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BRUNCH
As he arrived, everyone turned to face him. The room was filled with our extended family members, including my parents, who were there to celebrate my mother’s birthday. My mother, being the oldest child, had to coordinate with the rest of her siblings to plan the event. Also in attendance were Idara’s parents, Idara and her fiance, Teresa and Bianca (my mom’s first cousins), their children, and Uncle Gabriel, my mother’s nearly eighty-year-old widowed uncle who lost his wife during World War II. It was heartwarming to see everyone gathered together to celebrate such a special occasion. Despite the challenges of coordinating such a large gathering, the love and warmth in the room made it all worthwhile.
My Aunt Lilian, who lived in New Zealand, had just arrived and was on her way to the brunch. It was rare for all of us to be together, it had to take the death of someone for my mother to have all her siblings in one place.
The young man walked towards us confidently with a smile. He was tall and had a commanding prescience. I could not help but wonder what his purpose for being here was.
“Young man, who are you and how may we help you?” Aunt Claudette chipped. She was quick to say anything or challenge a person or a situation at any time.
