summer around midnight, he came to my house to go to the forest called “THE SCARY RAIN FOREST”. He wanted me to go with him, and I was like “WHAT? You wanted me to go with you at that forest?” I yelled. “I need to think first before I go with you.” Then, I told him, “I will you gave you the answer in a hour.” Than, he was like, “Okay…” and he went back home. My face was so red as fired that I couldn’t think of my answer. About 15 minutes later, I think of saying no and lying to him. I think to my own self, lying to my friend is not a good idea, but I have to because I scared of the scary rain forest. After a hour later , my friend came to my house. He asked me, ‘WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER’? . He yelled. I said, “Uh…my answer is no.” I was nervous. I told him, “I am busy”, but it was a lie. I was scared as baby. Once he heard I said no, he face was so red like eating a pepper.

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He told me, “If you lying to me, I will not be your friend anymore”. My heart was melting, but I kept it strong. I told him, “I don’t care!!!” I keep repeated. I was so stupid that I couldn’t said yes. Then, he went back home and never come to my house again. The next day, it was a beautiful sunny day and coolest weather. I went to Saw Klo Htoo house to said sorry to him. I was scared and nervous. When I got to his house, I didn’t see him, but I saw his mom. His mom was cleaning and cooked. I asked her mom, “Where is Saw Klo Htoo”?, She responded, “He’s in his room’. After talking to his mom little bit, I went to his room. He were sleeping like a dead mean lying down on the dark room. I was still nervous. Than, later on, he woke up with pile face and very red face. I was getting more nervous that I couldn’t spoke up to him. He asked me, “Who are you?” And I respond with nervous voice, “I…am Saw Htoo, your friend.” Once he heard my name, he stand up quickly and telling me to go back to my house. I was scared that he going to beat me up, I moved my foot out quickly by the door and ran out to his room so fast like tiger hunted deer. I saw her mom was eating and She was asked me, “are you going home?” I respond, “Yes I am going home”. Then, I went back home. We were not friend until I moved to my new house. Three month later, Saw Klo Htoo came to my new house. I was surprised. Once he saw me, he asked me, will you be my friend again? I respond back, “Yes I can be your friend again”. ‘I’m sorry what I did in the past to you”. He said, “you don’t need to said sorry to me, I am fine”. “We are friend again now, We have to keep our friendship strong”. I felt happier, we were playing little game before he goes back. A half hour later, he back home. Then, the next morning around 12:00 28

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am, he came to my house again. He brought a lot of toys and some food, we were playing game almost the whole day. We were happy together.

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THE WORST SIX MONTHS Written by H.A.

hen Mohammed’s friend ‘Adel’ died, we had a long good conversation. He was talking about Adel, and about the moments and memories they had together and the old beautiful, stupid things they have had done. He started crying like a small baby when he told me. He couldn’t hold his tears from going down, and I didn’t know what to do to help him and make him stop crying. The only wish I had at that time was that Mohammed start laughing again, to come back to his life where he stopped it, and to be as he was before. My mother, father, and siblings had to travel outside the country. I stayed with my brother ‘Mohammed’ alone. Our uncles used to visit us in the weekends when they wanted to or had time to come and visit. Mohammed didn’t want to see anyone, and it’s not because of our family travelling, it was because Adel is gone for him and so his life. I had the most hard and horrible six months of my life. I was only thirteen years old, Mohammed was sixteen. I had to stay every minute with my brother and support him as much as I can to make him feel better. Mohammed wanted to go to the cemetery every single day. I opened and closed my eyes in the cemetery. He didn’t stop crying the

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day he knew that Adel died. He told me, “Hadiya1, I really can’t believe it, how can I imagine my days without Adel and that till the rest of my life I won’t talk or see him? Hadiya you just can’t imagine how hard it is on me now. It’s causing me to be such a bad person that no one likes.” He had always told me, “You just don’t know the feeling and how much it hurts.” I did know the feeling and I did respect what he is going through more than he did to me. I was literally alone and have to one to talk to. I was in age that can’t handle all of these thing at once. I noticed that Mohammed was starting to become a bad person and I didn’t know how to stop him from being the person he never wanted to be. I didn’t know what to do for Mohammed, how to support him, and make him at least feel a little better. I couldn’t actually, I failed. It wasn’t just me; he felt lonely too. All what Adel wanted at that time and until now that we pray for him, but Mohammed couldn’t even believe that he died so how would he pray for him? When Mohammed and I would go to the cemetery we would spend more than 5 hours there. When we went home, Mohammed told me, “Hadiya I'm sorry but I feel that I am with Adel whenever we go to the cemetery”. He didn’t have anyone else except me. Adel’s death was harder on me more than Mohammed. I was so weak but I didn’t show it to Mohammed, it was literally the last thing he should see on these days. Going to the cemetery everyday wasn’t a good idea; we didn't have enough money to spend on the taxies every single day. My first month going threw this was one of the months that I would prefer dying than repeating it. I turned into a depressed person while I was supposed to support Mohammed. The things that I have been through made me a whole different person that was before. I used to laugh, and act my age in the way I love and always wanted. What happened affected me personally so much. Especially how my personality turned to. 1

