To Life,
The scent of spices and foods of all kinds coats the room, teasing my nose and tempting my mouth. Some scents reign more familiar than others—ones that transport me back to dinners with my family within the comfort of my own home.
Ones that carry a sour and savory smell to them. They bring me back to the moments when I am simply a girl surrounded by the people she loves. Not a thought of what assignment is next or what task is still yet to be completed, in her mind, there is only that moment. A moment in which she is celebrating life—celebrating you—with the people that make her smile.
Ones that carry a faintly sweet smell to them. I can’t help but be reminded of the constant trial and error I went through to recreate that same smell, the same taste, that is brought out. The constant struggle to perfect it, just as my mom had. I forgot to roll the plantain in sugar. I forgot to defrost the cassava. I forgot again and again.
Until I didn’t. Until I finally got the sweet smell to fill the room—attracting people as if they were moths to a light. Until I finally felt that wave of accomplishment roll over me.
Ones that carry a smell that are simply unique to themselves; it adds a sweet, salty, and sour tang to the air that I can never quite put into words. And yet, when I smell it, there is no doubt in my mind as to what it is. It is the smell of every party my family has brought me to. It is the smell of karaoke songs sung with roaring smiles and beautiful voices. It is the smell of everything that composes my culture—my family.
However, some scents remain foreign to me: ones I have yet to encounter, ones I have yet to experience. They act as a disconnect, and I am snapped back to reality. The reality where, trailing behind those oh-so-familiar scents, comes the sound of chatter dancing behind it. Words I can’t quite pick up on. Words I should be able to understand. And for a moment, the world dissipates around me, and it is simply me.
But then, a friendly smile and a loving hand come along, and with a simple tug, I am brought back to the room: the room coated in sensational aromas, the room filled with laughter, the room where everyone was celebrating the simple fact that they were together, the room that you brought me to.
Love always,
Alysse
