It was an unusually warm night in Rosemead. My cousin, Evelyn, and I were talking, as usual, about the foolish actions of boys when my uncle stepped into Evelyn’s room and tossed an envelope onto the waterbed. Evelyn sat up as the white envelope made contact with her head, causing a light smack. Her hand picked up the envelope carefully, as if it were an original copy of the Declaration of Independence; all the while, her other hand gingerly rubbed the spot that the envelope hit. The next thing I knew, I was kicked onto her hardwood floor. As she ripped the envelope open, I got myself on the bed again only to be knocked off again when Evelyn began jumping up and down on the bed. “You got Early Decision for UCLA?” I asked. UCLA was her dream school. Her face glowed and her Chinese eyes disappeared as she handed the envelope to me. A shiny plastic card fell out as I turned the envelope upside down. As it fell out, a squeal escaped her. She could have cared less for UCLA; she got her driver’s license. I rejoiced with her, but I knew that it would be a year before I could even dream of getting my driver’s permit. Her dad, still standing in the doorway, pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose and smiled. He began to speak when Evelyn and I composed ourselves, but my aunt yelled from another part of their one-story house, “Good! You finally got it! Let’s go out and celebrate! You can drive us! Emily, do you want to come, or do you want to make a couple dollars watching Ethan and Emma?” “I’ll take the kids,” I replied. “Mom, I don’t wanna drive! I’m tired from talking to Em,” Evelyn complained to her mother. “I’ll drive then,” my uncle Edward said. While Evelyn was changing her outfit, her little brother sneaked into the room and climbed onto the bed to sit in my lap. Ethan applauded when his sister stepped out of her bathroom. I laughed at his response when I couldn’t hold my smile any longer. Evelyn just glared at him. Afterwards, laughter filled the room. Outside, a faint honking could be heard. Just then, Emma wobbled into the room with an oversized pink bag, which was her purse of the week. She spoke her own version of English, “Daddy honk honk. Go. Bye.” With that, we all walked out of the house. It was a chilly night, but the sun had just begun to set. Uncle Edward was ready to leave. As soon as Evelyn and Auntie got in the car, he backed out onto the street and waved a final goodbye to the three of us. I turned around to walk the two little kids back into the house. I heard a loud screech and a sound like that of a small explosive. After that, there seemed to be a long silence. Feeling a little scared, I pushed Ethan and Emma into the house and situated them. Grabbing a light jacket, I ran out, called my parents and told them to drive over quickly. I sprinted my way to the corner of the street and saw the last thing I wanted to see. Three cars were mashed together. My uncle’s 2004 Mazda was smashed in between a brand-new SUV and a rusty red pick-up truck. How was it total loss? The street was silent; everyone held their breath. At first, nobody stepped out of any of the vehicles for what seemed like hours, but a man in his late thirties staggered out of his truck, obviously drunk. The driver and passenger of the SUV came out unscathed and asked if everyone was okay. In my panic, I rushed towards the silver Mazda only to see the windshield missing and scattered everywhere. The car was impacted on two sides. I stood on my tiptoes to look over the hood of the dark blue SUV, but I only saw my uncle. My uncle was gone - there was no way he could have made it. He was slumped over the steering wheel with blood everywhere. My aunt, next to him, was covered in deep cuts and scratches and in need of immediate medical attention. She was clutching her stomach. I couldn’t see Evelyn. I didn’t know what to feel, I was scared, grossed out, and catatonic, all at once. I heard the things that were happening, but nothing really registered in my mind. In fact, I didn’t react when the ambulance came. When more help came, I broke down in tears. They took my aunt and my cousin out of the Mazda first before removing my uncle’s body. I rushed, still crying, to my aunt’s side. I took her freezing hand into mine and looked in her eyes. I began to speak, but she didn’t allow me to. I guess she didn’t realize that it was her niece. Instead, she apologized to my mother in Khmer. “I’m sorry that I was everything you didn’t want me to be. I’m sorry that I can’t do it anymore.” If only my mother was there instead of me, she would see the sorrow, disappointment, and regret in her Sister’s eyes. After those few seconds of wonder and confusion, the EMTs took her into the ambulance and rushed off into the darkening sunset. Evelyn was crushed under the truck; it had driven right on top of her seat. It broke me to see her when they pulled her out. She was cut up and bruised all over. Evelyn had a deep gash above her left eyebrow. She called for me and I stayed at her side on the street for a few seconds. We didn’t speak, but she still managed to smile with all the pain. With that, she was taken away. It was out of my hands. The ambulances were off to the hospital. I ran back to the house for my little cousins, trying to figure out how to explain away my tears. I walked into the house to see my cousins laughing at an episode of The Fairly Odd Parents. I decided not to tell them. I made dinner for them and waited for my parents who got there, 45 minutes after I called them. I was still a mess when my parents found me, but I mustered the strength to tell them what happened. Immediately, we rush to the hospital with Ethan and Emma, who were clueless as to what had happened. When I had gotten to the hospital, they had told me that my aunt died on the way to the hospital and Evelyn was in surgery. A nurse handed me a piece of paper and told me that it was a message from Evelyn that she had whispered to the EMT all the way to the hospital. “Emily, where are you? You are too perfect. I love you. Em, I want you to be happy. You’re my favorite. Marry somebody perfect, ‘cuz that’s what you deserve. Don’t settle for anything less. His imperfections have to be perfect for you. Remember, perfect is perfection at its worst. That’s why you’re perfect. Your imperfections are your greatest traits. Your imperfections are perfect…Make sure the guy you marry has a great smile and teaches you to smile. He has to be a gentlemen and can be a little stern when need-be. Perfection at it’s worst. Remember…” Evelyn died during surgery. She is my favorite cousin. Nothing will change that. To this day, that message of mumbles is one of my treasured possessions. She thought of me, even on her deathbed. She thought of the things I never would have. To me, Evelyn is perfect. I still remember the good times that we shared. It’s hard to forget the ones that mean most. Memories are the hardest things to let go, that’s why people hold onto them. They are most important next to the people themselves. This is why I still hold on to that note. | 