Name changed for privacy reasons. 31

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But it appears that I was a person that thinks in a way that is bigger than her age. I start talking to people that are bigger than me. I wanted to be alone more than talking, but I had to so I can change. I have never felt like talking to anyone. I didn’t want to talk with someone so he or she can get an answer to a question. Why did I became like that? No, you can’t ask me this questions when you don’t have a small idea about what have I been through or what I am going through. Stop, think before you ask me. I couldn’t answer, I cry every time I talk about how I’m losing Mohammed, how he is turning to a whole different person, and especially what I am changing to. I was a depressed person that no one any longer loved or liked to talk to. I tried to get out of this feelings and this situation in many ways, and one of the ways was that I started laughing a lot and communicate with all the people and be a hopeful person. I used to keep saying, “God is always here, everything will be fine.” But this has made my life worse and worse. I wanted my old life back, which I knew that it would never come back again. I wanted my family to be with me through this, but I had no one but myself. I had to cook Arab food that my mother used to do for us. I used to spend hours in the kitchen every single day to figure out how my mother do the food and to finish it. Mohammed would thank me by not even coming to the kitchen to eat. I have understood his situation a lot and that he didn’t want to do anything because of Adel but I wish that he understood me too. I wanted his support as much as he wanted mine. I cried everyday but I had a small hope inside me that tells me that I can do it. I wish that those days were just a nightmare, a nightmare that will finish and get me back to my own life, to my family. It was a wish that will never be true. In every moment I spent I was waiting for this to end. It didn’t end. The money we had finished, and I didn’t have money to pay for us some food. I had to go out every night when Mohammed sleeps to get money from the streets. I didn’t tell Mohammed that our money is 32

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finishing or that they have already finished. I didn’t have enough courage to tell Mohammed about it, and I knew that he didn’t have time to think about this. Our money finished on going to the cemetery in the taxies. The day I was on the streets looking for at least one dollar to get us a sandwich I started thinking about my mother and I. I started thinking about how I don’t really count my days without her. She was a reason why I would want to survive the day and live. When she left I was a body that walks and talks but my soul is gone. After two weeks of staying in the streets looking for money, I decided to tell Mohammed about us having no money. I went to him and finally told him “Mohammed, we have no money to buy food for us.” I was worried about us having no money because I was alone. I have never felt that lonely. No one was beside me to even give me a dollar, even the people that I have called friends. I didn’t really want to tell Mohammed about it, he already had a lot of things that made him really sad, but I had to. Mohammed told me, “Hadiya, I can see that we have no money now, but I can’t stop going to the cemetery and you have to keep going at night to get us food, I can’t go with you now, sorry.” He told me every single word I wrote, and he said it in a voice and a way that he don’t even care about having his sister at midnight walking in the streets looking for some money from people that would actually look at me and walk away. I had no choice, so I stayed the way I was which is looking for money to get food. You might be wondering, why didn’t your family just send extra money? Well, my father had no money to send, if he had he would had the chance to come back to Dubai. I had been in Dubai with Mohammed in a free way, but it was only me and him. I have always wished Mohammed took a different decision than going to the cemetery everyday. It would work great if he went to the cemetery once a week. It would help me with the money and how Mohammed would feel about Adel’s death over time. Days went by and I saved some money for Mohammed to spend. In those days I died one hundred times. I felt like 33

