Chapter 12 X 13: A Short Story

I think it was pot roast, no it can’t be: Zach despises pot roast. Maybe it was steak, no. Burger and smiley friends, yes, that sounds about right. I kick at the kitchen island as I try to figure out these darn multiplication problems while my mom hovers over Zach's shoulder and tells him the answers to his homework. I sit there waiting patiently for her to help me, but that help never comes and I dive back into what the answer to 12 X 13 could possibly be. Today was a hectic day at school and my dad is slaving away in the kitchen getting dinner ready for us. My mom tells us to wash up and Zach and I race to the bathroom sink and fight over who gets to wash our hands first (he wins as always.) It doesn’t take a genius to tell, more times that not, Zach gets what he wants. As we all sit down I look to my left and see my brother at the head of the table already helping himself to the smiley fries; I look across the table and I see my dad looking at my mom with such love and adoration in his eyes. My mom is telling my brother to slow down, he eats faster than our dog on most days. We all ask about each others day and I smile at how hectic my father's day was at UVM. My mom speaks with animation about her patients. And Zach goes on about what happened during Mr. …show more content…
Jonathan Kozol teaches us in Savage Inequalities and Fire in the Ashes that security is a luxury. Family dinners are my security. They are my security because it is normal. Going back to normal is safe, it’s a relief, it’s like coming home. Kozol shows you through his case study narratives that no one under the poverty line can live a normal happy life: a life that guarantees food, education, and family; a life that guarantees security. Being able to bask in the love and support that my family provides to me has in fact given me the security that I need to survive. This was all achieved by the safety net created by family