my father handed me the phone
"it's your aunt," he says
I reach for the phone
and tentatively hold it to my ear
I was glad to hear the voice
in my native language
but inside
I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry
everything feels so far away
cut off from the family
all I have is a number of four
but as for my relatives
it's been countless days
and more accurately years
I truly felt exhilaration
with that short conversation
but at the same time
experience a sense of devastation
everyone's half a world away
there's no telling when I'll see everyone again
no guarantee of it either
but someday
I'm sure
my whole family will finally be together