FORBIDDEN IDENTITY

INTO THE NEW WORLD

The room was ready. The bed was set up, the closet was cleared out and the room was all set to be personalized by the new arrival. It had been several years since this room was last occupied. No one in the family expected this room to ever be occupied again, but when the time came for their relative from overseas to stay with them, it seemed like the perfect room for her to stay in. All that was required was clearing out all trace of the previous occupant and setting up a new bedroom that seemed like new. Now, the room was all ready for their relative to arrive and organize it according to her taste. She will be comfortable here despite the room's history. Only a few more hours until her plane arrives.

The 747-passenger jet flew through the clouds over the Pacific Ocean. Passengers seated in first class were keeping themselves occupied by watching movies, reading books, or simply staring out the window. Flight attendants politely asked passengers if they wanted anything. A few ordered drinks, others simply shook their heads. Sitting among the first-class passengers was twenty-year-old Joanne Nguyen.

Joanne was sitting near the center right section of first class. With her right leg crossed and wearing headphones, Joanne kept her focus on a movie that was playing on the screen. "Ma'am, would you like anything?" a flight attendant asked. Joanne slowly looked up and said, "No, thanks." The flight attendant moved on and Joanne went back to her movie. Joanne was halfway through her sixteen-hour flight and she had gone through every movie and television show of interest to her. What was she going to do for another eight hours? Joanne asked herself. It was easy for Joanne to feel slightly dissatisfied sitting for almost an entire day, however, she countered her dissatisfaction by reminding herself she was sitting in first class.

Her seat was practically a private booth filled with a TV lounge, dining table and a seat that functioned as a flatbed complete with blankets and a pillow. Yes, she had nothing to complain about when she was flying in such luxury, especially when there were passengers not too far away sitting in cramped conditions. Joanne's dissatisfaction evaporated, and she went back to enjoying her comfort. As she sat there, Joanne thought about the journey she was about to take.

Joanne was coming to America for the first time in her life. Being born and raised in Vietnam, Joanne's travels consisted of trips around Asia. She had been to other parts of Vietnam, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and many other Asian countries during her life time. During all her travels, Joanne had never been to North America. Most of what Joanne knew of the western world came from the entertainment world, such as movies, television and music. The rest of her knowledge of the west came from getting to know her mother's family in California.

In recent years, Joanne began communicating with her relatives in the west, mostly through social media. Joanne's relatives only knew her through video chats and phone calls, they had never met her in person. Since Joanne was going to live with her relatives in California to attend college, she would finally have the opportunity to know them in person. As nervous as she was about coming to a foreign land, Joanne took comfort in knowing she would be staying with family.

Only a few more hours left until Joanne lands in LAX. Joanne kicked off her shoes and laid her head on the pillow. Within a few minutes, she fell asleep. It seemed like only seconds when she woke up to the announcement the plane was approaching LAX. Joanne looked out the window and saw Los Angeles slowly coming into view. She recognized familiar sights such as the downtown skyline and other landmarks visible from the air. Buildings and freeways filled with moving traffic slowly came into focus as the plane's altitude lowered. Joanne's cousin, Jessica Shin, sent her a postcard of Downtown Los Angeles and now she was seeing it with her own eyes slowly passing by. Off in the distance, Joanne saw the sparkling ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains. There was so much to see everywhere Joanne looked. She was entering a new world where anything was possible. There was no going back now, at any minute Joanne's plane would land and her new life would begin.