a rooster friend

Amelia lives in a small apartment with her mom and a brand new stepfather. She loves her new place. Her room is decorated to one of her favorite motives, MATRIOSHKAS. She read about Matrioshkas from a book she loves, it tells the story of a wood craftsman that makes dolls for a living and one day the Matrioshka (“little mother” in Russian) he makes, talks to him, she tells him that she wants a child, he is surprised, still, he carves her insights and puts another doll in it, he calls her "Trioshka", and she also wants a child inside her, he makes another one and calls her "Oshka" and so on until he has four. Amelia also likes to play with a small Matrioshka her mother bought in New York the last time she traveled with her father, now that matrioshka is hers, a house warming gift.

Her room is half lime green, half flowered lilac. She has a brand new set of furniture that includes a bed, two bedside tables and a desk where she can do her homework comfortably.

Amelia has two windows in her room, one lets her see the reality of a barrio in her country, and she’ll see everyday how lucky she is to have such a beautiful room, and people who care about her enough to make it stay that way. The other window faces a huge house with a huge backyard that is the home to a crazy rooster who sings at no particular hour, except for 5 am, he never misses that one. At first, Amelia was a little scared, she is nine, and she has never slept alone ever since her mom and her live alone. The rooster made that weird noise and in the middle of the night she yelled “WHAT IS THAT??!!” but now she introduces him to everybody as her friend the rooster... “he keeps me company”. Amelia has been sleeping alone in her room for days. No tears, no insomnia, mom and step dad are so happy it was no trouble for her.

Amelia also has a new way of living in this house, less TV hours, that means that if she wants to watch TV late night during weekends she has to administer her time, if she has spent all her TV hours, she has to stay in her room, reading, or writing or painting or thinking, or all at the same time.

Although the apartment is very small, Amelia’s mom and step dad have managed to find the space to create a Zen reading room, a three square Feet area with a rug and cushions next to a window where they will keep the books, the music and her step father’s adored bonsais. She is looking forward to helping him care for them every Saturday morning. She had this incredible idea of organizing a “reading club” with some friends who would come over to read on Saturday afternoons.

Little by little, Amelia’s life is getting back on track, even more organized and steady than before, and she owes this to a love that grew between her mother and step father. Just yesterday, she had a taste of this life. Her step father cooked for her, sauteed broccoli and carrot, and chicken breast with cheese sauce. She loved it, and despite she has claimed for years she will absolutely not eat vegetables, she had a whole plate, and then, ate a little rice and beans that her companion, Juana, made for her.

Everyone is so happy that Amelia is happy, that the apartment is full of love and positive thinking.

Amelia has one more thing to accomplish, a sport/art/freedom discipline that fits her spirit, which her mother has not been able to figure out yet.

Amelia is a great kid who had to go through a lot with her mom, she deserves the best in life, and she is finally getting it.

We owe this to love.

Mom.