Table of Contents
1. Another Life Claimed
2. "In Jesus Name...Hallelujah!"
3. A step to the rest of my life
4. My hair, your hair, their hair, our hair
5. Blame it on the flu, got ya feeling blue
Another Life Claimed
Cancer. The most deadly, ugly disease claiming thousands of lives every year. It is like the silent killer that can’t be caught. But in this case, her family killed her, she didn’t have to die. I have a family filled with religious souls, but this time religion was taken a bit too far. My cousin, Leilani, was a beautiful woman in her 30s and then she got cancer. Our family does not have any kind of history of cancer, so i guess she was just a not so lucky 1 in every 5.
Anyway, her family is deeply religious and they believed that God would heal her and that she didn’t need the doctors help. Therefore, she rejected getting chemo therapy. The most awful decision she would make in her entire lifetime.
I remember every time my mom and I would go visit her, she’d get smaller and smaller and smaller until she looked like an anorexic person. She would hardly eat anything but a bag of chips in an entire day, if that. She was just wasting away like an old memory. Fast forward about a month, she’s in the hospital.
I walked into her room. All I wanted to do was race back out into the hallway and cry. The site of her was almost frightening. I didn’t know who this person was, this mysterious dying woman looked nothing like my cousin I had once known. Her eyes were swollen shut and literally busting out of the sockets. Her body, swollen like a blown up balloon. All of the tubes going in and out of her throat and arms. I’ll never forget the sight.
I walked into her room. All I wanted to do was race back out into the hallway and cry. The site of her was almost frightening. I didn’t know who this person was, this mysterious dying woman looked nothing like my cousin I had once known. Her eyes were swollen shut and literally busting out of the sockets. Her body, swollen like a blown up balloon. All of the tubes going in and out of her throat and arms. I’ll never forget the sight.
A few days later, my mom and I got the call on our way to church. Coincidentally as soon as my mom’s phone rang, the song “Goin Up Yonder” began to play on the radio. Next thing I know, tears just flow down both of our faces.
I was baptized once long ago as baby, but I had to get baptized once more when I got older. It was one of the most nerve wrecking events in my life. One, I was very afraid of going underwater and I thought I would drown if I did so; and two the whole church would be watching! Only in the second grade, I was about to take a major step in my life.
I was highly intimidated by the green colored pool tub on stage in the church. I didn’t want to go underwater and I would do everything in my power not to. But suddenly as I got in my white robe, I was no longer afraid of the water. A joyous sensation came over me and I was actually excited to get baptized. My mom was front row in the sanctuary with the biggest smile on her face. She was so proud and I loved that feeling.
Second in line, take a deep breath, and pray for the best as I stand by and watch my friend get baptized. Down the stairs I go into the lukewarm water, shaking as if I was going into an execution. The pastor is in there already and he has me sit on a bench in the tub. The water rises to my chest and I panic. Can you not put my head underwater? I whisper to the pastor and he gets an awfully confused look on his face. What? he asks me. I repeat my question. To this day I don’t think he heard me because as he hollered a few words to the church, he then said In Jesus name!
I’m underwater now. In a split second I am up choking on water, doing all I can to get it out of my nose, while everyone around me is lifting my hands up in praise. All I hear is Hallelujah here, Hallelujah there. The sudden dunking shocked me. I felt like I had been thrown into a tsunami.
I could barely walk out of the tub, shaking violently in shock. I couldn’t wait to get in the back room and change. Again, as I was taking off my robe I felt good. Something had overcome me, something changed in me. Eb where are you? I hear my mother’s voice. In the bathroom! I respond. To see the big smile on her face once she saw me made my world so much better.
High school here I come! Only a few hours more will I be a part of this 8th grade class filled with outrageous, relentless, evil teenagers. Never thought the day would come, always imagined what it would be like and who with, but it was here now. I would walk across the stage in only two hours. Wake up early; do hair, make up, and put together the perfect outfit. The next thing I know, I’m walking down the aisle of the Koffman auditorium to my assigned seat in the audience.
Cautiously looking for my family in the audience. There, over there! I excitedly wave at my family as if I haven’t seen them in years. As the long, grueling hour passed by for them to call my name, I impatiently waited and attempted to cheer the loudest when someone’s name was called in order to keep myself entertained, and from being completely overtaken by nerves.
