A Life To Remeber

Amelia Johnson had everything. She had a mansion, luxurious cars, a sky-rocketed career, a prestigious reputation, fame. All she lacked, according to her, was parental love.

Her parents Brian and Cynthia had divorced when she was a baby. Ever since that, she had been living with her mother in a small, rented apartment in London. Her mother struggled to pay fees for Amelia’s education even though Brian gave her money for the child support.

One day, when Amelia was an eight year old, her music teacher Mr. Edwards, found out she had a beautiful, singing voice. He suggested her mother to enroll her in professional singing classes but given her financial crisis, he told her to upload a video of her daughter singing a cover of a famous song on YouTube.

Cynthia Jensen did so. In a week or so, the video gained more than twenty million views. Her daughter became an internet sensation.

 

As the years went by, the relationship between the mother and daughter deteriorated.

“Mom, stop trying to control me,” Amelia yelled after an argument with her mother.

“It’s for your sake,” her mother reasoned.

“No, you are not!” screeched the teenager with her face turning bright red. “I hate you!” and she stormed out of the room.

Cynthia sank in her chair and started weeping. She almost wished the stardom didn’t enter her. The stardom had changed Amelia. She became an egoist, an arrogant one. Her mother missed the bubbly, young Amelia, who’d burst into a wide smile when she would return from work.

Meanwhile, Amelia was in her king-sized room. Her closet boasted of more than three hundred dresses, a hundred pairs of expensive shoes, Coach, Gucci shoes and designer clothes.

A huge window showcased the beautiful scenery of London. Amelia sat near the window, her phone in her hand, scrolling through her social media.

Her manager, Scott Fisher, called.

“Hello Amelia. I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Scott said in his soothing, low voice.

“Hello Scott. I was just sitting free,” Amelia replied, smiling.

Amelia and Scott were really close. Scott was like a father to her, guiding her when she was stuck in a problem and having fun by playing pranks on Lizzie McLean, the publicist.

“I’m thinking of signing you to a reputated label so that you can release your own music.”

“Wow, really?” Amelia couldn’t believe that. “When?”

“After a week, you’ll start working on your solo album,” Scott said, in a proud way.

“Oh my god!” Amelia shouted with excitement.

“Cool down, Am.”

Amelia took a deep breath. It was just so incredible and awesome.

“Now you have a personal gig to attend,” Scott told her, after she had cooled down.

“A ‘personal’ gig?”

“Yes, it’s for a boy named Jesse Taylor. He is from Manchester.”

“Okay, so when do I have to go?”

“Tomorrow.”

With that, they hung up.

 

‘When Amelia reached Manchester, she checked in a hotel room, had lunch and went to Marie Watson’s, Jesse Taylor’s mother, house.

Marie looked delighted when Amelia entered her small apartment. Her salt ‘n’ pepper hair braided to her right side and her blue eyes twinkling, she looked beautiful.

Apparently, her son Jesse, was an actor. He started acting when he was ten years old.

Recently, he was a part in a major accident which left him paralyzed. The doctors said that his condition was very critical.

“That’s pretty bad,” Amelia said, in a gentle tone.

“Jesse adored your singing so I thought maybe I’d give it a go,” Marie said, hopefully.

“I would love to sing for him.”

Marie flashed her pearly white teeth, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Amelia smiled and patted her arm. “Did you choose a song?”

Marie nodded and told her to sing ‘Sad Song’ by We The Kings.

“Why that song?” Amelia asked curiously.

Marie looked straight into Amelia’s stormy grey eyes and replied softly, “When you’ll sing, you’d know.”

As Amelia was going to leave, Ms. Watson again thanked her.

 

When she reached the hospital with a guitar, Amelia met Marie. She took her to Jesse’s room.

A teenager was lying on the hospital bed. Lots of wires and tubes went through and out his body. His dark blonde hair matted to his head. This boy was Jesse.

In that room were four more people. A tall, thin man with Jesse’s blonde hair was Mr. Taylor. Beside him, were two young children, who Amelia presumed, were Jesse’s siblings. A nurse with a clipboard stood next to them.

With a nod from Mr. Taylor, she sat next to Jesse’s bed. She took out her guitar.

“Hello Jesse, it’s me, Amelia Johnson. I’m here to sing for you,” whispered Amelia.

She struck a few chords and started singing. She felt everybody’s gaze on her.

When she came to the bridge of the song’ she was able to understand the meaning of the song.

“You’re my favourite melody/ The only harmony I wanna hear.”

Jesse made his family feel special. He used to sing for them, when he was younger, for entertainment even though he was a bad singer.

“You’re my favourite part of me/ With you standing next to me/ I got nothing to fear,”

Jesse was the pillar to his parent’s lives. He made them feel courageous, not frightened.

She then went to the chorus, her voice cracking because of emotional song’s meaning.

“Without you, I feel broken like I’m half of a whole / Without you, I got no hand to hold.”

Without Jesse, they would be numb with emotion.

“Without you, I feel torn like a sail in a storm/ Without you, I’m just a sad song.”

Amelia repeated the chorus, with frequent chords, making the song sound more beautiful.

 When she ended the song, she looked into Jesse’s blank green eyes. Maybe he was trying to smile, thought Amelia.

Before she even got up, a loud beep echoed in the room. Jesse Taylor’s heart beat had stopped. He was dead.

 

Jesse Taylor was declared brain dead. He died at the mere age of eighteen, losing his fight with paralysis for almost two weeks.

Amelia decided to attend his funeral. She dressed simply in a black dress and tied her thick, long blonde hair into a bun.

Many friend and family members attended the sombre affair. Jesse’s parents were inconsolable but still thanked Amelia for fulfilling their son’s last wish.

According to the people present there, Jesse’s parents doted on their son. He started acting so that he could help his family to come out of debt. Fame did not go to his head, he remained humble and loving toward his parents.

 

Amelia learnt something from Jesse’s death.

No matter how much ever you think your parents despise you or hate you, your parents will always love you from the bottom of their hearts.