The Family’s Bond

By Rafaay Ahmad Khan-Afridi

Written in response to a 7th grade English assignment titled “Where am I from?”

I am from soccer balls,

from Lego and Transformers.

I am from couch forts.

(Tall, majestic.

Or at least in my imagination).

I am from the glistening red mulberry tree

and the sweet aroma of homemade pie,

With crumbling crust and crimson red, sweet but tart filling.

I’m from Lady Liberty and Disneyland.

From Rabia and Shahab.

I’m from artists and HUGE bookworms.

From

meri jaan.

I’m from

“All praise is due to God, the most kind and the most merciful”.

From Ramadan, Eid, prayer, and Quran.

I’m from Karachi,

Pakistan’s version of a city that never sleeps.

From biryani,

nighari,

pilaf,

and subzi, kababs, masala, salan, and mangoes.

Oh yes.

The golden, sweet nectar dripping off my sticky hands.

Mangoes.

I’m from the mango tree my dad use to steal from

and was stuck in.

From the hijab my mother wears.

I am the branches of an old, old tree.

With culturally rich roots.

From Pakistan

back to India

then to who knows where?

I am continually growing,

my branches constantly reaching new heights.

My roots and my trunk supporting

with a new ring created every year

full of memories,

of sorrow and of joy.

Of fear and of exhilaration.

Of hate, but more importantly

of love,

closeness,

support.

Of family.

 

Rafaay Ahmad Khan-Afridi is a seventh grader in Pittsburgh, PA. His parents emigrated to USA from Pakistan. He loves to write and paint, and his paintings are currently on display in his local public library.