My Life as The Youngest Child In The House

Dailyfun Zone

Transcript

00:00Hey, I'm Iris from Atlanta, and I'm a triplet.

00:03Before I continue, please like and subscribe.

00:05While mom was pregnant, she was told by the doctor

00:07that she was having twins.

00:09But I popped out right after my brother,

00:11making three of us, Ileana, Isaac, and me.

00:14Dad wasn't around for most of our childhood.

00:16He was the assistant vice president

00:18at a huge music production company

00:20and was always busy with some meeting or event.

00:23But mom showered us with love and attention.

00:26She would sing upbeat songs in the morning

00:28and hum soothing lullabies each night.

00:30Plus, she bought us whatever we wanted with dad's money.

00:33One of my earliest memories was when she gifted us

00:36with a karaoke machine as kids.

00:38The three of us sang all the time,

00:40and mom never got annoyed.

00:41Encore! Encore!

00:43Sometimes she would join in too.

00:45She had a great voice.

00:47By eight, my siblings and I were called the Turner Threes,

00:51and we had some serious musical talents.

00:53Ileana could sing just like mom.

00:55Isaac played great riffs on the guitar,

00:57and I rocked out on the drums.

00:59One day, the live band that was hired

01:01to play at our parents' anniversary party

01:03canceled at the last minute.

01:05Mom suggested we play, and we did.

01:07It was awesome!

01:08Soon, the Turner Threes were playing

01:10at all the family events.

01:11Things stayed pretty entertaining throughout middle school,

01:14but then life took an unexpected turn

01:16during our freshman year of high school.

01:18One day, Ileana, Isaac, and I were relaxing by the pool

01:22when we heard a loud thud inside the house.

01:24We found mom unconscious on the floor.

01:26It turned out that she had a stroke

01:28and would need at least three months to recover.

01:31Then, dad lost his job shortly after.

01:33The company he worked for lost a massive copyright

01:36infringement lawsuit.

01:37Dad needed to find work soon to pay for mom's medical bills

01:40and keep the roof over our heads.

01:42He took up the first job he could find,

01:45freelancing as an agent for local musicians.

01:47One evening, dad invited a client over for a business meeting

01:51who overheard the three of us practicing our music.

01:53I heard him ask dad about the music coming from down the hall.

01:57My kids have a band thing just for family events.

01:59The client requested to hear more of our songs

02:02and suggested dad help us book bigger shows.

02:04They're pretty good.

02:05If you set up their career now,

02:07they'll have some real financial independence in the future.

02:10For the first time, dad took interest in our music

02:13and took his client's advice.

02:14And soon we were playing at cafes, restaurants and private events.

02:18We weren't making much, but it was a start.

02:20Dad didn't have the same positive attitude though,

02:23especially as mom's recovery was taking a while.

02:26The bills were never ending and his savings were running low.

02:29He was always in a sour mood and fell into a deep depression.

02:33But despite her health issues, mom kept cheering us on.

02:36Keep playing, keep sharing your talent.

02:38So we stayed consistent.

02:40Thankfully, by our junior year of high school,

02:42the Turner 3's got more popular.

02:45We had enough gigs to keep the house and help mom medically.

02:48But dad was so depressed that he stopped work altogether.

02:51He barely left his man cave.

02:53Halfway through the school year, extracurricular activities

02:56began taking up a lot of time.

02:58Ileana excelled in her studies and joined the AP Physics Club

03:02to get a head start on college credit.

03:04Isaac was naturally gifted at baseball and became co-captain.

03:07And I was one of the best actresses in the theater class.

03:10Oh, Happy Dagger, this is thy sheath.

03:13It was getting harder trying to balance school,

03:15shows, and home finances.

03:17And it seemed like the Turner 3's differences were splitting us apart.

03:21I think you should sing at a higher pitch.

03:23Baseball puns, seriously?

03:25I don't need advice from you.

03:26This band would be nothing without me.

03:28You're not that special, Ileana.

03:30I have mom's voice.

03:31What do you have?

03:32The arguments were getting ridiculous.

03:35Then one day, we got invited to a music competition.

03:37First place would get $10,000.

03:41I was over the moon.

03:42But Ileana, I have a test to study for.

