earrings when I do a spin kick move Th e pearl earrings were a gift from Grandma Nội My sister got our grandma’s jade bangle And my brother got her painted fan My gift is the coolest I look over at Grandma Nội’s picture on her altar in our dining room She died over a year ago now Dad and Mom say we Vietnamese believe the spirits of our family our ancestors stay with us aft er they pass away Th ey hear our prayers Th ey watch out for us I hope she’s happy I’m wearing her earrings Th e other fi ghters are too strong To the river Rohan says just like we’ve played so many times He runs to the window I jab and duck and fi ght my way over to him 4
We are back-to-back as we swing our invisible swords around I throw cushions and pillows everywhere Me and Rohan lie on the fl oor aft er the battle Th at’s how my older sister Miss Perfect Anne fi nds me Dad and Mom are always busy with her and my younger brother Th e Baby Jacob I get lost in the middle most of the time 5
Dad always said it’s Anne’s job as the oldest sister to look after us She’s only two years older than me I’m eight but she thinks she’s the boss of me Hey we have to practice Anne says My boring sister and her boring ballet friends Sophie and Jennifer want to wreck my fun again We were here first Basement I reply The floor here is better You go to the basement she says Mom we yell at the same time Mom comes in from the kitchen Liz Rohan please The girls have a performance She gives me that look don’t make trouble My mom always sides with Anne I say as 6
Rohan and I head down the basement stairs I stomp my feet At least she let you quit ballet Rohan replies It’s true Before Anne changed ballet schools Mom would never have let me Now she asks questions about how I’m feeling and if things bother me But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed She still sides with my sister Rohan punches in the air And now we’ll both be in Mrs Goodman’s grade three class and take Taekwondo together I nod happy again We can be like the Trung Warriors for real I say kicking into the air 7
