There was a henhouse they showed off, corn fields, a dirt play area. Next, their sad farmhouse—thin carpeting, bad lighting, chipping paint, old Nintendo. We ate spaghetti on Dollar Tree plates. Then they had the audacity to joke about my acne. At least acne improves (though the scars remained).

Chris Deca teaches internationally and has lived in seven countries. His writing draws on travel, education, and life in unexpected places, including a monastery kitchen and a camper.