My row then gets up and nervously walks to the staircase up to the stage. Millions of thoughts are raging through my mind at this moment. What if I fall off of the stage? What if my heel breaks? What if I forget to look at the camera? What if I trip walking off of the stage? What if people start to boo me? At this point, my hands are clammy and shaking. Ebone Qualls.
I grab hold of the railing as a precaution, smile big, and walk up the stairs as I hear people throughout the audience scream for me. Friends and family mostly I’m assuming. As I accepted my diploma and shook every person’s hand on stage I was overcome with joy and accomplishment. I was ready to take on the world and everyone in it. I had made it through pre-school, elementary school, somehow made it through hell in 7th and 8th, and got accepted into the school of my dreams. I had done it, ASTI here I come and you best as hell get ready for me.
Everybody in my family has pretty hair that grows fast. My sister’s hair is thin and like silky waves of angel hair noodles, all the way down her back. My mom has a short, curly hairstyle, but she has to cut it around twice a month because it’s like top ramen noodles that won’t stop growing. My brother recently cut his hair, but he had dreads that looked like a mop sitting on top of his head and stopped right above his shoulders. And my nephew’s hair is like soft, black curly fur, it’s almost as long as mine, and he’s only three years old!
But my hair, my hair is like thick wool that has been cut off and won’t grow anymore. Ever since I dyed my hair, it doesn’t grow as fast. It makes my forehead break out whenever I have my bangs out, almost like an allergic reaction. My hair is hard to deal with when it’s not flat-ironed, like trying to tame a wild animal, hard to comb through, leaving my head sore after it’s been combed out, has a smell like burnt toast in the oven after being pressed, the pain of getting three shots a week, digging your car out of six feet of snow. The breakouts, the pain, and my hair that smells like burnt toast.
Five days of weakness, coughing, throwing up, high on medication and not able to eat food. Five pounds dropped off as quick as you can say ouch. Cause? The flu. At first, I had just woken up with a little cough, the next day I could barely get out of my bed. As my case got worse, I began to wonder if I had swine flu. My mother didn’t agree with me and thank God she was right. Through the 3rd day, I began turning to God for help. I thought I was knocking on death’s door and I was desperate for life. All I could do was sleep because I was over medicated; full of Tylenol, Robitussin, Advair, Albuterol, Benadryl, and Zyrtec. I just wanted to be better; all I had was hope and God.
“In Jesus Name...hallelujah!”
I was baptized once long ago as baby, but I had to get baptized once more when I got older. It was one of the most nerve wrecking events in my life. One, I was very afraid of going underwater and I thought I would drown if I did so; and two the whole church would be watching! Only in the second grade, I was about to take a major step in my life.
I was highly intimidated by the green colored pool tub on stage in the church. I didn’t want to go underwater and I would do everything in my power not to. But suddenly as I got in my white robe, I was no longer afraid of the water. A joyous sensation came over me and I was actually excited to get baptized. My mom was front row in the sanctuary with the biggest smile on her face. She was so proud and I loved that feeling.
Second in line, take a deep breath, and pray for the best as I stand by and watch my friend get baptized. Down the stairs I go into the lukewarm water, shaking as if I was going into an execution. The pastor is in there already and he has me sit on a bench in the tub. The water rises to my chest and I panic. Can you not put my head underwater? I whisper to the pastor and he gets an awfully confused look on his face. What? he asks me. I repeat my question. To this day I don’t think he heard me because as he hollered a few words to the church, he then said In Jesus name!
I’m underwater now. In a split second I am up choking on water, doing all I can to get it out of my nose, while everyone around me is lifting my hands up in praise. All I hear is Hallelujah here, Hallelujah there. The sudden dunking shocked me. I felt like I had been thrown into a tsunami.
I could barely walk out of the tub, shaking violently in shock. I couldn’t wait to get in the back room and change. Again, as I was taking off my robe I felt good. Something had overcome me, something changed in me. Eb where are you? I hear my mother’s voice. In the bathroom! I respond. To see the big smile on her face once she saw me made my world so much better.