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my heart is stopped but I’m still alive. I wish I didn’t stay alive and my life stopped when my feelings told me that my heart is stopped. It felt like those days wouldn’t finish, the day felt like a year. We had that day that Mohammed and I were going to the cemetery, my cousin Khalid told Mohammed that he would take us instead of going back on a taxi. I have always refused going on the same car with Khalid, he drive so fast that you feel that you are dying and your life is finished in just a minute. This time I didn’t say anything and it was just because of Mohammed not wanting to even talk. We were in the car, no one is talking you can feel the breathe of someone of how silent we were. Suddenly, the car flipped in us twice and we went on hot sand. Mohammed and Khalid went out of the window, from the car itself. Mohammed and Khalid weren’t wearing their seat belts and they are lucky they weren’t. If they have did, they would be stuck on the car and couldn’t even get out of it. My legs were stuck in the car, I couldn’t get out of the car and I knew that the car will explode at any minute, I had to try so bad to get out. My cousin and Mohammed were unconscious on them, so no one saw me. I had to help myself by myself if I wanted to live and get over this situation. People saw us when they were passing by, but no one helped. The only thing they helped with is that they called the ambulance and the police. I kept pushing myself to get out but I was so weak that I couldn’t even talk. I kept pushing myself which didn’t really helped. I knew that if I waited until the ambulance come the car would be already exploded. I start pulling myself so hard so I can get my leg out of the car. I did it, and I wish I didn’t. I saw my one leg that was stuck with nothing on it, the only thing that was there is my bone. My leg was full of blood as if someone threw a box of blood on my leg. After I saw the blood and my leg I fainted. ***

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I woke up the next day in the hospital. I couldn’t feel my legs and there was no one. The pain had caused me to shout on everyone, and to cry so hard. I wanted someone to tell me that everything will be fine but there was no one with me, not even my family that have been with me through everything.. At that time I realized that no one stays with you no matter what. I had to do a surgery and if it works I have to do a physiotherapist. In Dubai if you wanted to have anesthetic in your surgery, you have to pay extra. My uncle Subhi didn’t want to pay so I did my surgery without it. I had to see everything they did to my leg and feel it. I have been through a pain that I would not even wish that my enemies would feel it. My surgery was about 4-5 hours. I felt that the doctors were removing my whole leg from my body when they hold it. If they told that I would see myself in this situation then I would rather die than doing this. My heart hurts me a lot every time I remember this.. I lost a lot of blood and I had to stay in the hospital until they got someone that same blood type I am. I wasn’t awake the whole time. I couldn’t remember anything the few hours, but I started getting things after couple hours. After they got me blood I had to stay at the hospital for more three months. I was worried about the money and how am I going to buy, and about Mohammed staying alone. I had unbelievable postoperative pain. I was scared of the pain I awas having and I wanted someone to talk to but again there was no one. My cousin’s father Subhi wants to pay the money of the surgery and everything the hospital would ask for. Subhi didn’t pay because he wants to or that he cares about me. It was because he wanted I and Mohammed to not tell anyone of my family about the surgery and the car accident Khalid caused. I used to see Mohammed once a week. What used to make me sad was that Mohammed went to see his friend everyday and I am only 10 minutes away from him by walking and he would only come once a week to see how was I doing. He can’t even imagine how I felt, every time he come I feel worse. I wanted to tell my family about everything, 35

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but I couldn’t because of Mohammed. Mohammed kept denying telling my family. I didn’t want Khalid to pay a one single dollar. Subhi wasn’t thinking about me and the surgery, he was thinking about how he can make his son feel better of what he have done with my life. He did change my life and I still have problems walking to this day. The three months that I had to stay in the hospital for, I was really worried about Mohammed, what he’s doing, and what does he have to eat. Life goes on, and days have went by and I made it. Finally, I got out of the hospital after spending three months there. In my last day in the hospital, Mohammed didn’t come to the hospital to see me. I refused to go out of the hospital before he took me from there. I was at the door standing while I couldn’t even breathe at that time of how much tired I was, but I was there from 8 AM to 7:30 PM. I had a hope. But suddenly, I got out of the hospital, and went to the home by walking. I wasn't supposed to walk for at least 3-4 weeks. I wasn’t walking in a sobriety way. I always say I wish I didn’t live this days, but those days made me a stronger girl. I always make excuses for Mohammed by saying that he still wounded because of Adel dying. When I arrived home he didn’t even ask me how did I came or how I feel. The only thing he told me was “Oh, why are you here?” I was shocked of Mohammed asking me this question instead of hugging me or starting to talk to me. I told him it’s already three months. I didn’t know that, that what Mohammed responded to me. I have never knew that if my friend died I would change to a person that I actually wouldn’t want to talk to. The six months had passed by and we made it. We got through the days, weeks, months that I kept saying they won’t finish and that they will never pass by. Well they did. We got through the pain we have been through and the loneliness. We made it. We are not alone anymore. When my family came home and Mohammad saw my mother he hugged her like a small baby that was lost between a lot of people and finally saw his mother. He stayed beside her all day crying. Mohammed didn’t 36

