The “K” In “Know”
Is Silent
It
was the first day of June 2005. My family, and I have just moved into the
United States. Our new apartment was very small compared to our previous house back
in Turkey. There was only one bedroom, which was big. We were only able to
purchase a new mattress for my parents, and my little sister to sleep on. The
rest of the bedroom was empty. The living room was also big. Since we had just
moved to the US with only $500, we had to use the old furniture that was left
by the previous owner. We weren’t able to buy a bed for myself at the time, so
I slept on one of the blue sofa beds, which was uncomfortable to sleep on due
to some springs that were out of place.
Next
week, on a sunny day, my dad and I were going to Manhattan to find my dad a
job. As we were walking down the crowded street, my dad accidentally hit this young,
and tall, lean man. He turned quickly, and screamed at my dad in the middle of
the street. His English sounded well, and fluent. As he kept on screaming, he
got louder, and redder. Since I was extremely shy, I was very embarrassed when
everyone in the street were staring at us. After a long rant, the guy spat on
my dad’s face, and walked away. I was shocked, and frustrated. It was just an
accidental tap on the shoulder, I thought. My dad turned around, and kept
walking. He wiped his face clean, and did not say a word until we went into the
subway station.
We
finally reached a Turkish cuisine located in midtown, after asking many people
on the streets. He had a short interview with the owner of the restaurant, and
as we were exiting, he smiled, and said, “Well, I got my first job in New York.
How about we get you a new bed right after I get paid?” I nodded, but I was
still upset at that guy in my head.
As
he had promised, my dad bought me a new bed. It was incredibly comfortable.
Every night, I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud. Since that very same day, I
always try my best to make my parents proud. Everything I did, and still do, is
to make them happy, and repay them for everything that they have done for me.
Seeing
that I had trouble understanding anything in the classroom, my ESL teacher, in
middle school, always encouraged me to read a lot of books, and to check the
Turkish-English dictionary when I had trouble understanding a word. So, I asked
my mother to buy books for me, and I would translate every word in the book to
Turkish to understand the story, and increase my vocabulary. Books that I
always enjoyed working on was “Finding Nemo”, and “The Rainbow Fish.”
The first word that I
learned was “know.” It looked interesting to me. After finding the definition
of the word, I tried using it in a sentence the next day. My ESL teacher
noticed that I pronounced it incorrectly, and said, “The ‘k’ in ‘know’ is
silent.” The progress I made since reading showed my family, and myself, that I
have a very high potential, and am able to overcome any difficult obstacle.
After
3 months I was comfortable speaking English, and managed to be the “Student of
the Month” as voted by my teachers. Couple of days later, I received a Silver
Honor Roll on my report card. My parents were extremely happy, and so was I.
Every time they were video-chatting with their families, they would brag about
me, and my success. “Look, he managed to be the “Student of the Month”, and get
a Silver Honor Roll after 3 months!” The awards I received were very important
to me, since the awards made my parents really proud.
Being
able to learn a whole new language meant that I had this new way of expressing myself,
and I have adapted to a new country. Being able to be comfortable to speak
English in 3 months was a huge accomplishment, and it thought me that I can do
whatever I wanted to, if I put effort into it. I also learned that the ‘k’ in
‘know’ is silent.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMaking your parents proud to be proud of you is the best and you showed a lot of effort to make your parents proud of you. I can see how much this upset you especially when your parents don't know much English, I get upset when people try to take advantage of my mom since she doesn't speak English. I did my best to learn English myself by reading books, so I know how it feels like to learn a new language.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that you learned English so quickly even though you were already in middle school. I can relate to your story because that's what I did when I came to America too. I always wanted to make my mom proud by doing well in school and reading a lot of books to improve my English. It's great that you were able to overcome that obstacle
ReplyDeleteThere are many reasons why I enjoyed writing this narrative. As soon as I started, the story just came down from my memories, and typed into my computer. I didn't feel as much pressure when I usually have to write other essays.
ReplyDeleteWriting this narrative made me realize that these emotional stories had built up in me, and I felt better when I wrote them down. While writing, the idea of storytelling to a reader, turned more into having a conversation with a pal about your past. Although I have never told these stories to anyone, and am still uncomfortable sharing with others, it made me feel better.
This narrative also made me find my SPARK. Now, you may be wondering what that fancy word is. That word is used in youth development, and basically means "Purpose in what I do." After writing this narrative, I have remembered those memories vividly, and remembered the purpose of my college career. It is so that I can be happy, which can lead to my parents' happiness. Like I have mentioned in my narrative, everything I have done, and still do, is to make my parents happy. I always have people telling me, "Your happiness is far more important." But, what they don't realize is that I put others, my family, before myself.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my narrative, and thank you for your comments.