Ten eyes watch us as we go down the steps of the subway, and one mouth opens and closes in order to pray. “May God bless you, and prevent you from facing any hardships that we are going through.” The mother who says this prayer looks so thin and pale, and holds in her arms a baby that does nothing but wail. Her graying hair is tied back in a messy knot, and the scarf wrapped around her head has a big yellow spot. She has a daughter and a son, and a baby who looks no older than one. The daughter, who hid behind her mother, has eyes like no other. They are so big and are the lightest shade of the green, just like her father’s, who looks as fragile as a string bean. The son, who sat on his father’s right, has hair that iss darker than the sky at midnight. His hair has grown past his ears, as if he hasn’t cut it in years. We did not have any change to spare, so we spotted the croissants in our hands and decided we didn’t mind to share. The children accepted them happily, and their parents’ eyes sheened with tears of glee. However, what happened next took us by surprise, and even brought tears to our eyes. The mother quickly jumped up to my mother and tried to kiss her, But the moment right after went by in a blur. The mother tried to kiss her hands, and the reason why she did it is something that my mother clearly understands. My mother stopped her because that action implied that she was a god. Since she could never live up to His greatness, not stopping the woman would have been flawed. Instead, my mother planted a kiss on her head, right on top of her scarf that could no longer be considered red. She then exchanges a prayer of her own, letting each word come out with such a gentle tone. “May you and your family live a better life, if God wills it.” and I really hope they do because they don’t deserve this, not one bit. As we walked away, I took a moment to let my mind wander astray... It’s those who have money who live and travel, and those who don’t spend their days in the gravel. It’s those who have a home who feel safe and warm, and those who don’t live in fear in every shape and form. It’s those who have money who are happy to start a family, and those who don’t dread the idea because of their lack of stability. It’s those who have money who are thankful for living at ease in every way, and those who don’t are thankful that they have lived another day. One should be forever thankful for the clothes that they are wearing, and their favorite bike that still needs repairing. One should be thankful for their education, and the fact that they get to have a lovely vacation. One should be thankful for the bed that they sleep on, and their colored pencils that their cousin bought from Amazon. One should be thankful for the books that they get to read, and for their parents who always encourage them to succeed. If things aren’t the way they are, then I bet that family could have afforded their very own car, which the father would have used to drive his daughter to school, while the baby and the mother would spend their afternoon in their backyard kiddie pool. The son would be playing soccer in the nearby park, and would be chased by his dog that would constantly bark. But the only way for them to leave that station, solely depends on the people’s doantions. It’s easy to be blinded by money, and believe that everything is bright and sunny. The place that the poor Romanian family calls home, is the subway station right in the center of Rome, where people would travel to the Pantheon or the Colosseum, but wouldn’t take a second to look at people like this family and spare them a crumb. Right before I entered the train, I looked back at the family sitting next to the sewage drain. Eight eyes watched as people passed by, and one little girl waved to me goodbye. Sarah Amaoui '20 (BHSEC Queens)
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