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even used to talk to my mother that much. He told my mother people usually know the human value only when he’s gone or they have already lost him. I agree with Mohammed. My mother was gone and I have never wanted someone to be with me as much as I felt I wanted her at that time. I learned a lot in those six months. I have never imagined myself living all these things. I learned how to stand again when I fell down, I know now that if you fell down then that doesn't mean that when you get up you won’t fall down again.. I have never thought that life is that hard but I think it’s even much harder than this. I don’t think I will forget those days; they got me to what I am now. They have made me stronger. Even those I wanted to cry every time I look or talk with Mohammed. Mohammed has let me feel like I’m such a bad person that don’t even deserve a response from him, not even by one word… I wish it didn’t work that way but it did. I still have until this day problems communicating with others, which made me such a different person. I have always said that I can do it and I still can do it now. Life goes on no matter what you are going through. No one deserves to be treated in a way that he doesn’t deserve. If I treated him the way he did, he wouldn’t even look at me again..

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BEST FRIENDS AGAIN! Written by D.G.

remember when me and my friend argued and we didn’t talk for weeks or a month. So we wouldn’t sit by each other in lunch and hang out also. We will always hang out with our friends. One day me and my friend started arguing for no reason and then we didn’t talk for like 2 months. So we would hang with our friends and we would not talk to each other for weeks. Also we wouldn’t sit by each other in lunch either. Also I was sad that we didn’t talk to each other or hang out because she was my best friend and she was like a sister to me and always had my back no matter what happens we promised to each other that we always be there for one and other.

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Suddenly, we just started talking again in the playground for hours and we sat by each other in lunch and started laughing. And I was happy that we were friends again because sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like a sister to me from another mother. Also we told each other about our feelings and started to hang out more often when we see each other in school and we still do. We will always hang out in lunch and laugh when we tell each other something funny and we sit by each other in lunch and everything and I was happy that we have class together in fourth hour. We would sit by each other in class. And I don't know what would I do without my best friend I hope I don't lose her she's like an older sister to me and we will always be there for each other no matter what happens.

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LIFE OF A REFUGEE Written by K.M.

Timai, my camp.

was born to a place where I couldn't call my home. I was born as a refugee. Nowhere to go. No place to call home. There was no one that accepted us as a citizen. We had no future, my brothers and my sister had no dream of being something in their life, because it was that kind of place. Where even if you had a dream your dream was useless because you’re a simple refugee living in a bamboo house, without any electricity or any lights. In my family there was only one provider who struggled to put food in our plats, and came home once a year. While my father went to work, my mom took care of us. My father is a stubborn man. Once he says “yes or no” he doesn't change his mind. But he does care about us. Most of the refugee has only one hope that one day they would have a place to call home. A place where they feel they belong but years past we

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still live our normal refugee but one day there came a rumor in our whole camp that the dream of a refugee was possible it was America where all your dreams came true. America allowed refugee to come to America and become a citizen have a home of your own and have your dreams come true, the other refugee rushed to go there they couldn't wait anymore to live in a where your dreams and hope are all dead. At first my grandfather had no interest of going because I guess he got used to living in a place like that and had lost all his hope of being free. But I wasn't. I was so frustrated was to hear that my grandfather had no interest of this idea of America. Everyone, every refugee started to desert one by one, my friends left as well. Once in awhile i get a call and I hear how great American my friends are happy and I look back at my family they still wasn't ready to go. I lost my hope as well of the dream of going and becoming something and having that freedom. I thought we were going to live the rest of our lives in the camp and we’d be the only one left. One day my father came home and said to me, “Go and inform your aunt and uncle we’re having a family meeting at 6:00pm today.” I didn't ask why, I just said, “Ok,” and informed them about the meeting and came back home. After they all have arrived my father said, “I have been thinking about this a lot and heard many good thing about this America and I think we should give it a shot,” and my uncle had the same idea. I was fascinated to hear that I got all my hopes and my dreams back. We’re going to live our dreams, our promised land. No more we will be refugee, finally it felt like something great awaited us.

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GOING TO HOLLYWOOD Written by Y.A.

