My name is Kevin Otero. I am 13 years old, and I live in The Bronx. I was born in P.R. My family is from P.R. also. The object that means a lot to me and my family is a lock and chain. It might seem strange that a lock and chain can tell you about my family’s story, but it means a lot to me. The lock and chain is actually from my uncle—he was in a bike gang and used the lock and chain for that. His name was Uncle Jo. The lock was used to keep special stuff safe. We found the object in my uncle’s basement. The object means a lot to me because my uncle is not alive anymore. This lock reminds me of him, but it also tells his story. My uncle died after having lung cancer, and before he died, he had a tattoo on his chest. My uncle’s favorite animal was a panda. I remember when he used to watch movies with pandas. This lock is something that he found outside one day, and he kept it because he thought it was interesting and he used it to lock up things when he was on his bike. My uncle is from P.R. like me. My mom was the first person to tell me about the lock. They had found it in my uncle’s basement. The lock makes me feel very sad, frustrated and angry because my uncle is no longer alive. I am glad to have the lock, though, because it reminds me of him and I miss him.

– Kevin O.

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