Teddy Bear
Soft with a strawberry smell and stiff arms that bend.
When I press its plastic belly button,
it says, “Chow” in a little girl’s voice.
When I hug it
I remember my grandma
because when I hug her
she makes a pig noise.
Chow means oink in Vietnamese.
Wedding
When my grandma found a boyfriend
my mom bought me a fancy dress to wear to the wedding.
It was white and covered with daisies.
I was three years old.
My job in the wedding was to walk behind my grandma
and throw flowers on the floor.
The flowers were plastic because
people in Vietnam don’t want to pick real daisies.
They worry that the daisies will disappear.
Before the wedding I practiced at home with my mom
so I knew what to do.
I didn’t cry or walk in the wrong direction.
I felt embarrassed when everyone
watched me.
Coffee
My mom put
a cup of mocha
on the table.
My brother pushed it and spilled it on
his head, shirt and hand.
The drink was warm,
not hot.
My brother got all wet and smelled
like coffee.
My mom saw him laughing and wet and
she said, “Go take a bath!”
He asked my dad to give him a bath.
And he did.
When I walked into the bathroom,
I said, “Why did you take bath?”
“Long story.”
“Tell me.”
“I thought the cup
was a cow because it has black polka
dots.”
He was interested in cows.
He said, “Sorry,” to Mom.
He does not remember.
But I do.
About the Author
Hi! My name is Tran. I am eight years old and I was born on August 10, 2004 in Saigon. Now I live in San Francisco with my mom, dad, brothers, and sisters. I’m good at knitting. When I grow up I want to be a doctor because I like helping people. Black Polka Dots is my first published book. If I were a bird I would be a robin because I like red.
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