“L

ubna!!!” we heard coming from behind us as we were walking to the swimming pool to go swimming. My cousin and me looked back to see who it was and we saw that it was her brother. He asked her and me if we wanted to go to Hollywood that day and we were confused. “Did you even ask mom?’’ she asked him. He said, “Yeah, I asked her, but she has to go to work first, she said she’ll think about it.” She said to him “Obviously we would want to go, why not?” He said okay and walked away. She and I went back to walking and we finally got to the swimming pool. We were finally swimming and I thought about going to Hollywood also, because I haven’t been there either and always wanted to, and all the times I’ve been in California I haven’t been there before. I also asked my cousin if she thinks her mom would say yes. She said that she’s more sure that we will be able to go then not go. But I shouldn’t get too excited, in case we don’t go. We finally got back home from swimming on time to when my cousins mom came home from work. I went to go shower and change my clothes. I went downstairs to check my cousin and asked her if we were going. I wanted to go really bad. She said her mom said yes and we all got so happy. I ran upstairs to go get dressed. I told my mom also and she got dressed too. 42

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It had been a couple minutes and we were finally ready to go. My cousin and I were waiting outside for them to come out. After they came out we got on the car and left. Hollywood was about 20-25 minutes away from where we were. We were on the car and we went to the gas station so we could get some gas, we also got some food. We finally got to Hollywood. We first went to the sign and stayed there and took a lot of pictures. I haven’t seen the sign ever before, but when I went there for the first time I thought it was really cool. We stayed and hung out by the sign for like 15 minutes then we went to the other place in Hollywood. We were walking around and I was expecting to see some celebrities at least with some bodyguards around them. We were walking around and we seen a gate with some bodyguards covering it. We were wondering what it was and asked the bodyguards. They told us that there were a couple of famous Viners and Youtubers in there. We asked if we could go in but they said that they were practicing for something and that we weren’t allowed to go in. As we were walking we saw someone who was dressed like Spiderman and asked if we could take a picture with him, we also saw someone who was dressed as Tinkerbell. Next, we went to see the building that was called the Guinness World Records. It was a really big and cool place. I wanted to go to Hollywood for the most reason so I could see some celebrities but we didn’t. We were going to go get something to eat since we were going to leave soon. We went to the nearest store which was Starbucks. Me and my cousin ordered some frappes then we left. We were in the car and it was about 9:00 P.M. I thought that we were going back home, but instead we ended to Disneyland. It was about 10 minutes away from my cousin’s house. I was wondering why we were going there and my aunt said we were going to see the fireworks because they start it every night starting at 9:00 and ending at 9:30 P.M.

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We got there and we went to go sit somewhere where we could go see the fireworks well. I thought it was really cool because it was one of the best fireworks I’ve seen. I was already to go home because I ended up getting very tired. It was a really long day. We got back home and even though I was really tired but I didn’t want to go to bed yet, I knew I had some coffee that day and I wouldn’t sleep right away. I went and grabbed my phone and laid on my cousin’s bed. I was bored and didn’t really know what to do so I went on Youtube so I could watch the vlog for today. (There is a youtuber that is one of my favorites, which is Adam Saleh, and I watch his vlogs most nights.) We were talking about it and I decided that we should go to the movies but only if they have a good movie on at that time. We saw that they have scary movies playing tonight. We got some money and found a ride, we finally got to the cinemas. We were looking through what movies would be playing today and in we saw that they had the movie The Visit, my cousin has always wanted to watch that movie ever since it came out so we decided to watch it. We got some popcorn and drinks and went to go sit down in the theaters. We got seats in the back so we could see the movies better. We were waiting for the movies to come on but there was some adds and commercials they had to put on before they put on the actual move. We finished the movie and got our ride back home. The movie was really good but we were really tired. We went upstairs and went to lie down. I didn’t have anything else to do and even though I was trying to sleep I couldn’t. I got my phone again to see if any of my friends texted me but they all probably were asleep, Minnesota and California have different time zones and Minnesota is later than us. I went back on Youtube to watch some videos because I kept getting a lot of notifications, I started watching Slimmofication which is one of my other favorite Youtubers (Adam)’s best friend. My cousin said she noticed that I watch their videos almost everyday since I was there, and she asked me why. I explained to her how I used to start watching 44

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their videos a couple years before that and then I started watching their daily vlogs, then I got really used to it then started watching them more. It has been a couple hours and we were about to go to bed. Today was a long day, and it was one of my favorite days that I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget. Hollywood was a little better than I expected it to be. I was going back home in like a month since summer break was almost over, and if I could, I would want to live in California since it was my favorite place.

