Chapter 12

Julie:



I woke up after a full night’s sleep, free from nightmares, only to discover it was 7 in the evening. I couldn’t believe I had slept the entire day away. I made my way to the kitchen, where I heard my grandma calling my name from the dining room. As I entered the room, I found Alex and his family seated there.

“Did you and your sister have a fight again? How many times have I told you to stay away from her, Julie?” my mom asked.

Frustrated, I replied, “If this is why you called me, I’m going back to my room,” and I started to walk away. But my mom stopped me, insisting, “Look here, Julie, you can’t go around looking for trouble, you know Sara.”

I couldn’t contain my anger and retorted, “Mom, what I hate is that you didn’t even ask what happened or who started it. You always jump to the conclusion that I’m the one at fault. You do this every single time, even with Kyle. You lied to the authorities, claiming it was self-defense. You know that’s not true. You’re supposed to be my family, but it’s always me you blame, something I wish you weren’t my family for.”

My mom slapped me across the face, causing me to lose my balance and fall to the floor. I stood up and said, “Why don’t you just let me go back to my room so you can enjoy your family dinner?” I went to the kitchen, grabbed some ice cream, cookies, and water, and put them on the table.

Just then, Sara walked in with Alex and said, “Hey, those cookies are mine. You can’t take them.”

I replied, “And why not? There’s an extra packet in the cabinet.” I opened the fridge, took out a bottle of water, and asked her, “Do you need anything from me?”

Sara walked over and looked me in the eyes. I smiled and said, “Sara, didn’t we have an agreement that you would leave me alone and stay away from me, and I would not even look at your fiancé or sit in the same room as him?” I glanced at Alex, who looked confused.

“Oh, she didn’t tell you why I beat the crap out of her?” I continued. “One reason is that she wouldn’t keep her hands to herself, and the second is because I have to stay away from you. I don’t mind that since I have no interest in you or your wedding. But let’s be clear here: I’m not attending the wedding. That will be over my dead body, not after all she has done to me.”

I gathered my things and added, “Tell me one thing, Julie. Why do you hate me so much?” Sara asked.

I chuckled and replied, “If you don’t know, you must be living under a rock. But since I’m feeling generous, I’ll tell you. It’s because every time I seem to find someone who loves me, you always end up being the reason for our breakup. You’re the reason for my unhappiness, Kyle’s hospitalization, and my one hand not functioning properly. Everything that has ever gone wrong is your fault. How many times have I ended up in the hospital because of your jealousy? You can’t stand to see anybody happy but yourself. You’re not my big sister; she was a kind and loving person. When I see you standing here with her face, it makes me mad because the sister I once had is dead, and the person standing here is just the bad side of her. I’ll leave this house for you, your fiancé, and the others, but just remember, karma is a force to be reckoned with. What you do to others will come back to you. I don’t hate you, Sara; I’m just disappointed in who you’ve become.”

Sara tried to apologize, but I interrupted, “I don’t care what you say, so don’t even speak.” She asked if I still hated her, and I clarified, “I don’t hate you. Hating you would mean I care. I didn’t give a damn yesterday, don’t give a damn today, and probably won’t give a damn tomorrow. I just hate what you did to Kyle. He was only trying to advise me because my big sister was too wrapped up in her own problems. Talking negatively about a person doesn’t define who they are; it defines who you are, Sara. You would learn from your mistakes if you weren’t so busy denying them.”

My mom turned me around and said, “Julie, how could you say such things to your sister? We are family.”

I responded, “Before offering self-righteous advice about how family should act, maybe you should look inward and accept responsibility for your own cruel behavior. I’m not saying you are a bad mother; I’m just saying, if you were a contestant on ‘Parenting Idol,’ I doubt you’d make it past the first round. My patience is wearing thin, and by wearing thin, I mean you are one smart-ass comment away from being slapped so hard Google won’t be able to find you. Here’s a thought: maybe you wouldn’t have to mention that you’re a Christian all the time if you just acted like one most of the time. You know, Mom, your ‘Christian’ vibes are so strong that I’m surprised you’re not up for sainthood. Perhaps we should start planning the Vatican visit. It’s amazing how you manage to balance your ‘Christian’ image with your talent for making everyone’s life a living hell. Quite the achievement, really. I’m starting to think you missed your true calling, Mom. You should’ve been a comedian. Your ‘parenting’ jokes are top-notch.

You know what, mother? I wish I could order karma like a pizza and have it delivered in 30 minutes or less.”

My mom suggested that I might be in a bad mood due to my period, but I clarified, “No, I’m not in a bad mood, mother. I’m in a ‘hey, if I get the opportunity to punch someone in the face today, I’m taking it’ mood. You people are so ungrateful. No one ever thanks me for having the patience not to hurt them.”

With that, I walked back to my room.