Dreamer

          I remember seeing a vision. There were black people with rough textured skin. Large gages in their ears and beautiful patterned clothes. Well it wasn't really a vision, it was more of a dream. They looked a lot like me. They seemed to be doing a ritual and singing a very catchy song. They spoke a different language than mine, yet I still understood them. "We are blessing you," they said in the language.

          I woke up from the dream, and looked over to the clock. 2:00 it stated largely. I guess I woke up my mother by the small screech that I made when they were getting closer to me. "Are you alright Milo? Go back to sleep," she said in a worried voice. Yes, my name is Milo, and I live with my mother who's name is Quesha, and my brother, Jamal. My mother always said that my father did not care for us and that she used to abuse her. Now we live in a place distant from home. Many people see this place as the place to accomplish your dreams, but to us it's out only option. We live in New York, in a very small apartment on the corner of a street, on top of a corner store.

          My family and I are very poor, my mother doesn't work, and the only source if money that we have comes from the government. My mother is officially from Somalia, Africa, and she migrated to the US in hope of a better future, and my brother and I were born here, but I feel like Im very connected to my roots and almost feel like I've been there. Everything here is worse, the way we live, people we have to deal with, and our lives in general. I go to a public school where parents who don't care for their child's education take them. I have to deal with bullying of other people. I think that they are just jealous because I'm the best at math in the class. I have to deal with name callings on the daily.

          The morning after I woke up early to go to school. "Mom I don't want to go to school today. I have a weird feeling about today. Last night I had a weird dream," I said

          "You are going to be fine," she said in calm voice, "I'll be fine." She gave me a look like none before, and I am never going to forget that look she gave me.

          As I was walking into the school, Jared, the school bully screamed, "HEY AFRICA! Now that the laws are changing your going back to Africa with your fellow black family members." Jared was light skinned, and super racist. Yet people preferred to hang out with him because they feared him. After he said that I stayed quiet and walked to my class.

          Things were going as usual. Kids goofing around like usual, and I was doing the work that the teacher assigned. When all of a sudden my teacher, Mr. H, received a call from the office. He turned pale, almost as if he had seen a ghost and looked straight at me. He called me over to his desk and said, "Im sorry Milo, but umm, the secretary just called and said that your mother was deported and that you have to go home." My heart dropped in that moment and didn't know how to act. I wasn't sure if it was a dream or not. Tears started to fall down my face and I fell to the ground. So people wouldn't make fun of me I ran to the coat room that was in the corner of the classroom.

          While I was on the floor I closed my eyes, and I saw them again. This time the people seemed a little older. They were all in a circle and I was in the middle on the floor. All of a sudden someone who looks brighter than everyone else approaches me. She looked like my grandma, who passed away before I was born, I had only seen her in pictures. "Milo, everything is going to be alright," she said in a old, shaky voice.

          "Who are you?" I asked with curiosity.

          " I am your grandmother, and you are the people around me are your ancestors. We are here to protect and care for you," she said in a loving voice, "your mother will be leaving you and we will now be closer to her."

          When he opened I opened my eyes, I knew that he was never going to see her and that I was going to go to an orphanage. After that day I never saw my mother nor my brother Jamal. They separated us and put us into different orphanages. The last thing I knew was that Jamal got adopted by a white couple, and that now he lives a better life. As of my mother, I have not heard anything. I am now 18 years old, and the orphanage can no longer support me. So they gave me stack of cash and wished me luck. That night I stayed at my friends house from the orphanage. He had left a while ago, and now he has a small apartment.

          The night came, and as I was getting ready to sleep, I remembered my beautiful mama. I remembered that last look that she gave me before I left to school that day. I closed my eyes and dreamed another dream. It was the same African people, and I see my mother approaching into the middle of the circle. "How are you my love?" She said in the most calm voice.

          "MAMMA!!" I said, "I've missed you so much!" And at that moment she disappeared, and I realized that she has now joined all my ancestors and my family. I could now sleep calmly knowing that my momma is not suffering anymore and that I can now see her spirit.