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THE BIG CHANGE Written by J.R.

eeting new friends was the beginning of the problem because just to be like them, I followed their steps and their examples. But that just took me into one of the worst experiences of my life. Drinking, smoking and parties became part of my daily life, gangs became my family and the street my playground. Even crime became fun, entire days and nights out of the house were normal for me. I became to a whole different person, even my old friends noticed my change. I think people at school also saw it because my grades dropped and I was gone for many days, I seemed to be careless about everything I just cared about go out every night and â&#x20AC;&#x153;have funâ&#x20AC;? There were a person who cared about me, who saw everything I was doing wrong. That person was my grandma. She used to love me a

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lots, she had a really big love for her first grandson, she cared about me and decided to help me. The best way she found to help was by sending me to a help center to smoking and drinking. She just wanted me to be like how I was before. She knew that all those things weren’t the best for me and my future. Although I was living in her house so if some day I have problems with the law she would be involved and she wasn’t really proud about my actions but I didn’t realized how she was feeling and way she thought about me. One day when I was calm and relaxed, having a good time, some people walked in the house and they just took me by force into their car and then to the center. I met people from the biggest gangs in the area and other young criminals, they and I got tired of being there. The terrible food, waking up early to take a shower with cold water and four other man at the same time. The speeches were useful to get to know each other better and meditate about your life and you past, but also the speeches let us know the kind of crap people is. We were tired and decided to escape, we had a plan but when the day arrived I was the only one that escaped. I was finally free but lost. I was in a unknown neighborhood far away from home, I didn’t know where to go so I just walked straight south thinking about my life until I got to my friend’s neighborhood; then I knew where I was. I was three hours away from home but I never gave up I kept going to get home. When I finally got there my family was crying because they didn’t know where I was, in that moment I changed forever, I realized everything I had done and I realized that I was wrong, I promised myself to be better person and listen to those that care about me.

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STEALING MANGOES Written by P.B.

t all started when I was on a tree and saw a dog running to us. I yelled to my friends to run away so the dog can't get them. The dog was big and big teeth, there was like 3 or 4 dogs try to get us. When I was in Thailand me and my friends was going to steal mango. We walk for 1hr. When I got to the trees and said to my friend who can get the most mango. So we climb the tree, so when I was on the tree I saw a big mango so I want up and get it but the Thai people that live but the tree saw me on the tree and the Thai people let the dog out but my friends was on the ground so I yelled to my friend to ran away. But I was on the tree and when I was trying to get down the dog to was waiting for me and the dogs try to climb the tree but I was terrified to get down. There was a guys coming to me so I think I was save but the guys the dog owner and he said to me is ok to get down the dog will not 48

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bite me so I got down but the guys get me and hold me and said to me to run away but when I try to run away he won't let go and he took me to his boss and they took me back to my village. When we got back to the village, they said to me where are my friends house and I said I don’t where and they said if I don’t tell them I have to pay $500 dollar so I tell them where they house is. When they got my friends my friend mom come with and they took us to the court is kind like that but not a lot of people. When the court about to end they said we have to pay $500 but my friend they said we not going to pay. I was the one that have to pay, so my dad paid for me. On that me and friend never play or go to each other house. On that day I have to go with my dad to has work. I want with my dad for a long time. I like to work with my dad is was fun and is hard. One day my dad tell me to go back to my foods and on the way there I saw my friend so I took the long way to go buy the foods. When I got to the store I buy the food and go back to my dad but on the way there I saw my friend again and he saw me too and I said to ham what are you doing here. He look sad and he came to me and said I’m sorry. I don’t know what to said to ham and I said you want to come with me to my dad work. So on the way there I show ham a where we can get a lot of mango so we want there and get some mango. So we become friend again.

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NEW YORK ‘09 Written by K.H.

ight when I step on New York soil I can feel the breeze people yelling waiting for the ball to drop. Let’s go back a couple of days when we were thinking that we weren't going to make it, when our fight was canceled wanting to go on the next flight. When we finally got on the airplane and landed at New York. for one week me and my sister wait to New York for New Years when we first arrived we went to the hotel the driver took us to the wrong hotel so went back to the airport and then another driver took us the right hotel. Right when we came to the hotel I went to sleep. My sisters went to go watch the ball drop and they went to go get some food, the next day we went shopping with my cousins. They showed us all the good stores and resistant. After they showed us around we spent the night at there house and the next day we went to go see central park it was so cool I never seen anything like that before, and we also went to go see empire state building it was big and we got to go to the top. I was not going to go up because it was high up that I got scared. The next day we went to go see this bullying metropolitan museum of arts it so nice because they had some really wonderful I think I’m just going to have to visit it again.

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DECISION BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD THINGS Written by E.S.

t’s hard to say no sometimes because you are tired of helping people sometime. I made my choice to help other because it made me happy. One day, my Aunt wanted me to take her to store to buy food and other stuff. When she called me to take her to the store, I had to make a decision to say yes or to say no. I felt lazy, but I also felt bad because I want to do good things and I didn’t want to make other people feel sad. My goal was to do good things. I like to do good things because giving make you happy more then you get. So want my aunt and friend asking me to take them to store, I giving myself and I go. I don’t want to

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be lazy by helping people because when I need help it will be easy to get help. Then in the end, it turns out that no big deal. We all know that we had to make lot of decision in our life. To do good things is not easy.

