TWTWTW (2006.37) Ten years ago this week

My 10th Birthday

Ten years ago today, I was born here in Pelican Rapids. Not many of my friends can say that. I can. I’ve lived in Pelican Rapids all my life. Except for the two, maybe three, times Mom and Dad decided to move us to St. Louis. We never stayed there very long. The longest I can remember was for the summer.

Mom and Dad were not born in Pelican Rapids. They were even not born this country. My Grandma and nine older brothers and sisters weren’t either. We came to the United States about three days before I was born; all thirteen of us. We came to a place in Iowa. We can’t remember the name of the place. We only stayed there one night or so before we came to Pelican Rapids. I was born a night or two later, in the upstairs bedroom of a house near my school, where I am now in fourth grade. The house we lived in that winter only had one bedroom. Dad says the whole family helped deliver me. Is that cool or what? Your whole family standing around waiting for you. Just a few days after I was born Mom got sick and had to go to the hospital.

We only stayed in that house for the winter. Then Dad bought a trailer. Mom and Dad said they didn’t like trailers, but it was all they could afford. Dad took out a loan to buy it. Four of my older brothers and two of my older sisters started school. I had cousins in our trailer court so I had other kids to play with. I stayed at home with Mom until it was my turn to go to Head Start. I went to Head Start to learn English. While I was in Head Start, Mom had another baby, a sister. When I got into 2nd Grade, I got another sister. Now there are three Americans in our family.

Dad has always worked at the Turkey Plant. My older brothers have worked there, so has my older sister. Mom tried to work there, but she quit. She stays at home, bakes bread and talks on the telephone with her friends. Grandma died a few years ago. She is buried out by where we used to live. Our trailer is gone now. We live in a house in town. My Aunt and Uncle and cousins all moved to Fergus.

So now I am ten. I speak two languages, one at home and one at school. Mom and Dad still don’t speak English very well. One of my older sisters quit school to stay home with Mom. It was her turn. Our other two older sisters did it too until they got married and left home. I forgot to tell you that I am now an Aunt myself….eight times…..all Americans of course. As soon as my stay-at-home sister gets married and leaves it will be my turn to quit school and stay home to help Mom. That will be in about three or four years. I’ll do that until I get married and leave home. Maybe I’ll be able to stay in school longer. My little sister will start Head Start in two years and there won’t be any kids at home to take care of…except for my nephews and nieces.

With so many people in our family we have lots of birthday parties. I asked Mom if I could have a Dairy Queen cake for my tenth birthday. "No money, no cake," she said in English. I understand.

If people ask me where I’m from, I answer Pelican Rapids. It’s my hometown. I was born here. Ten years ago this week.

Pelican Rapids: The New Promise Land