If Only...

If Only...

A Story by Jennifer Webster
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Here is a story about this one thing: If my first cousin had only done something differently, then he would not make that mistake in which he would have to live with for the rest of his life...

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    It seems to me that 6 years have passed since I have lived with my uncle and aunt, but I think that I have told you all too much about that already. What I would like to write about right now is of the fact at how one simple event had changed my family’s life, and again, it does not have anything to do with the fact that I had suddenly lived with my uncle…
     You see, my first cousin has been struggling with the things he had faced throughout most of his life; Whenever something upsets him, he would go into a complete outburst, and yes, he would curse a whole lot. Like myself, he had been struggling with the fact that he had been trying to make enough money so that he would live on his own; Of course, during my first year with my uncle and aunt, he had been studying in some college in Virginia, but then one day, he did something quite wrong that would change the family’s lives forever, especially my own…
     You see, in the summer of 2012, he did something in which I myself would wish that he would not ever had done to begin with: He impregnated a young woman that I think he had been dating. Now, I know it should not be any of my business, but I had heard a bit of a conversation that my uncle had with his son, who again is my first cousin. He told him that as a result of this mistake that he made of impregnating a girl, he had hurt his family, especially the fact that he had upset his mother, who happens to be my aunt. You know, somebody once said that a baby changes everything, and I for one know for very well sure that, at the time, the baby that was going to be arriving would surely change everything in the household.


Now, I am not very sure if this has been caused by the news that my first cousin had impregnated that girl, but I think that somehow before or after that event, my uncle had a heart attack; Somehow, somewhere, a person such as myself has got to feel sorry for my uncle…I know in my heart of hearts that he had been trying for years to take care of his sons, and to not ever let them fall in any deep, dark trap that they might find. But unfortunately, that news of that impregnating had come as an ultimate shock to the system to him. But I cannot say that I blame him for having failed in taking care of as well as looking after his son; I think that I know that he has done all of the very best that he ever could in raising his sons, my first and second cousins, so he did not do anything wrong. None of this is his own fault.
     But in spite of this, my first cousin has now become one of the millions of Americans, I think, who have suddenly become single parents because either they have impregnated someone or have become pregnant themselves and giving birth to children out of wedlock. Somewhere in my mind, I think that my first cousin had known that what he had done was just plain wrong, and that he wished that he had done things a lot differently, so that none of us in the family would not ever have to go through this same kind of situation.
     As for myself, I began to have this feeling of not being sure if I would feel comfortable being around a child who has been born out of wedlock, because I know that once babies are born out of wedlock, then they would soon grow up and then drop out of school and then would commit crimes. I have been having this kind of feeling for a few years, and I thought that I would get that off my chest by writing to you about it. Maybe I think that my first cousin is having that same fear as my uncle had that his own son would go down the same troubled road as he had, so maybe, since he made that mistake of impregnating his now-former girlfriend all of those years ago, then maybe he could learn to live from that mistake, and then teach his son how to live his life in the right way as very soon as possible.


     If my first cousin teaches his son, whom he shares custody with his former girlfriend, all of the right ways of living, as well as the usual ABCs and 123s and every history lesson and math skills that one could ever provide for him, then I am hoping and praying that he would grow up in the right way, and not like his father. And I also hope that that day would come very soon when my first cousin would have enough money to FINALLY move out of his parent’s (my aunt & uncle’s) home and into a good, suitable apartment. And I myself am hoping to have enough money to move out of my uncle and aunt’s house so that they could retire, and that I can FINALLY live in that one-bedroom apartment that I have been dreaming of living in for a few years since I have lived with them. I hope that day comes soon.


© 2019 Jennifer Webster


Author's Note

Jennifer Webster
Please let me know what you think of my latest writing; Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!-JW

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A story as old as time itself... none-the-less compelling in its way. A tale of the society's morality - and personal consequences in action for action.

Posted 5 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.


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Added on July 13, 2019
Last Updated on July 13, 2019
Tags: Cousin, Baby, Impregnate, Wedlock, Uncle, Aunt, Change

Author

Jennifer Webster
Jennifer Webster

Felton, DE



About
I formerly lived in Philadelphia but I now live in Felton, DE; I am a writer, author, and cartoonist, and I am currently taking time off as a food service worker for a company called Sodexo at the Do.. more..

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