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MY LESSON Written by G.T.

always tell people "If you feed a person for three years they will forget you in three days, but if you feed a dog for three days it will remember you for three years." I say this because if feel like some people don't appreciate what they have. Some people have everything but still complain about minor things like, the color of their car is ugly or the phone that got isn't the phone that they wanted, but other people don't have those things and they are still happy some might even say they are happier than we are. All we do is use our phones all day. We use our phones so much now five year olds have their own phones. Three years ago in 2014 I went to Mexico for the first time. It was always my dream to go visit the rest of my family I've never seen before. When I got to Mexico City I saw my uncle I've met him before

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but that was long before I saw him again. My uncle was glad to see me again. He took me to my grandparentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; house. It was a long drive. But there was something that bothered me every time I looked out the window. I saw really sad and skinny neglected stray dogs. That made me really sad seeing those poor dogs. I asked my uncle why were there so many stray dogs in the streets. And he said " Because people don't have enough money to take care of the dogs and abandon them." Mexico was really new for me . It was like if I was on different planet. I think my puppy felt the same when she was born. Because we both arrived at the same place at the time. It was a new experience for both of us . When I got to my grandparents house I met my grandparents, aunt and my cousin for the first time. They were really nice people. Three weeks later we were about to go visit my other grandparents in my dad's side in another state in Mexico. But before I left one of the neighbors came and gave me a puppy. They said that they never met a person that was from the United States. So they wanted to give me a gift. I was really happy with the three week old puppy she was chubby and but wasn't really playful because she was still too young. She was also a mutt which are low valued in Mexico dogs like her are usually abandoned and neglected like the stray dogs in the streets. So she was lucky to have me as an owner. Because I love dogs. I named my puppy Lola. I named her Lola because i didn't have enough time to give her a name. I took really good care of her and i gave her food and a shelter. With the very little I could give her she was really happy and she was grateful with the little she had. She thanked me by protecting me from other dogs. I only spent three months in Mexico and I really wanted to take her with me but I couldn't because she doesn't have a passport and my grandparents said "it's not worth spending so much money for a flight just for a mutt" that made me really mad because I didn't care about what breed of dog she was I cared about her because she was a big part of my life and she taught me that you can still be happy with the little you have. One thing that I am afraid of is when I 54

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visit Mexico again she won't remember me. I hope she remembers me because I'm sure she spent her best first weeks of her life with me.

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DREAMS Written by P.M.

was just a little girl in pre-k. I am always a happy child, loved going to school and I loved going outside. I’m always a happy during the daytime, but when it comes to nighttime I get horrible dreams. My heart would start pounding so fast that I would have hard time breathing. I tremble every night in my dreams they feel so paranormal. Little did I know things so scary can happen in my dreams. When it comes to daytime I always thought about those horrible dreams I always had during the nighttime. I always wondered why I’m constantly having those horrible dreams coming to me. I sometimes thought to myself what is it trying to tell me or why am I always getting horrible dreams. I wondered what did I do to have these bad dreams constantly being played in my head. My dreams are so bad that I can't remember anything that I've seen in my dream. I'm very curious too. When I have bad dreams I want to know more about it, but at the same I try escape these paranormal dreams. But for me I'm so curious about these dreams the longer I stay in these bad dreams my tears come pouring down my chin. My eyes starts bawling out so hard that I run to my mom as room every night crying. I feel safer when I'm in my mom’s arms. Every time I'm in her arms it's like my mom chases away these horrible dreams. By the time I got older like in fourth grade I'm still constantly being paranoid in my dreams. I couldn't take it anymore, all this crying and waking up in the middle of the night time. One time I was bawling my eyes out so hard because of a

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horrible dream I had. My momma then went to a shaman person. That Sharon man got me a bracelet to wear everyday without taking it off. I always wore that bracelet and as days went by I noticed these horrible dreams I had all went away. I felt so relieved that I could fall asleep worrying about nothing.

