Start with the whistle of a tea kettle. The rust inside glaring at you, begging to be replaced. Your parents debating whether to have eggs or bacon or both. Your brothers scrambling to find their clothes for the day.

It’s June, and you’re outside. Mosquitoes sticking on you while cicadas zoom past. The tomatoes flourishing and drooping on the garden fence. Growing too fast to harvest. The dry heat choking your pores.

Tea. Smells like a sunrise. Like a new beginning. Like your mom, who ran to America with two shirts and a pair of pants. Like your dad, who won the green card lottery. But luck doesn’t make this family, your dad reminds; hard work makes the family survive. He has an unconventional job. With broken English, he became a contractor, but you couldn’t be more proud. A blue-collar job means each penny counts. Being poor means you’re taught to be humble. He will come home soon with his shirt blanketed with wood shavings, dripping sweat. He yanks out a pack of cigarettes and leans by the garage window. He flicks away the ashes on the concrete floor. Smoke surrounds him as he tries to clear his head. He knows the smoke kills and doesn’t want to hurt us.

Don’t forget how the tea kettle was there to whistle during the silence when your grandpa died. His last call was to 911 as his heart pounded against his chest, the blood rushing to survive. He made it to the hospital but couldn’t hold on long enough to say good-bye. Your strong mother cried for the first time in front of her children. She finally forgave her dad only to have him disappear again. He also worked hard toward his dreams only to have every cent he’d saved go into his funeral.

It’s June, three years later. You’re all jammed in the Honda, driving to Michigan to camp with the extended family. Your brothers are reminiscing about the times they won soccer matches. Your mom is flipping through travel magazines. Your dad is focused on the asphalt, hands clutching the steering wheel. You plug in your headphones, drink your tea in a travel mug, and wonder what will be cooked on the campfire tonight, how big the moon will be, and which side of the tent you will sleep on.