Rewinding seven years ago - Ramadan - September 18 2008
Let's see, the 18th of September, seven years ago, I would be nine years old. It's Ramadan, the holy month for us Muslims; fasting until dawn to sun down, no water and no food. (It's not as hard as it sounds). My family and I are driving to our friends house and my mom keeps mentioning that we should not go because she has a bad feeling but we ignore this and arrive at our friends house; we put the car in park 297Please respect copyright.PENANAy1qFnabT1M
a few minutes before the sun is completely hidden from us and get out of the car. My oldest sister brings a camera with her but decides to leave it in the car. We enter the house; there are a couple of other families gathered for Iftar also known as dinner. The house is small but enough for all the guests that are scattered outside in the backyard and inside the living room. The doorbell rings and the door is opened to a family of five; three sons, they're all thin but quite goofy looking, a very thin woman who resembles my mom except the woman's face has a more stern look to it, and a man, from what I remember, he always looks angry and from what I witness, it seems as if he is, which might be the reason to his gray hairs. These people are related to me from my moms side; her sister is the thin woman, therefore making the goofy looking boys my cousins. I would mention their names, but, I think it would be better to keep their names anonymous, therefore, I'll give them each a nickname; my aunt would just be my aunt, nothing special, I would nickname my uncle, uncle, but he doesn't deserve that; I don't like to believe that he's related to me in any way, therefore, I'll mention him as the Gorilla, the eldest of the sons will be Happy Monkey, and I don't have special nicknames for the other two boys, so number 2 will be the middle child and number 1 will be the youngest. My aunt and the Gorilla walk in with faces that hold an expression of evil intentions and their minions walk behind them. My family greets them and my middle sister hugs my aunt but, my aunt does not hug her back. Now, it's sun down, which means it's time to break our fast with a glass of water and three dates. We, and the other families, sit down outside, eating a bowl of soup that warms us with each swallow. The atmosphere seems almost normal but there's something different to it; it doesn't feel as welcoming. All of a sudden a loud scream is heard; "GORILLA", my aunt yells, (she actually yells his name), in an obnoxious way. My aunt doesn't explain as to why she has called him but he charges at my parents just like a Gorilla, hence the name. I don't know what's really going on but it's overwhelming and frightening. My parents, sisters, and I go inside to the living room. My aunt follows and as the Gorilla tries to go inside, my parents friend (The Pleaser) blocks the way but only to get pushed aside. They are trash talking my parents; leaving no insults behind. Even Happy Monkey yells at my parents. As my aunt is throwing insults, my mother only replies, "back at you." Which makes my aunt go even crazier. She's now pulling my mothers hair, and my parents friend (we'll call him Spy) who is the parent of my old "best friends" tries to stop her and gets pulled into the mess in the process. She kicks uncontrollably almost kicking my mom but my dad moves my mom quickly leading her to miss. She keeps on doing this but at one point she falls. (She's doing this in heels, after all). Later, the Gorilla is yelling at my dad and my dad puts his hands behind his back and keeps them there, he doesn't want to lay a finger on anyone. I don't really know what's happening anymore; as I was nine at the time and was crying almost the entire time. But I was being hugged my old "best friends" aunt (White Dress, because I remember her wearing a white dress). Later, I hear that a bottle was thrown by the Gorilla but hits her instead of one of my parents. The fight is still going on and I'm still crying. At one point, my mom gets used as a punching bag by the Gorilla, leaving her with bruises on her chest. Stuff are happening but I don't remember it and I don't know how everything calmed down but it eventually did. 297Please respect copyright.PENANA4QO28GH1dp
Us kids are sitting outside again, trying to eat and to discuss what has happened. Number 1 mentions disappointingly that "now it's going to be like what happened with our other cousins." (So, something like this has happened before). Happy Monkey shuts us up by telling us to stop talking about it.297Please respect copyright.PENANAzlZWk50toV
My mother and father go out into the front yard and call the police. They explain to the officer what has happened. He then questions the Gorilla which leads him to confess to everything (he acts all high and mighty but chickens out when he sees a police). My mother has the option of putting him in jail for a night but doesn't.
That was that; everybody that was at the gathering had taken my aunts side even though they had witnessed everything.