Every year my aunt Karen throws a
Fourth of July party, and this year was no different. It was the
summer after I had finished fifth grade, and I was excited to see all
of my cousins in one place. Although I am an only child, my mother
was one of nine children, so fortunately I have eighteen cousins who
have always acted as my pseudo brothers and sisters. My aunt's
backyard was the perfect place for us to play. There was a large
expanse of grass for running around, a trampoline to jump on, a tree
house to climb, a hammock to swing on, and a pool to swim in – the
possibilities were endless.
I eagerly awaiting the arrival of my
two cousins, Ben and Natalie. They were my only two cousins who were
simultaneously close enough in age and proximity to Austin to play
with. I had always looked up to Ben because he was a few years older
than me, and in my eyes, possessed infinite wisdom. I consistently
enjoyed spending time with Natalie because we were born within a
couple months of each other and generally liked the same things. I
knew that they would both be late, however, because that's how it
always was with them; I don't think I ever once saw my aunt Maureen
and my uncle Stephen, their parents, arrive on time for anything. I
ran around the house absentmindedly until they came, completely
ignorant to anything the adults were concerned with. My aunt's house
was the perfect place for them to play. There was beer to drink,
margaritas to drink, wine to drink, liquor to drink – the
possibilities were endless.
Eventually my two cousins showed up and
we had our usual good time. We swam, played, and laughed until we
were too tired to do so any longer. Our family gatherings were always
potluck style events; everyone brought something to contribute. We
had the usual fare: hot dogs, hamburgers, and barbeque. Once it got
dark, we lit sparklers, danced around and celebrated our nation's
independence. Hooray. My cousins suggested that we go inside for
dessert, and I followed them thinking it to be a splendid idea. I was
excited because my aunt Maureen had brought along some toffee ice
cream, and this would be the first time I would be able to have any
since I got my braces off. We couldn't find any in the freezer, so we
asked my aunt Maureen where it was.
That's when things started to get out
of hand. Ben, Natalie, and I were standing in the kitchen when my
aunt Maureen started chastising my uncle Stephen. It appeared that he
had forgotten to pick up any toffee ice cream. Chastising turned to
yelling, and from there everything escalated very quickly. I tried to
speak up.
“It's really not that big of a deal.
We have ice cream at home.”
I didn't know why neither of them
seemed to notice me or listen to what I had said. We could still hear
them arguing as my father dragged the three of us out of the kitchen
and my mother mother grabbed all of our things and headed towards the
door. I didn't really think much of it at the time. An impromptu
cousins sleepover at my house seemed like an awesome idea.
When we got home, my parents did
everything they could to lighten the mood. We ate ice cream,
strawberry not toffee, and played board games for a while. The last
thing we did was unfold our couch and transform it into a bed.
Because I have a such a small family, we hardly ever had to do this,
and I considered it to be a special occasion. The five of us laid on
the newly made bed and watched the Lion King until we fell asleep.
The Lion King is still my favorite movie, not just because it's one I
enjoyed watching as a kid, but because it reminds me of a time when
my family was truly there for one another and I honestly felt like I
had a brother and sister.
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