I Still Lack the Accent

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels

I was 8 years old, splashing in the public pool near my grandmother’s house. A friendly boy swam over and asked me, “What do you lack?”

My puny brain ground to a halt. Shelter? Food? Clothing? Nope. Got all those. What do I lack? Like, what’s missing from my life?

I hadn’t really thought about it before.