The Horses

Ten years ago, on your seventeenth birthday, you set out to the United States seeking opportunity. Your grandmother, who had cared for you her whole life, was no longer able to make a living, and you felt a responsibility to pick up her financial burden. You knew that your aunt lived somewhere in New York, and though you had never met her, you hoped that you could stay with her. She sponsored you upon your arrival, and though she was supposed to help you seek asylum, the government lost contact with her. To this day, you remain without legal status. Today, on your twenty-seventh birthday, the only people you want to celebrate with are your friends who help you maintain the horses.