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LOSING A FRIEND Written by M.S.

e were playing in tag the playground with loud kids screaming to not get tag on a sunny afternoon waiting to go to lunch. I was only in second grade. Lunch time was up, we were standing impatiently to get our food. Mai Xiong was a nice friend of mine who treated me like a sister until that day when I said something bad about her and her ex boyfriend. I have been learning how to speak Hmong because when I was in elementary I only hanged out with Hmong kids. As she look at me angrily like a lion trying to kill a human who got in his cage. The teacher called our table one by one to throw our lunch away. After that Mai came in line and when she passed me, she started rolling her eyes at me. I knew she told her friends about what I’d said to her because her mouth was moving while her big eyes stared at me like I was her enemy. I could tell she doesn’t like me anymore. But I didn’t bother to care because I had other good friends too. I was also scared like crazy because those other friend are her friends too. I was scared to death that those friends might betray me if she tells them to. School day ended and I went to my bed like nothing had happen and hoping tomorrow will change into a better day. The next day, it was a good until I heard a bad news. I hoped that I could apologize to Mai but then i heard that she transfer to another school so then i just forgot about her. School year was awesome and ended great.

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After fourth grade, I have a facebook so I saw hers and I wanted to text her saying i was sorry. After I told her in a friendly way that i was sorry, an hour later she told me it was ok. I asked her why she moved and then she reply back saying she moved to a different house so she had to move school too. Texting her felt like I was forgiven by god. Now i know that words can hurt people a lot. Just one word you tell them, you can lose them easily. After that word I said to her, I realized I will never do that because I regretted it so much. We became friends but then high school came so we didn't get to see each other because we went to separate high schools. We just seem to be strangers after the text ended but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m good with that. Without apologizing to her it will make me feel so regrettable.

RAHS EL Level 4 Students

MY FIRST TIME IN MEXICO Written by B.A.

asked my mom “am I ever gonna get to see my family in Mexico”? “Yes” my mom said. “Soon as school is over you and your brother will go see my side of the family and your mom's side of the family” said my dad. I was filled with joy. I wished that my school year would finish tomorrow if possible knowing that i had two months left of school. Week after week until the final week came. “This is the final week until we leave” said my brother. The day finally came when we had to go to Chicago to go catch a flight to leave to Mexico. Me and my parents were talking about my grandparents and what they look like and how they are but i was my parents how I would miss them a lot. I'm so attached to my parents because I’m always with them. I never have been so far apart from them until now. Our road trip to Chicago fun. The only thing i hated was the seven hour ride to Chicago. Seven hour sitting in a car but i got to spend time with my family. We finally got to Chicago and we stayed at one of my mom friends house. Me and my brother were only staying the weekend. My mom and dad were gonna stay an extra week. When our final day came in Chicago we went to go get our haircuts because I didn’t wanna get my haircut in Mexico. Aster we got our haircuts we went to go something to eat. Then we went to the airport.

Secrets of Our Lives

It was so huge inside the airport. This was my first time in an airport. I thought it would have been smaller. We want to get our bags checked. I had a personal backpack that I could take on the plane. My brother had one of his own. We had to say our goodbyes but I didn’t wanna say goodbye to my mom and dad but they didn't want us to miss our flight so we had to say our goodbyes to my and my dad. I still had my brother though but I was already missing my parents. My brother kept me company and that was all the company I needed. We had a little bit of trouble looking for our section in the airport but in the end we found it just in time. We got on our flight and we found our seats but when it was time for the plane to take off it was the worst feeling ever. Our flight was almost four hours long so I decide to fall asleep for half of the flight. The view of the plane was so beautiful I took so many pictures. We finally arrived in Mexico and we had to get our bags checked so we can be able to see our family. We finally got through there and finished. My aunt was the one to pick me up. I was so happy to see one of my family members. My brother wasn’t that excited because this was his third time in Mexico. We drove another hour to go home and see my grandparents and the rest of my aunts and uncles. We finally arrived at my grandparents house and we met everyone in the family from my mom's and my dad's side of the family. I got to stay in Mexico for a month. In that month I stay two weeks with my mom’s grandparents and two weeks with my dad’s grandparents. When the month was over I didn't wanna leave because it's much more fun and better over there. We had to leave our grandparents and our aunts and uncles. We said our goodbyes to everyone and left. My aunt and uncle drove us back to the airport so we can catch our flight. We said our goodbyes to them and got on the plane. I hated the plane ride this time because it felt like forever. Finally we landed and got off the plane. We went through security but that didn't take to long. We went to go get our bags and then we went to go find our parents. We found our parents 61

RAHS EL Level 4 Students

and I was so happy that I almost dropped my bag and ran to them. After we found them we got ride on the road for the seven hour drive again. We got home and I went right to bed because I was so tired out.

Secrets of Our Lives

RAHS EL Level 4 Students