A step to the rest of my life
High school here I come! Only a few hours more will I be a part of this 8th grade class filled with outrageous, relentless, evil teenagers. Never thought the day would come, always imagined what it would be like and who with, but it was here now. I would walk across the stage in only two hours. Wake up early; do hair, make up, and put together the perfect outfit. The next thing I know, I’m walking down the aisle of the Koffman auditorium to my assigned seat in the audience.
Cautiously looking for my family in the audience. There, over there! I excitedly wave at my family as if I haven’t seen them in years. As the long, grueling hour passed by for them to call my name, I impatiently waited and attempted to cheer the loudest when someone’s name was called in order to keep myself entertained, and from being completely overtaken by nerves.
My row then gets up and nervously walks to the staircase up to the stage. Millions of thoughts are raging through my mind at this moment. What if I fall off of the stage? What if my heel breaks? What if I forget to look at the camera? What if I trip walking off of the stage? What if people start to boo me? At this point, my hands are clammy and shaking. Ebone Qualls.
I grab hold of the railing as a precaution, smile big, and walk up the stairs as I hear people throughout the audience scream for me. Friends and family mostly I’m assuming. As I accepted my diploma and shook every person’s hand on stage I was overcome with joy and accomplishment. I was ready to take on the world and everyone in it. I had made it through pre-school, elementary school, somehow made it through hell in 7th and 8th, and got accepted into the school of my dreams. I had done it, ASTI here I come and you best as hell get ready for me.
My hair, your hair, their hair, our hair.
Everybody in my family has pretty hair that grows fast. My sister’s hair is thin and like silky waves of angel hair noodles, all the way down her back. My mom has a short, curly hairstyle, but she has to cut it around twice a month because it’s like top ramen noodles that won’t stop growing. My brother recently cut his hair, but he had dreads that looked like a mop sitting on top of his head and stopped right above his shoulders. And my nephew’s hair is like soft, black curly fur, it’s almost as long as mine, and he’s only three years old!
But my hair, my hair is like thick wool that has been cut off and won’t grow anymore. Ever since I dyed my hair, it doesn’t grow as fast. It makes my forehead break out whenever I have my bangs out, almost like an allergic reaction. My hair is hard to deal with when it’s not flat-ironed, like trying to tame a wild animal, hard to comb through, leaving my head sore after it’s been combed out, has a smell like burnt toast in the oven after being pressed, the pain of getting three shots a week, digging your car out of six feet of snow. The breakouts, the pain, and my hair that smells like burnt toast.
Blame it on the flu, got ya feeling blue
Five days of weakness, coughing, throwing up, high on medication and not able to eat food. Five pounds dropped off as quick as you can say ouch. Cause? The flu. At first, I had just woken up with a little cough, the next day I could barely get out of my bed. As my case got worse, I began to wonder if I had swine flu. My mother didn’t agree with me and thank God she was right. Through the 3rd day, I began turning to God for help. I thought I was knocking on death’s door and I was desperate for life. All I could do was sleep because I was over medicated; full of Tylenol, Robitussin, Advair, Albuterol, Benadryl, and Zyrtec. I just wanted to be better; all I had was hope and God.
On the fourth day I awoke feeling remarkably better, until I reached my bathroom. I had dropped an object and I bent over to pick it up. Not knowing I was coming up too fast, all of my blood rushed to my head causing me to drop to the ground, on the verge of passing out. I wasn’t going out like this. I hollered as loud as I could in attempt to wake my mom up and get her to come help me. Mom! I desperately screamed. Come here!
I could hear her jump out of her bed and run into the bathroom. She stepped into a horrendous sight, me lying on the bathroom floor. She quickly tried to pick me up and get me to her bed as I pleaded with her to just let me stay there on the floor. I was so weak and dizzy I couldn’t go anywhere on my own. But somehow she got me up and into her room and off to the hospital we went.
I could hear her jump out of her bed and run into the bathroom. She stepped into a horrendous sight, me lying on the bathroom floor. She quickly tried to pick me up and get me to her bed as I pleaded with her to just let me stay there on the floor. I was so weak and dizzy I couldn’t go anywhere on my own. But somehow she got me up and into her room and off to the hospital we went.
I responded Ebone gurl :) ily!!!!
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