Yaniel Ayala Velez
May 20, 2023 4:55 AM
The Yaniel Project by Yaniel Ayala Velez
Hi Cole,How’s your summer going? Mine’s okay so far. I’ve been helping my parents with the bakery. I’m getting better at dough-based things. I’ve always understood the idea, but you either need muscle or magic to really knead, so I guess all that working out is still being put to good use. I like baking with my dad because he gives me interesting baking science facts while we work, like how sweet doughs need to be worked harder cos the sugar slows down the yeast. I don’t think I would have done well in non-magical school with actual science, but random baking science facts are fun. It’ll be fun to enchant things with Mama too when I’m old enough.
By the way, literally no baked goods are vegan ever. I have not told my parents that I know a vegan, I think they would die of confusion. What do you even feed them? How do you give them cake?
Speaking of using my Quidditch skills, Papa and I have also been playing baseball a bunch, of course. He says my distance and accuracy have improved a lot. I guess I don’t see it when I’m working on it every day, and also he has to say things like that cos he’s my dad, but I guess I didn’t go totally off the rails this year, which is good to know.
Mama took me to the salon to get our nails done. School talked to her a bit, and they mentioned self-esteem, so she wants me to feel pretty and good about myself. This is what always cheers her up when she’s feeling down. I think she’s worried that spending all my time doing sweaty, gross sports things makes me feel like I’m not girly enough.
I’ve started keeping a diary. Or… a sort of diary. An imaginary diary. Creative writing project? Thing. I’m writing it as if I’m Yaniel (my imaginary friend/brother that I told you about before). I miss playing that, and I miss him, even though he was never real, and I guess I just wanted to see what it would be like to try and get that back. It’s mostly descriptions of clothes. There’s a lot of stuff that wouldn’t be that different. I’d still bake, papa would still tell me science facts and play baseball with me. I’m not sure what my mom would do with me. Those are the blanks it’s hardest to fill in. Do you and your mom have any things you do that are just for the two of you? And yes, I know—I’m sure Lenny and his mom go shopping and do nails and whatever, but that wouldn’t be what my mom would do if she’d had a son. I don’t know what she would do. It’s hard to think of something she’d really like.
Anyway, it’s not a big deal. It’s just a stupid diary.
Bye.
Your best beater buddy (I hope).
13
Yaniel Ayala Velez
The Yaniel Project
1554
1
5