I Dream of Yukon

Hello, my name is Brandy!

I live in Toronto, Canada. I am a personal support worker but I am also training to become a nurse.

Every day I wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning. It is still dark outside, but I can hear birds chirping in the trees. My son is still asleep, and I can hear my husband snoring. After I get up, I put on my work clothes, called scrubs. I then put on my pearly white running shoes because I know that it is going to be super busy today. I am excited to see what the day will bring.

When I arrive at work, my boss tells me what I will be doing for the day. It seems like a long list, but I love my job, so I don’t complain. I put on my mask and shield to keep everyone safe.

I walk down the hallway to wake everyone up at 7 o’clock. There’s a lot of people I must take care of. I measure out their medication, making sure to be exact.

It is now 9 o’clock. I check on Ruby, one of the people living at the nursing home.

Ruby has curly yellow hair with specks of grey. She has green eyes and likes to wear glasses with a bright pink frame. I help her get dressed and then take her to the dining room in her wheelchair.

On my way to the dining room, I see some visitors coming through the front door. I love meeting new people, so I wave at them. They give me a strange look and do not wave back. Maybe they didn’t think that I was waving at them.

As I walk down the hall to the game room, I see someone who looks just like Ruby.

“Hello, how are you today?” I say looking in her direction. But she walks past me quickly and does not reply. This makes me feel sad.

Are my shoelaces untied?
Is my mask upside down?
Has this happened before?

I go back to the game room to see if Ruby needs my help.

“I want to go play cards with Kimmy,” she says. So, I wheel her over and set up the card table for them to play Go Fish, one of my favourite games.

“Do you want to play with us?” she asks. I see some people that I work with in the corner laughing and having a good time. I want to join in and have some fun too.

“I will be back for the next round,” I say. “I am just going to say hello to some other girls.” Ruby nods her head and starts the game with Kimmy.

I walk to the other end of the game room to talk to the other workers, giving them my biggest smile. “Hi guys, how’s it going?”

They stare at me and stop their laughter. It feels like time has frozen. They are quiet at first, but then Pattie, one of the girls starts to speak.

“Oh, your hair….it..umm…looks so different from yesterday. Very island vibe.” She widens her big brown eyes at me.

What does she mean? It did not seem like she was complimenting me. I look down at my braids, hanging in front of me. Before I can reply, they give me a stiff smile and leave. They do not say goodbye. They just put their noses in the air and leave me standing there all by myself. Did I do something wrong?

On my way home, I think about what had happened.

At first, I feel confused. Then I feel sad. By the time I get home, I am upset.

That night I tell my husband about my terrible day. He has beautiful brown skin and short curly dark brown hair.

“Why are you surprised?” he asks while giving me a hug. “They don’t see us like they see each other. It is like we are invisible.”

Then it all comes to me. I did not do anything wrong. I was trying to be friendly, but they just did not like who I am.

Not long after this, my family and I decide to move to Yukon, where things might be a bit better for us. Daycare would be cheaper, and it would be an adventure. I am very excited to start this new chapter.

On the flight to Yukon, I look out the window. I can see the CN Tower below as we leave Toronto. I feel a bit nervous. I do not know many people in Yukon. Was I going to like it there? Were people going to like me?

From the airport, we take a taxi to our new home in Whitehorse, the capital city of Yukon. On the way, I take pictures of many beautiful things. I see bright green hills. I see a fox dashing through the grass. I see a family hiking in single file up a tall mountain. I stare up into the clear blue sky and see clouds that are as fluffy as cotton candy. Yukon’s scenery is picture perfect.

I quickly get a job as a personal support worker in a Yukon nursing home. On my very first day, I notice many people there that look like me. I was not the only person there with a brown skin tone and this makes me feel happy.

A woman walks past me. Her long straight hair was pulled into a tight bun. Her eyes are bright and smile at me.

“Hi, are you new?” she asks.

“Yes, it’s my first day,” I reply, trying to hide the surprise in my voice. Right away, things here feel different.

“Well, we’re glad to have you. My name’s Dawn.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Brandy,” I say.

She smiles at me again and continues walking down the hallway. It was crazy how much a smile meant to me. Was I being accepted?

The next day, at lunch break, I overhear three women at the nursing home talking about the Northern Lights.

“Hello, sorry to interrupt, but were you talking about the Northern Lights?” I ask. “I’m new here and would love to know the best place to see it.”

“Oh, my goodness!” one lady exclaims. “You must see it from the top of the mountain on the east end. It is gorgeous! We should go sometime.”

I feel excited. They did not stop talking when I came in. They included me and even invited me to come with them. This was different, but a good different. Was I being included?

Not long after that, I wrote my final nursing exam and passed! I wanted to tell my manager that I was now going to look for a job as a nurse. So, I take a deep breath and walk slowly over to her office door where I knock three times.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Mandy, can I speak to you?” I stammer.

She looks up from her computer and gives me a smile “Of course,” she says.

She did not look like me, so I was a little nervous to tell her about me trying to become a nurse. It is always scary to talk to the big boss. It felt like I was going into the principal’s office at school. You do not want to say the wrong thing or act funny. But I knew that I had to take this leap of faith. I finally got the courage to tell her what was going on.

“I just want to let you know that I am going to be a nurse soon. I passed all my tests. I’m just trying to get everything together ….” My words hang in the air.

She pauses for a moment, putting her hand on her chin. My heart starts to beat faster and faster. It feels like forever until she speaks again.

“Hmmm,” she says. “Do you want to work here as a nurse? You know a lot of the people already and you’re a great worker!” she exclaims. I can tell by the tone in her voice that she really wants me to say yes.

I feel overwhelmed with joy. After a few seconds I reply, “Yes, I would love to!”

I leave her office with a bit more pep in my step. It seemed so easy. I did not have to prove anything or get asked a million questions.

A few weeks later I go to see the Northern Lights with my family and new friends from work. The sky is filled with streaks of green and yellow. I can see specks of red and purple too. It is an unforgettable sight, like a nighttime rainbow.

Later, when I get home, I think about how different Whitehorse is from Toronto. When I was in Toronto, I felt invisible and unseen. Here, most people were kind and did not treat me differently because of my hair style or skin colour. I was finally being accepted not just as a person but as Brandy.

That night, as I fall to sleep, I dream of my family, my new job, and my new friends. I dream of a place where smiles are plenty and the lights dance in the night sky.

I dream of Yukon.

The End.

Who is the real Brandy?

Brandy Grant was born in North York, Ontario. She has lived in Whitehorse, Yukon and resides in Brampton, Ontario, with her husband and two children. Brandy is a Registered Practical Nurse. She currently works as a Behavioural Support Manager at a long-term care home in Orangeville. Brandy went to George Brown College for Personal Support Work. She received her Nursing Diploma from Durham College in 2017. Brandy wants children to know that it is always important to be yourself and to embrace being different!

About the author

name: Tyannah Brown

Tyannah Brown resides in Oshawa, Ontario with her parents and three sisters. She is currently pursuing a degree in Legal Studies, with a minor in Human Rights Law, at Ontario Tech University. Tyannah also works as a peer tutor and peer success facilitator at Ontario Tech University, where she helps students hone their time management skills and learn exam preparation. Tyannah would like to become a human rights lawyer as she believes that everyone’s rights should be respected and acknowledged.

In her spare time, Tyannah enjoys watching television shows and movies, and playing video games. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends. Tyannah hopes that this story will educate readers on the importance of being kind to everyone and appreciating all our differences. She also hopes that it teaches you to embrace who you are because we are all unique!