I had a cousin named Ebony. I believe she was almost 15 or 16.

Ebony’s mom, Shaunit hated

my mom. Therefore Ebony hated my mom too, which made sense. Shaunti was my mom’s
sister. They hated each other for so many reasons but the only one I remember was that my
mom was adopted and when she came into the family, everyone gave her a hard time. My mom
tried her hardest to keep us away from her side of the family but somehow we still saw them.
Grandma’s house was the main house for the family. Everyone came there. My cousins, uncles,
and aunts would all meet up there. Ebony and Shaunit also lived there. One day my mom
dropped me and my older sister Arnel to grandma’s house. I remember Arnel walking to the
corner store to buy me some Flamin Hots. I ate my Flamin Hots while joking around with my
other cousins. The ones that liked me. When I finished eating my chips, my grandma told me to
go wash my hands. I walked into the bathroom and started washing my hands with cold water. I
don’t remember much but while I was washing my hands, somebody came from behind me and
grabbed my hands. They were so close to my body. They used their leg to place on my back so
that I couldn’t move. They switched the water from cold to hot. It didn’t burn for a few seconds
since the water was turning from cold. Seconds later the water is hot and I start to try and
remove my hands. I can’t. So I scream but no one comes to help. The water is now very hot
and I’m still struggling to break my hands free. But, I’m too little and weak. I then look up to see
Ebony. She was burning me. My own cousin. Someone I was supposed to look up to, was
hurting me. I couldn’t believe that a sixteen year old would be so angry at my mom, not me, my
mom and want to hurt me so bad. So something that my mom did, I had to pay the price for it.
I’m not gonna lie, my mom did some bad things to Ebony and her mom but, she never came for
children. They were sisters, sisters fight all the time. By this time steam starting to rush down
from the sink and my hands were still be held under. I was screaming. As loud as I can. “Help!
Help! Please stop! It hurts!” About two minutes later Ebony, finally turned the water off and let
my hands go. I dropped to the ground and cried while holding my right hand. My skin was
peeling off and steam was still coming from my hands. I don’t remember exactly what happened
next but I do remember getting rushed to the hospital. I had a third degree burn. Til this day, I
still have the marking on my right hand. It has cleared up since the day the burning happened.
But, if you look at both of my top hands then you can see the difference. To answer the question
that probably everyone has is no. Ebony did not get charged or go to jail. “She’s’ just a child” “It
was a mistake” My family said. How can someone hold a little child’s hand under super hot
water while they scream for help, beg for help? How is that considered a mistake? What about
me? I was a eight year old girl who did absolutely nothing but I was the one in the hospital. After
it happened, we stayed away from most of my family for years. It’s crazy because no one was
mad at Ebony. They were mad at my mom because she defended me. She didn’t fight Ebony,
who was still a child. She fought Shaunti. Til, this day, it is a very hard topic to talk about in my
family. I still see Ebony. She still lives with my grandma. She could walk past me right now and
pretend to not know what I was talking about. There is not a day when I don’t remember that
day. I’m reminded of it everyday. Everytime I look at my hands I see the innocent eight year old
girl who suffered all because of who her mother was.

Theme: Sometimes you pay the price of your loved ones’ mistakes
 My Outline
p
● Explain who Ebony, Shaunti was and why they hated each other
● Mom would try to keep us away from grandma and family
● Talk about Grandma’s house
● Mom dropped off me and Arnel, Arnel walked to store to buy me Flamin Hots
● Went to go wash hands with cold water when someone from behind
● Describe in detail, the burning
● Screamed for help
● After two minutes, I was free but on ground crying while steam coming from hand
● Difference between two hands (don't remember what happened next, Went to hospital)
● Did Ebony go to jail? (she was a child, It was a mistake family said)
● Family was mad at mom for defending me
● Still see Ebony (pretends she doesn’t remember what happened)
● She could walk past me right now and pretend to not know what I was talking about.
There is not a day when I don’t remember that day. I’m reminded of it everyday.
Everytime I look at my hands I see the innocent eight year old girl who suffered all
because of who her mother was. (say this)