My Sister's Homecoming, 1999, by Rubi

From MemoryArchive

Who: Rubi 
What: I see my sister
When: About 7 years old
Where: In Mexico

It was hot sunny day. The sun stroked my halfway naked back. Sweat run down from my cafe brown forehead to my red freckled cheeks. I counted until ten and then I was on the look out for my friends. I was seven years old. My friends and I played hide and seek. I had three friends Juanita, Linda, and Concepcion. I had already found two of them when all of the sudden I saw Carlos (another friend of mine) running my way. While he ran he shouted with excitement, “Alma is here, Alma is here!”

I found that hard to believe. I was confused and I stayed still. Alma Elsa was my eldest sister but I had not seen her for more than I could of remembered. Every day I would dream of seeing her again. In my dream she would hold me tight and played with me. When I was even younger she had gone living to the United States. I always loved her. My mom use to tell me while Alma was far away that Alma use to take care of me and that she sent us money too.

After I snapped out of confusion I ran home as fast as I could and my friends followed. All of my neighbors were there. My house was as crowded as the malls on holidays sales. I can only remember looking at old ladies. I could not see my sister anywhere. I went through the people into the kitchen and there stood Alma next to the small broken wood chair. A big smile was on my face and I ran to Alma to hug her. She held me up and gave me a big hug. She smelled fresh and sweat. “I missed you lots monkey head,” she told me. She brought lots of gifts and toys. All of my neighbor kids had toys. She brought me a cute freckled plastic doll. The doll had shiny cream skin and a light yellow dress.

After all the neighbors were gone I helped my sister unpack her heavy bag. She carried many things especially shoes. Suddenly I spotted some long purple sparkling crystal-like earrings. It was my sister's favorite earrings. “Those are very special to me,” she said. “I got them when I first moved away in the United States.” I simply had to have them. That night she gave me those earrings. She told me that even though I was too young to wear them I could remember her by that. I felt so special because my sister my sister had trust me with something really valuable to her.