TÍO by Zheyre Tolliver, 16

A couple years ago my tío was hit by a car.

My family was in a state of chaos when we heard the news and I didn't know how to react. My cousin, his daughter, was also a bit detached from the situation. She had already been living with us prior due to his lifestyle. He was usually out on the streets and it was hard to find him. That’s why, when news of the accident came it was a complete shock. The accident left him severely injured and brain damaged. During this period, I didn’t visit him at the hospital. I don’t know if it was out of fear or awkwardness but If I could go back in time it would've been the first thing I did.

However, life moved on and so did we.

He was discharged from the hospital and came to live with us. It was my first time seeing him after the accident. He used a walker now and the words left his mouth a bit slower. Still, when I looked at his tattoos he was the same. With time he began regaining his cognitive ability. At that time we decided it would be possible for not just my tío but us as a family to take in my younger cousins who had been misplaced due to the accident. As a result, he started taking parenting classes on zoom and my mom asked me to start and observe them for her. It was then that I started to learn who he was as a person. Our weekly routines became comfortable, with a few classes every few days. On the weekends, we would go out to restaurants and parks so he wouldn’t stay cooped up at home all day. I never would’ve expected that one of these outings would leave me with a memory I could never forget.

We had decided to go to the beach and bring the kids out to fish. We happened to be next to a group who were with their dogs and actively mistreating them. My mom was never the type to stay quiet about injustices so she confronted them. This led to an all out brawl between us and the group. Hands were being thrown and me and my tío watched it all happen. Without thinking I ran in to separate the fight and got involved and my tío and cousins followed right behind me. The police ended up being called but since the group was acting extremely strange and dramatic we were able to leave without any issues. When we got home we laughed about it all.

The way that even injured and with his walking stick my tío attempted to defend my mom. Not long after I decided to have more conversations with my tío. I asked about his tattoos and what they meant.

He told me that he did them himself. They were so detailed and intricate that I hadn’t even noticed. Without giving it a second thought, I asked why he hadn’t pursued art and tattooing and instead chose the life that he lived before where he was left on the streets and unfulfilled.

He didn’t give me a straight answer. I wondered if that had even been an option for him. Not long after his seizures had been getting worse. Seeing him in that state was the first time I ever witnessed a seizure and the lack of control it gave him. I started to get extremely angry. It felt like he and my family were suffering while the person who hit him with his car was out living life without a second thought. It got to the point where I searched for him on social media hoping to see him riddled with guilt and shame for causing this. Still, I never found him.

A few months later my tío died in a seizure. I watched as my family screamed out while hearing the news and I held my cousin in my arms as she cried over the loss of her father.

My anger had vanished along with my tío. Every night I replayed moments we shared and things I wished I would’ve done. During the day, I poured my all into art. Tattooing and illustration became my contribution to his talent that was never pursued. Thinking about my tío also made me think about everyone who might’ve been passionate about a subject and project and decided against it due to fear or society. He made me think about the essence of humanity with its beauty and flaws and the creation involved in life itself.

He made me realize to create art and life for those who cant.

If I could say anything to my tío now it would be, I miss you and thank you for the lessons you taught me, even if you didn’t know it.