I'm feeling a bit contemplative tonight. My family has a lot of secrets, skeletons that we don't discuss. And while what I'm about to talk about isn't exactly a secret, it's not something that we talk about very often.
You see, six years ago today, August 8, 1997, my great aunt and uncle and second cousin were brutally murdered.
I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was 16 at the time, and had spent the entire afternoon with my best friend Sarah, who was moving to New Mexico the following day. I got home at 4:30 that afternoon, shortly before my dad arrived home from work. My parents and I were sitting around the living room, watching tv. A news report flashed on the screen about a triple homicide in Atwood (which is a town approximately 35 miles from where we live). None of us thought anything of it.
Then the phone rang. It was my grandma, my dad's mom, calling to tell us what had happened. Needless to say, we were all in a state of shock. Especially my dad. I barely knew these particular relatives, had spent little time with them in my life, but my dad was another story. He'd grown up with this cousin, had spent a lot of hours with this aunt and uncle.
We all went to my grandma's house, then drove over to Atwood, where a few other of Dad's cousins live. Everyone was shocked, devestated. I remember going home that night and being terrified to go to sleep. I was too frightened to even go to my own bedroom so I "slept" up on the sofa bed upstairs right down the hall from my parents' bedroom. I didn't actually sleep. I listened to my walkman and kept my flashlight on until the sun rose. Then, feeling safe in the light of day, I returned to my room and slept for about two hours.
They caught the son of a bitch that did it. Mom and I attended most of the trial. He was found guilty by a jury after only four hours of deliberation. And then he was sentenced to the death penalty. Which thanks to former-Governor Ryan, he will never actually face now. Gov. Ryan, btw, the last day of his term in office, granted every inmate on death row in the state of Illinois a pardon. What a -great- man. *note the heavy, bitter sarcasm*
No, I am not against the death penalty. I never have been, what happened to my family members strengthened my beliefs, and no one will EVER convince me that sitting in prison for life is a better punishment than death.
*takes a breath* Anyway. So that's what's on my mind at the moment.
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magelette for her generous gift to me. Combined with some money my grandma gave me for Christmas, I am now only $675.17 away from paying off my Visa! Two more payments and I'm done! \O/
