We are all waiting outside to be assigned chores.  Juanita and I are passing around photos we got in our mail.  She is a recent high school grad like me.  She is from Albuquerque.

Put away those photos.  The voice is sharp.

I look up and see a staffer.  Her name is Helen.  She is not smiling.  Just because you have a pug nose you think you are cute.  Her tone is mocking.

Until this moment, she seemed nice.

That is so rude and uncalled for.  But Helen has no idea how ironic her remark is.   I think my nose is my worst feature.   Ah Ngung and I laughed about our noses.

We joked that after I get to America I will send for her and we’ll get our noses fixed by plastic surgeons.   We’ll get noses like Elizabeth Taylor’s!  Thinking of Ah Ngung makes me smile inside.

I keep a straight face.  I don’t say anything.  I know better than to make light of what a staffer says.

Juanita and I put away our photos.  Juanita would get a good laugh when I share my nose story with her.