Before and After

Chapter 9 "Rest In Peace Jamiee"

After Aiden and I left the house that we found Jamiee in, we rushed home. I knew that our parents weren't home so that gave me enough time to come up with a way to explain everything to them.

LATER THAT DAY

"Mom...?" I said quietly walking up to her. "Yes sweet heart?" she answered barely looking up from the herbs she was cutting for dinner. "I have something to tell you..."

Hearing the concerned tone in my voice, she lifted her head and looked at me directly in the eye. "Ciara what's going on?" she asked sternly. I took a deep breath and began by telling her to sit down and gesturing toward the couch. She raised an eyebrow then hesitantly put the knife down and walked over to the couch.

"Mom..." I began. "For the past few weeks-since I came back home- Aiden and I had been doing some research." Before she could ask me what kind of research; I started to talk again. "Our research was on Jamiee..."

My mom's facial expression changed from confusion to anger in about 3.2 seconds and I knew she was about to go off.

"CIARA LASHA'E WHITE! HOW DARE YOU!?" she exclaimed to the top of her lungs. Before I could open my mouth to explain, my father walked through the door. Just great...

"Umm...whats going on here?" my dad asked bewilderedly. "Well yo-" "I was telling mom about Aiden and I's research." I replied cutting my mom off. My dad-even more confused than before-took a seat next to my mom and waited for me to continue.

"Like I was saying before you walked in....Aiden and I started on some research on Jamiee after I got back home from that crazy house." I seen my dad's eyes get big and red signaling that he was getting angry. "Now before you start going off on me like mom was beginning to do, let me explain." I sighed to myself then continued.

"When I got home Aiden came to me and told me that we had to help Jamiee. Yes I know he's just 7 and y'all might think that since he's a kid he doesn't know much but he does. Once he told me that I knew he wasn't lying because we both had the same 'dream'. "Both of my parents started to look at me like I was crazy and I knew I had to hurry and tell them about Aiden and I finding Jamiee before they both went off on me.

"To make a long story short, Aiden and I started looking through Jamiee's case files and other papers that the police had missed. One of the papers that we looked at came from a boy at Aiden's school and that was the one that led us to our discovery. On the paper was an old abounded house with a body inside...." I took a deep breath and carried on before they could interrupt.

"So this morning, when the two of you left for work, we went to the house. And when we got there we went inside and found....."

I let my voice trail off at the thought of telling my parents that Aiden and I found Jamiee dead. A tear rolled down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away. My parents seen that I was upset but couldn't seem to say anything to comfort me.

Looking down at the floor I finished what I saying; "W-we found Jamiee's bo-body in a corner...li-lifeless."

I looked up at my parents, both of their eyes filled with tears-along with mine. I walked over to them and embraced them in a big hug. After a few seconds my dad pulled away and asked where was Aiden. I pointed toward the stairs and replied 'taking a nap'. My mom-who eyes were still watery-pulled me into the kitchen and asked me what's the address to the house we found Jamiee in. I told her then followed my dad upstairs to Aiden's room.

"Aiden is it true that you and Ciara found Jamiee's body?" my dad questioned my half awoke little brother. "Yeah..." he replied yawning. I walked into the room and placed my hand on my dad's shoulder trying to comfort him. "I know this is hard to believe but it's true.." I whispered to him. Then Aiden and I gave him a hug and we all cried together in each others arms.

1 HOUR LATER

"Thank you Officer Wilden." my mom said closing the door.

A few minutes after I had told my parents what happened they called the police to check out the place and see if Jamiee was still there-and sure enough she was. One of the policemen called my dad and told him they had found her and was going to take her to the nearby hospital for examination. The other-Officer Wilden- came over to our house to talk about what they think happened to her and that after her body is examined we could start making funeral arrangements.

Hearing the words 'funeral arrangements' not only hurt my parents but Aiden and I too. We all knew it had to be done but we couldn't find the strength to actually realize that Jamiee was officially gone.

1 WEEK LATER

"As we bless this casket, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirt, we think about the young Miss. Jamiee Alexandria White whose life was taken away from her way too soon." Father Case prayed over Jamiee's casket.

There wasn't one dry eye at Jamiee's funeral. Even people we barely knew shredded at least one or two tears. That's how heart-wrenching her death was.

I looked over toward my parents who were placing flowers on top of Jaimee's casket then toward Aiden who was crying in my arms. Finally, after I allowed my last tear to fall from my eyes, I looked up toward the sky and whispered; "You're free now baby sis...may you rest in peace."