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Coming from a large family, I have many cousins. Each cousin brings something special to the group. Anyone growing up in a big family will know that outgoing personalities are always present. When there are family gatherings for holidays and random parties, we all joke around and get along great. One cousin that stood out was John Maka. He was one of my most favorite guy cousins. I grew even a tighter bond with him when he moved in with my mom and I to live with us. This living arrangement was more of a convenience for him because he was attending a nearby tech school. I was in junior high at the time and he was around six years older than me. One particular thing that stands out in my mind about Johnny is quite funny. He would always pay me ten dollars a week to do his laundry. I dreaded the black loads with his odor-drenched dress socks that made me gag. Around a year later, he moved back in with his family and started working full time. I saw less and less of him, but that never changed the relationship I had with him. He was always there to talk to when everyone else in my family was mingling. Considering that I am an only child and the youngest of all the cousins in the family, I felt left out at times. It was always Johnny who would include me in the back yard volleyball games or any nearby parties. When the entire family, including Johnny and I, went to Poland for a month I got sick from food poisoning. He came back from going out one day and had a box of baby chickens with him to make me feel better. Johnny said the reason why he bought them for me was because they were saying “cheap, cheap, cheap”. Since they were so “cheap”, he bought a box just for me. Even though chicks gradually died, the thoughtfulness and concern he had for me was more than any words can describe. There are some people who will go through life cheerful and unbelievably happy. Johnny was one of those people. However, life for everyone including Johnny, took an unexpected turn. On January 25, 2002 my cousin, Johnny Maka, committed suicide. There is a saying, “Life is short, love large”. But does this saying account for people who take their own lives or can the expression be used for everyone. He did love large, his life was short, and I will never forget the day it happened. I remember that day so vividly. It was as if it happened yesterday. I was in school coming back from lunch and a few of my friends came up to me saying that my mom was at school and was looking for me, crying.
Approximate Word count = 1814
Approximate Pages = 7.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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