03:44And I can't afford to mess up my 4.0 streak for some songs.

03:48Some songs?

03:49Our music has been keeping the bills paid.

03:51But Ileana was adamant.

03:53Isaac and I went to the competition anyway and tried to make do with what we had.

03:57We were practicing in our room backstage and trying to sing together.

04:01But we just couldn't hit the right key.

04:03Just then, we heard a voice behind us.

04:05I could sing, if you want.

04:06I turned around and a girl with a blue afro and a turtleneck was leaning against the door.

04:11And you are...

04:12Cat.

04:13Cat was apparently the only child of the venue owner.

04:16I never get to perform.

04:17But it sounds like you two could use some extra help.

04:20You can't just barge in here and join our band.

04:22Maybe she can help, Isaac.

04:23Why don't you sing something for us, Cat?

04:25Cat opened her mouth to sing.

04:27And the voice that came out was horrible.

04:30Is this girl serious?

04:31I couldn't believe such a hideous voice came from such a gorgeous girl.

04:35Let's just say nails on a chalkboard sound better.

04:39We're on in 10 minutes and this is what we've got?

04:42I need some air.

04:43Frantic, I left the room.

04:44The view from the balcony was relaxing.

04:46I remembered the melody mom hummed to us as kids and started to sing along to it to calm down faster.

04:52Your voice is good.

04:53I turned around and saw Cat walking toward me.

04:56You know, you could just sing and this entire problem could be fixed, right?

05:00And you don't need to sing with Isaac.

05:02He's holding you back.

05:03And I could play a simple beat on the drums.

05:05I promise.

05:06And better at drums than singing.

05:08I mean, I had trouble trusting her after her horrible audition.

05:13But maybe it was the only option we had right now.

05:16So we decided to follow Cat's plan.

05:18Isaac stayed on the guitar.

05:19Cat got on the drums, which she was surprisingly not bad at.

05:23And I stepped up in front of the mic.

05:25To her surprise, the crowd loved our performance.

05:28We got second place for the cash reward of $5,000, which was great.

05:32And we were invited back in three months for the next showcase.

05:36Later, on my way to our backstage room, I found Ileana waiting in the hall.

05:41I was so mad to see her there.

05:43You're bold to show up here, considering you were willing to let us fail.

05:46We're the Turner Twos now, Ileana.

05:48I wanted to make her feel bad, but what she said shocked me.

05:52Good, you've got that sorted out because I'm leaving the band permanently.

05:55What? She explained she wanted to dedicate herself to her studies,

05:59and the band was taking too much of her time.

06:02This pays the bills. What about Mom?

06:04A real job with a real degree also pays the bills.

06:08I need to focus on college so I can have a better future and also take care of our parents.

06:12Both Mom and Dad didn't graduate from college, and look where they are now.

06:16That's not fair, Ileana. Mom is sick. Education won't stop you from getting sick.

06:21Plus, Dad had a good job. Life happens.

06:24Well, I'd rather have my education to fall back on when accidents happen.

06:28Plus, education will give me the job I need to pay for medical expenses if I get sick.

06:33And with that, she stormed out.

06:35At the music showcase after-party, I found myself sitting alone outside.

06:39I hadn't even broken the bad news to Isaac yet.

06:42Soon after, Kat joined me, asking why I looked so worried.

06:45And I ended up spilling everything about our family problems and Ileana's selfishness.

06:50Sorry you're going through all that. Why don't you take your mind off of it for a bit and enjoy your win for a few hours?

06:55So we went back inside, and I was glad for the distraction.

06:59There were CEOs, music producers, and of course, super attractive celebrities.

07:04One woman came up to me and introduced herself as Risa.

07:07And then, she pulled out a contact card and shoved it into my hand.

07:11You've got some raw talent. The world needs to see it.

07:14Sounds like something my mom would say.

07:16Your mom sounds like a smart woman.

07:18Since there was no changing Ileana's mind, we recruited Kat as a permanent member of our band.

07:23With practice, she got better on the drums, and we quickly fell into sync.

07:27We continued participating in competitions Risa signed us up for and making money.

07:32And Kat and I grew super close.

07:34We painted each other's nails. I love this color.

