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About My Family
My baby sister Allora and I were raised by our single mother who got sick and went into a coma when I was 12 and Allora was 8. Our lives flipped upside down even more so when we found out we'd have to live with our Aunt Mona. She was Mom's careless older sister whom she didn't like, and we'd never even met her, but she was our only relative, so it was probably a better deal than foster care.
Who is Aunt Mona?
Aunt Mona was a free-spirited, adventurous young woman who was backpacking solo around the world when we interrupted her life. In a blink of an eye, she went from one of the youngest people to have ever climbed Mount Everest to a single mom of two girls she didn't give birth to, and she didn't have a clue about how to take care of children, like knowing that kids run away when you aren't paying attention. Yeah, she once lost Aora at the mall and found her hours later, and they were both traumatized by that incident. But sometimes, it also made her the coolest guardian any kid could ask for. She didn't force us to eat broccoli, she allowed candy before dinner, and we stayed up as late as we wanted binge-watching MSA on school nights.
My Musical Journey
My sister Allura would sometimes use that to her advantage. Despite being an overall easygoing kid, and as the younger one, she required more care from Mona, who would try to force that responsibility on me. "I don't know what to do, Jazelle. Help me out here! I've never had to deal with children before you guys came along."
"No, Mona, she obviously cannot adopt this wild snake as a pet. I don't want her to resent me for refusing her that. Can you please tell her yourself?" In these situations, I always ended up being the party pooper while those two got closer. Mona remained an irresponsible adult, spoiling my sister, and Allora definitely preferred her cool aunt over her protective older sister. On top of everything else, Allora was an A-grade student, so Mona was always proud of her.
Conflicts and Family Relationships
"Maybe you should be more like Allura, because if you keep up with those grades, you won't be able to get into college."
"Jazelle, who said I want to go to college? I want to be a guitarist in a metal band!"
"Well, you have to graduate from college first, then do whatever you want. Your mom wouldn't want it any other way. Also, this is just a phase."
"It's not a phase, Mona! It's who I am! And don't bring my mom into this. She always supported my talents, and she was chill. I'm sure she would support my music too. I grew up with her, so I know her better than you do!"
"Though the last time I checked, Mom never liked you because you always put yourself first. Also, did you ever go to college? Why are you suddenly acting like some responsible adult?"
"Don't talk back to me like that! I'm the one who takes care of you, so you need to obey me."
"I obey no one!"
"Sorry, you're stuck with us!"
"But I'm old enough to know what's best for me, and I definitely don't need you to take care of me."
Our endless ego duel started with that fight and lasted for a long time. If Mona didn't understand how important music was to me, I couldn't be bothered to convince her. I was a misfit in school because I dressed like a goth and was into metal music, but I had formed a band with some kids I'd met in the park, and being with them was the only time I felt I belonged somewhere. School was a waste of time for me, so when Mona dropped us off every morning, I waited for her to go and then went to practice in an abandoned warehouse with my friends. Life was good, and we were even working on our first album.
The Festival Incident
My bandmates and I decided to play at a very famous local metal festival the coming weekend, but of course, Mona had to overreact massively. "What do you mean a metal festival? That's no place for a child! Are you trying to send me into a coma with my sister?"
"Chillax, man! Why are you being so melodramatic?"
"Maybe because she's worried about you and the company you're keeping! Your friends are a bad influence on you!"
"Shut up, mini raccoon! Keep your nose out of my business! You're just Mona's buttwipe!"
Despite all her efforts, Mona couldn't keep me away from the festival. We had practiced so hard, and I wasn't letting this opportunity slide. The festival was massive, and I was loving the energy of the crowd and getting to see the other fans perform. But just before it was our turn, the police crashed the event and dispersed the crowds because apparently the festival didn't have a permit.
The Protest
My bandmates and I ran faster than Roadrunner until we ended up near the town's historical municipal building. As an act of protest against the way the metalheads were treated, we decided to write messages and spray paint all over the building's old walls. Anarchy was in town! And before we knew it, the police caught up to us and took us to the station. The humiliation I felt when Mona arrived to bail me out was unmatched. I just knew that she would use this card against me for the rest of my life.
The Aftermath
"See, I told you they're a bad influence! You're hardly ever in school because of them! What, young lady? Your behavior is out of control! It's about time you learn some discipline! No more metal music, and you're forbidden from hanging out with those punks!"
"Forbidden? You can't force me!"
"Challenge accepted!"
She was very serious. She started dropping into school unannounced to check up on me and chat with my teacher. All this time, I had been skipping school; I was forging her signature for made-up appointments, and now that cat was out of the bag. But even worse, one day when Mona had dropped in, she witnessed a bunch of mean girls bullying me.
Discovery of the Diaries
I started wondering why Mom disliked her so much; she wasn't all that bad. So one day when Mona was at her yoga class, I decided to look through her photo albums to see when exactly they stopped talking. As I was digging through some boxes, I found Mona's old diaries. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help reading them, and I felt like I was getting to know a very relatable and real person with whom I had a lot in common. But then I came upon the entry that made everything clear.
