Big Happy Family by Ciara Ligon

Waking up the cold world is not the best feeling. Having to hear my sister cry at night kills my soul. The sound of things being thrown around, screams and cries makes me feel as if it’s my fault, but that was just the beginning. 



             

Being born and raised in Brooklyn was not so great. Their crazy people walking around, with drugs; guns; anything thing you can think of that is illegal. On the streets there is always young kids running around; no parents walking with them. My parents made me move into a community I don’t fit in with. I’m way to different. This life style is not for me. I am the oldest out of five and I don’t connect with any of my “siblings”. Being left alone at the age seven changed my whole mindset. Why did my parents leave me? Do I belong here? This family is not for me. This place is crazy. 



         

  I’m only close to one my “sisters”, she is the youngest but she was having more problems then myself. She would drown herself in tears each night, while her foster father would enjoy himself. It seemed like he was having the time of his life when he heard her crying and saw her bleeding. No one really knew what he was doing in the house but me; I just thought it would be best for me to keep everything to myself. 



         

Walking my “sister” to school everyday had to be the most uncomfortable time of my life. Watching her limp killed me; killed my heart and my soul. I wish it was me not her but I just cant...



         

 Every morning when we walked up to the school everyone would have the eyes on us. It felt as if they were trying to take our soul. We would hear little conversations on the sidelines of the courtyard. They would say, “Does he beat on his sister?” “Where are their parents?” “Why does she look like that?” All we could do was just keep walking until we reached her teacher Ms. Bright. Ms. Bright would as me question like “Is your sister okay? She not doing very well in my class and I also realized she has many marks all over her, is everything fine at him.” I would just replay yes back to everything; and that seem to make her stop asking questions. 



           

 After dropping her off at school, I would just go hangout in a secret park in the middle of nowhere. No one knew about this place. It was a place where I can let all my feelings out; yell at the world; beat myself up for being so different from everyone else. It’s so plain here; leafs all on the floor and so many trees there. I don’t like school nor do I like being home, so the best place to go was to my secret place. It's not much to do there but it is really fun. I guess. But this isn’t about my life; I have to help my “sister”. I will just one day.      

 Walking back home everyday is refusing but I still think about my half sister and what might be happening to her when I get home. 

     

 I walking in to my front door and I heard so many screams. But today the screams seem to be different for the other days. All I kept her was “HELP ME PLEASE”. She never screamed help before, that’s when I knew I had to help, and I just had to do something. I just knew it was my time to say something. God was calling me and telling me today is the day you will say something and stick up for your sister. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a stick that my stepmother kept behind the back door. I walked up the stairs slowly and walked to my sister’s room. Trying not to make any noise I pushed the door open and saw my some man on top of my sister. There he was, it was him. I couldn't tell what he was doing but it didn't look right at all. I walked in slowly behind him and I took two deep breaths and I threw my stick at the back of his head. He turned around and gave me an evil look in his eyes. I never looked him in his eyes but today was the day it happened. I saw all the hate and pain in his eyes. Then he just fell on the floor and I grab my sister. She was crying and yelling. All she kept saying was "yes, thanks for helping me, I knew this day would come"

       

 I didn't have time to say anything back so I rushed her out of the room and we went straight to the phone in my room. I dialed the police and they took five minutes to get here. They ended up taking him to the prison and he was arrested. That had to be the best day in my life. 

Knowing he was going to be arrested for 50 years had to be the best feeling I have ever felt in a long time.

     

 After months past and we were living a happy family life. I could finally call my stepmother my real mother and even all my brothers and sisters. Since that man got arrested life has been so much better. That’s when everything in my life started to go uphill. I just knew this day had to come someday.