07:37Shared clothes? Wow.

07:39Do you only wear turtlenecks?

07:41Did each other's hair? A high puff? Looks so good on you.

07:44And I love the middle part on you. Plus, Kat and Mom hit it off.

07:48She even met Dad one time and didn't judge how scruffy he looked or acted.

07:53But Ileana didn't like her at all.

07:55Anytime she saw Kat, she would glare at her from across the room and then go off in the opposite direction.

08:01I'd become so annoyed with Ileana that I tried to get Kat to help me prank her.

08:05I typed up a fake acceptance letter to a prestigious university and slipped it under her door.

08:10Kat didn't approve, but I did it anyway. Ileana was so excited when she saw the letter, it was comical.

08:17When I told her it was fake, her happy bubble popped. Honestly, it felt good seeing her get humbled, but Kat was clearly disappointed in me.

08:25We were hanging in the kitchen before practice one night when Ileana walked in. Hey, how was it at the library?

08:30But Ileana just made her way to her room without even acknowledging Kat, and she kept behaving like that all the time.

08:36One day, Kat and I were keeping Mom company at the hospital for her checkup when Ileana randomly showed up.

08:42Oh, I didn't expect to see her here. Hey, Ileana.

08:46Of course, Ileana pushed past Kat and went straight to Mom. It made things so awkward. Even the nurse looked uncomfortable.

08:52Mom, how are you doing? Honey, I think Kat said hi to you. Ileana looked Kat up and down, rolled her eyes, and continued talking to Mom.

09:01I was so fed up with her. I couldn't take it anymore. What is wrong with you? Kat has helped his family stay afloat by joining the band, and that's how you treat her? I was so angry I could feel my face burning.

09:13Calm down, Iris. Yeah, Iris. This isn't the time or place. Let's get to Mayor. What is this turtleneck-wearing weirdo even doing here? And I don't owe her anything. She didn't join the band to help our family. She just did it because she was some friendless loser.

09:28I lunged at Ileana, but the nurses came between us. Kat grabbed me by my arm quickly and dragged me out of the room. We went for a walk and then sat down on some swings so I could breathe.

09:38You're still fuming. She's just so rude. And since she's my sister, I'll yell back unapologetically. Kat stopped swinging and turned to me with a serious look. She lowered her turtleneck and held up a dainty necklace with a locket.

09:52This is my brother Austin. I thought you were an only child. Now I am. Austin got into a car accident with my mom when he was 10. Mom made it. He didn't.

10:02What? Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry. Why didn't you ever say anything? I don't like to talk about it because I feel guilty. Why?

10:09She explained how much she and her brother argued a lot growing up. They would fight over who would use the bathroom first, who would get the biggest slice of cake.

10:16Yeah, but that's normal sibling stuff. Before he left the house the morning of the accident, we got into a screaming fest over some video game.

10:24The last thing I said to him was that life would be better if he just didn't exist.

10:29Kat's eyes started watering. I felt horrible for everything she'd experienced, including the drama with me and Ileana.

10:36I've been so focused on being angry and making money, I've let it ruin my relationship with Ileana.

10:41The good thing is that you realized arguments aren't always worth it.

10:45A few weeks passed, and Mom was recovering well at home. I also asked Risa to help find Dad a job, and she actually got him an interview.

10:53Things were looking up, but even though I made an effort to stop arguing with Ileana, we still weren't talking.

11:00One evening, Kat, Isaac, and I were heading to a gig when Ileana got home.

11:04She walked past us silently, but I told Kat and Isaac to go sit in the car, and I followed her.

11:09Wait, can we talk, please, like normal people? I miss you.

11:12Ileana turned around. Tears were streaming down her face.

11:16I miss you too, Iris.

11:17If singing isn't your passion anymore, it's totally okay.

11:21It was wrong of me to be mad at you for that, and I'm sorry.

11:24I'm sorry too.

11:25I was overwhelmed with school, and then I got really jealous of Kat.

11:29Yeah, I don't want to do music anymore, but I felt like I got replaced really quickly.

11:34You're my sister. No one can come in the middle of that.

11:37Now how about you drop studying for one night and come see us perform?

11:40I'd love that.

11:46No one can come in the middle of that.

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