Family History
Grandpa was a single parent and he was sick for years when Mona and Mom were teenagers, and their financial situation wasn't the best. So instead of staying with Mom to help her, Mona stole a bunch of Grandma's jewelry and Grandpa's cash, then ran away from home at 18 to go backpacking around the world. Mona's confessions in her diary were her true thoughts, so it wasn't just Mom's opinion of her. She was an irresponsible, selfish older sister who had left Mom to struggle. Mom never had the opportunity to do things she liked because she had responsibilities bigger than her ever since she was 15. Mona had stolen Mom's youth.
Feelings of Regret
I was so distracted and angry in the following days that I couldn't even focus on band practice, which wasn't good for us because our album was launching soon. We also had a tour planned, and I needed Mona's permission to skip school for 2 weeks and travel around the country. I was already hating that idea, and the conversation didn't go well.
"I just want to know where you get your audacity from, Jazelle! You get to be your own person, but not before you finish high school! I thought I made that clear! Also, I still don't like your irresponsible bandmates and I can't let you travel around with them!"
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which is important for my future career!"
"You know what? I can't even take you seriously when I know how irresponsible and selfish you are!"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me! Your lack of responsibility ruined Mom's life! She had to become an adult too soon because her older sister decided to bail on her! And don't try to deny it! I read your own confession in your diary!"
The Letter
"You read my diary? This is such an invasion of privacy! I don't want to see your face right now! You're grounded!"
"Gladly!"
Plan B. It was that night I wrote her a letter and snuck out my window.
Not so dear Mona, when I'm famous and successful, don't come knocking at my door. I want you to remember how terrible you were to me and my mom. Selfish witch! Rock on, Jazelle!
The adrenaline rush I felt as I left the house in the middle of the night was unmatched. I rushed down our street as fast as I could to my friends who were waiting for me in their van, and so my new life as a rebellious musician began.
On the Road
The next morning, I woke up to 20 missed calls from Mona and 70 voice notes. Allora also left me tons of texts saying Mona was furious and I had to come back home. So I decided to turn off my phone and enjoy the decision I had made. Night after night, we played in different cities across several states, and the crowds loved us everywhere. It felt good being cheered by unknown people, meeting potential connections in the music industry, and getting paid.
But after 3 weeks on the road with my bandmates, I started noticing how tiring living in a van with them was. They didn't clean up after themselves and often had the pettiest arguments. They also became lazy and stopped taking this tour seriously. We even missed a couple of shows because they didn't feel like it. I missed hot showers and delicious homemade food. I even felt Mona and Allora's absence, but I couldn't bear to hear Mona's "I told you so" and admit she was kind of right about my friends.
The Flood
I knew I would have some big punishment waiting for me back home. One night after our concert, it was raining heavily, so we decided to stay in a hotel to rest and wait for the rain to stop. But we couldn't afford a good hotel, so the five of us had to share a shabby room, and being the youngest, they made me sleep on the floor. The next morning, we realized that our dream tour had turned into a real nightmare.
"Is that our van floating down the street?" It had rained so much that there was flash flooding in town. Unless we managed to get a boat or build an ark, we couldn't get out. The electricity and internet connection were down too, so we were basically stuck with no contact with the outside world.
The Rescue
The next two nights things got worse as we waited for some help to come. Everyone was scared and hungry, and to top that, my bandmates managed to push all my buttons when they suggested we swim for it. They were morons! I spent all my time regretting the way I'd left. I realized that I'd left Allora with our selfish aunt to pursue my dreams, kind of what Mona had done to Mom.
Now in this grave danger, I wondered if I'd ever get to see my sister again. But the next morning, we woke up to the loud sound of helicopters. We rushed to the rooftop to see the rescue teams had finally reached our area, and just then I heard a familiar high-pitched distinct voice screaming from a megaphone.
"That's her over there! That's my niece!" I couldn't believe my eyes! Mona was here to save me! At that moment, I forgot everything else, and when we were rescued, I hugged her as tight as I could.
Reconciliation
"How did you even find me?"
"I'd find you even if you were on Mars, Jazelle! You're my little girl, and I would never let anything harm you. I was able to track you from your phone's location, and I know people working in some rescue agencies, so I pulled a few strings."
"I'm so sorry for how I left things. You were right about my bandmates, and I regret everything I wrote in that letter."
"There's nothing to forgive! You know I came to your room that night to tell you everything, but you'd already run away. I guess you didn't read my diary entries long enough to know how much I regretted my selfish actions. Later, I spent years reaching out to your mom and trying to make it up to her, but she refused to forgive me, and now she never will. But I promised that I'd do my best to take care of you girls."
"I'm sure she'd forgive you if she saw the person you are now."
Final Scene
Aunt Mona, Allora was waiting for us at home, and she was so happy to see me safe and sound. I had betrayed my sister, and she still received me with open arms.
"Don't scare me like that again, and don't leave me!"
"Never! I promise."