My Little Cousin

          Why is it that a person must work so hard to get what he or she desires? I have long pondered that question and yet, never acquired an answer. Sometimes I imagined I would find a magical lamp hidden in a sack of hay and I would rub this lamp and all of my dreams would come true. To my dismay, this was only a dream and I believed it would never happen.
          It was Thanksgiving and I could smell the turkey throughout the house. My father was boiling potatoes on the stove and my mom was sitting in the living room knitting a new sweater for my younger brother Carl. I walked to the window and pressed my face against the glass. It was freezing and I feel my cheek cells tighten up. There was a light snow outside but I knew it wouldn't accumulate to anything. That is when I heard the doorbell ring and knew my cousin Eddy had arrived.
          I saw my Aunt Betty and my Uncle Jim and with them was a small red-headed boy known as Eddy. Eddy was five which mean there was an eight year age difference between us. He ran up to me and gave me the tightest hug you could ever of imagined.
          "Ryan!" he said to me while hugging me so hard I felt my lungs begin to crush. I just lightly tapped my hands on his back, the let him go. Don't get me wrong, I like my little cousin, its just, he is different and I really don't know how to react to that. I've tried so hard since I've known him to be an optimist but it is really difficult. I suddenly heard the ding of the stove and I knew dinner was ready.
          My absolute favorite food is turkey with brown gravy on top. It adds a certain beauty to such a dry and plain food. Now my cousin on the other hand just likes plain gravy. My Aunt Betty always gives him a soup bowl full of the brown wonder. She also hand him a spoon but Eddy prefers to use his bare hands. Unfortunately, the first time Eddy had gravy he didn't realize how hot it was and ended up with a small burn on his left hand. But this time Eddy wanted something different, he wanted turkey.
          My whole entire family was ecstatic and was so proud of my little cousin. His first bite of the turkey was hesitant but than he became more comfortable with this new food. He used his bull of gravy as a dipping sauce and once he was finished he clapped his hand with joy and excitement. Suddenly my little cousin began to cough and the small face that my family loved so much turned to a deep purple.
          I hated his tombstone so much. Engraved on it was the years 2002-2007 which I believe was so pointless. I think a tombstone should describe what happened in between those years, not how many years he or she was on earth. Five years on earth is such a dreadful thing and when you hear it sadness fills your heart. But if you hear about all the great things he or she accomplished in those five years, then you learn something special about them.