So today is a sad day for me, and this one hits different.

A Thread.

So when I came to the States (Oct 2002), I did not arrive with my mother. She had left Kenya six months prior, working to make sure once things were okay enough for me to arrive.

When the time came for me to leave Kenya, my mother asked Miriam, a family friend who was visiting Kenya at the time, to come back to the States--this time with me in tow.

(3/n)

So October 23 rolls around and Miriam, her two sons, and me board the KLM flight to Amsterdam. From there, we would take a Northwest (remember them?) flight to Detroit.

(4/n)

So we get to Detroit, something scary happens. I didn't know what to expect when we got to customs, but I knew something was wrong when I got separated from Miriam and her kids.

(TW: Detention, mentions of deportation, etc.)

(5/n)

I get sent to this room. In there I get interrogated about who these people I came with are, why my parents didn't bring me in, if I know that there's a good chance I'll get send right back to Kenya.

This lasted for the better part of seven hours.

(6/n)

At one point, one of the agents felt sorry for me and had asked me if I had eaten American food. I said no, so he proceeded to take me to a Burger King near the airport. I had a whopper and a coke, if that's relevant.

(7/n)

After the meal and the...nervous...conversation...it was back to interrogation mode. At that point I'd accepted that I would be sent back, so I stopped paying attention and just wished that my mother would visit at some point.

(8/n)

Little did I know that Miriam advocated on my behalf to ensure I wasn't sent back. She had also managed to contact my mother in Atlanta to make sure that I'd be going to Georgia with them.

Well, it worked. Two hours later I was on a flight from Detroit to Atlanta.

(9/n)

We arrived, and let's just say no mother has likely ever been hugged tighter than mine was.

(10/n)

Now, why do I tell this story? Yesterday, Miriam passed away suddenly. My heart hurts.

It had been a while since we were last in touch, so I'm not sure if I thanked her for what she did that day (and what her family did after to help us settle).

Miriam, Thank You.

(11/n)

Anyway, 8 years ago(!) I wrote a short piece titled "Fifteen Days" detailing that experience.

http://216.197.126.12/arlijo/index.cfm?issue=57

That's gonna be it from me for a while. Thanks for reading along, I guess. Words are hard to find at the moment.

(12/12).

ADDENDUM: Miriam's family have incurred numerous costs having to do with her ICU stay and her funeral, totaling over $25,000. They will most definitely benefit from monetary support.

If you can, do send contributions to George Theuri CashApp – $mundu (4803817870)