The following is a descriptive essay by Jasmine Johnson.  Leave your comments for Jasmine...

She was just another aunt to me. I hadn’t realized how important she was until the day a selfish individual took her life. Her name was Marcie Johnson, and she was 26 years old when her death changed my life for the better. I had never imagined my aunt would be murdered; I never pictured anyone so close in my family being killed. The day the blued uniformed Union City police officers rang my doorbell, will never leave my memory bank. 

It was the afternoon of New Year’s Eve 2004, when the doorbell had rung. Being an innocent 13 year old, I opened the white door and came face-to-face with two short police officers. When they questioned the whereabouts of my tall, brown-eyed father, I began to worry. “What was wrong?” “What did he do wrong?” immediately ran through my mind as I called up the brown squeaky stairs for him. “Sir, are your daughters Marcie Johnson, Kerina Johnson, and Jasmine Johnson?” was all I was able to hear before being sent up to my pink room.  

When my grandmother was called downstairs, I knew something had gone wrong with Marcie. The loud cry, “Just tell me she’s okay!” heard throughout the house confirmed my assumption. Peeking my head out the brown door to try to hear what actually was going on downstairs, I heard “death”, and I knew it was true. It seemed so surreal to me, so making up a story to tell my little cousin Christofer about his mother came easy. I will never forget how innocent and sweet he sounded when he said, “Jasmine, why are the cops here? We didn’t do anything wrong, everyone in our family is good.” It broke my heart to know he was right. No one in my family did anything wrong. In fact it was a guy, who had a relationship with my aunts best friend, who decided to shoot my aunt. 

It had taken me a while to come to reality and realize I will never see my aunt again. The closest thing I have to seeing her caramel long face is a picture of her smiling, showing off her two front gap teeth. It kills me to know I will never hear her singing loudly from the top floor of my house. To make things worse, as each day passes by I am beginning to forget her raspy but sweet voice.

I remember those cool summer nights she would sit in front of my house and tell me, “If you ever need anything I’ll be here. Any questions you might have about life, just ask me, I’ll be here.” It hurts me day in and day out to know, so many questions I have now she will never be able to answer for me. I cherish every moment I’ve had with her. She has shaped my life in so many ways in such a short amount of time. 

It is because my aunt didn’t get to do everything in her life she wanted to do, such as go back to school and make something of herself, I work extra hard in school to achieve my goals in life. It is because of my aunt, I no longer take family for granted. It amazes me, everyday that it is true; you never know what you have until it is gone. 

Although her flaws sometimes out weighted her strengths, Marcie was so loving in everything she did. Her only son, Christofer was definitely her greatest weakness. Everything she did, she did for him. She lived and breathed Christofer, and did her very best to give him all that he needed and wanted.  She made sure he enjoyed his Christmases and birthdays, even if it meant her working two long hour jobs.  

Everything I do, I do for her. She is truly the most important person I ever had in my life.

I would do anything to hear, see, and touch her just one more day.