2024/Naima-

I am the one who sees my two sisters Nubia and Naiorbe coming to our front door. I

can’t actually see them, but I can see their shadows at the door. Naiorbe gets there first, and I know they want to come inside and give me a big hug, which always makes me smile.

I am the one who hears Mickey Mouse on our TV while I am making snacks for Nubia and

Naiorbe after school.

I am the one who smells the Jamaican jerk wings my mom is cooking on the stove in

the evening. I can’t wait to eat them. I wish I could eat them every day!

I am the one who tastes the Jamaican culture in the warm spicy, chewy, chicken wings

with a bit of Sriracha sauce, at the dinner table, with my family. Everyone except my dad. He is sleeping because he has the night shift.

I am the one who touches the warm purple comforter I pull around me while my head

rests on the matching purple pillow in my bunk bed. I sleep on the top bunk. Noni, my other sister, sleeps on the bottom. Knowing she is sleeping below me makes me feel safe, but sometimes a little annoyed because when she moves, she makes the whole bed wobble.

I am the one who feels loved every day by my big family!

I am the one who hopes or wishes these family memories would happen every day;

except, I would want my dad at the dinner table and not on night shift!

Who am I?