Written by Sarah Tang of Poolesville High School
In through the gust
Of cold winter air
And some stray snowflakes,
Came Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, Pops, Uncle Scott, Uncle Dan, Auntie Mimi, Auntie Laura, Cousin Jack, Cousin Cole, Cousin Min, Cousin Emma, Niece Alex, Niece Ava, Nephew Yuri, Nephew Noah, Baby Ben, and Baby Luca,
Swathered up next to her brother Ben in the arms of Uncle Dan.
But an uninvited guest
Had made their way to the Ito family gathering—
Hiding behind the legs of Auntie Laura and Cousin Min,
Crawling up gently onto Nephew Yuri,
And curling itself around Grandma.
Trays and trays and trays of food,
Seemingly endless,
Lined the kitchen counter,
Waiting to be brought out,
Along with the uninvited guest,
Which had made itself a home
In Auntie Mimi’s homemade chikuzenni.
Baby Luca’s cries
Filled the room.
As if she announced the beginning of dinner,
Everyone dropped what they were doing
And made their way
To the elegant mahogany table,
Lined with 16 matching mahogany chairs.
Uncle Scott took Auntie Mimi’s chikuzenni
And Nana’s namasu,
Along with the uninvited guest,
While Uncle Dan took two bottles of soju
And kid-friendly ramune
To the table.
After all the food was brought out,
The Itos had
A mighty feast
Alongside their uninvited guest,
Who had not made themselves present
And was hiding behind Pops’ cup of soju.
Karaoke filled the night,
Ranging from classic Christmas carols to modern pop—
Holiday spirits high,
Joy filling the air.
And the uninvited guest?
Bathing in the Christmas cheer.
Alas,
The celebration was over,
And the Ito family dispersed;
Niece Ava and Cousin Min,
Heading home to New Jersey.
And the rest?
Iowa, California, Georgia, Delaware,
Germany, England, Czechoslovakia,
Japan.
The uninvited guest
Had enjoyed their company,
But wanted more.
So it followed some of the Itos home.
The following week,
A panicked call from Grandpa startled the Itos.
Grandma had fallen ill
And had trouble breathing
And was now in the hospital,
In the ICU.
A panicked text from Cousin Min,
When her closest friend was positive for a virus,
And they had hung out
Both before and after the gathering,
In close quarters.
One of Auntie Laura’s coworkers
Had informed the lab
That he had symptoms of the virus,
But had not come into contact with anyone.
Nephew Yuri’s school
Had closed down for the rest of the school year
Because some upperclassmen had gotten the virus,
And no one knew who had it.
By the time of the new year,
The Ito family was in turmoil,
Because they had a giant get-together
In the midst of a winter storm,
And pandemic, of course.
Stay safe this holiday.
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