My dad decided to travel to America, which is why I had to grow up alone with my mother and unable to meet him. He would call to find out how I was doing, but I never got the chance to see him. The scratches that a father would take care of were taken care of by my grandmother who healed the wounds the world gave me.

We went to church every Sunday. I would cry and cry because I wanted
to play the drums. I started studying in kindergarten at home because my
grandmother had taken care of children in a program called “Sosep”. There
I learned with others. My mother decided to travel to the capital city to look for work because what my dad sent her wasn't enough. Alone without parents, at least I had my grandparents. My mother would come back home on certain dates of holidays and my grandmother and I would visit her. It was always a thrill for me when she came to see us because I missed her so much.

My mother decided to travel to America when I was seven and I became
my grandparents’ responsibility. At school, I began to learn. My wish was to
participate in the band at school. I wanted to play the big drums, but I was
very small and I couldn't stand up to the instrument. So, they bought me
a small snare drum instead. I played that drum for two years. Eventually, I started going to school alone. I always got up at seven but arrived 15 minutes early. I was the first one in so I could play the drums. My mom called me to see how I was doing in school but my dad never did. He only called when he wanted something. When I was ten years old, my mother told me she finally had enough money to buy me the instrument that I always wanted to play.

The day I decided to come to this country, I did it alone. With the help of
God, I knew that He would take care of me. I wished and hoped that I would be able to arrive in this country in good health. It was one of my deepest desires to see my mother again. To be able to hug her and tell her how much I love her... it was a joy that would soon come true. I couldn’t wait to tell her
thank you for everything she had done for me. I felt happy seeing her and
at the same time sad because I had to leave them. The day I left my country,
my heart broke. I told them that I was not going to leave them but I had to go
on a trip to better all of us and I had to have faith in God. I knew I would see them again one day. I still miss them but they give me words of encouragement and tell me to try hard to study because here there are more possibilities to study further than high school and be someone in life. I decided to come here to this country to be able to study music. I am passionate about
music. It has always been my dream: to be on stage playing the drums. I
know I can accomplish this by being here. America brings in opportunities for everyone. I am thankful and blessed because there are many more opportunities to study this new culture as well.

© Elias . All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.