North America / Texas (Houston): February 19th, 1993.
Mia is dead. My great grandmother is dead.
The stability. The person that kept me whole and sane is dead.
I was devastated. I prayed to all the gods I knew of but no one answered.
I couldn't even cry. I couldn't faint. I couldn't throw up.
I was lost. I was depressed. My grandmother didn't talk to anyone like she had just shutdown.
Big mama hyperventilated when she found out and had to keep getting put to sleep by the nurse.
Mathew and his family surprisingly visited and he started crying and apologizing about something out of nowhere for some apparent reason. It has to be something that I am unaware of.
The family feels broken. The atmosphere very heavy as if everyone needed mia inside of their lives.
The news outlets couldn't miss this chance and released stories of the legendary opera singer mia knowles's homicidal like death an had various speculation that turned out even more outrageous.
Mariah. The person that was their at the time of mia's death was questioned. Her answer was that it was so sudden and that she didn't see anyone that looked suspicious and with the Intent to commit murder.
I had my guesses and I'm content with what I needed to do now.
My name is crystalline alina knowels and this is my story.
(Crystalline's POV)
"Tch…finally. When am I going to get my Inheritance." Said a deep and nasally. Snobbish man smacking his teeth and mumbling from right next to me.
I glanced at the extremely overweight man next to me and said calmly "Relax. With that diet you'll probably reach the inheritance sooner than the rest of us."
"Y…you…y…you…y…you." Said the southern elephant seal looking motherfucker stutteringly.
I looked back at the preacher speaking and said while glancing at both the overweight men sitting on both sides of me "You should worry less about inheritance and more about the structural integrity of the chair you're sitting on. Though I highly doubt you will as I have gluttony on the left of me and greed on the right in one body. Grandmother would be so proud."
Both men looked down embarrassed with a look of anger on their faces.
"The almighty lord created and brought this beautiful soul into this world to uplift the people. To spread love. He shared such a gift like her with us all and you know what. Now she has gone back home to what we call paradise. Thank you all for your time, now we will be hearing from her great granddaughter. Crystalline alina knowels." Said a chocolate skin preacher loudly with creased eyebrows and beads of sweat dripping down his face from his forehead.
The audience started clapping with visible sounds of crying being heard.
"What the fuck this man even talking about. This was a homicide and he's acting like she died peacefully in her sleep" I thought with a sigh as I looked at my great uncle next to me who still had a snobbish and entitled look on his face.
I got up from my chair. Only to struggle and looked at both of the overweight men and say with a sigh "Do you mind."
Both men adjusted their throat and scooted over.
"The fuck. PUT SOME FUCKING DEODORANT ON YOU fat LOOKING SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL, KRABBY PATTY PIECE OF SHIT." Said selena out of nowhere as she gagged and got up from her chair and took a couple deep breaths as she walked over to another seat.
I Immediately grabbed a small bottle of gucci perfume from Inside my purse and sprayed myself with it as I made my way up the stairs of the pulpit stand and thinking "Thank god I always carry a small bottle of perfume with me everywhere. Don't wanna walk around smelling like ass"
"Ahem…ms knowles, when am I expected to receive is my payment." Asked the preacher in my low tone, his eyes making sure no one heard him.
I stared down at the 5'0 preacher with a cold look in my eyes for a moment and asked with a confused look on my face "Payment. What payment, my great-grandmother has been dead for a week and you're already sending invoices. I admire the efficiency of your greed, preacher because a funeral must be a difficult place for a man like you. Patience tends to die long before the body does. Although I highly doubt that considering you're a preacher at a murder victim's funeral whispering about money. I hope the collection plate is large enough to hold your shame."
The preacher was silent. His face extremely ugly as he clenched his fists with gritted teeth and said with a glare "I do this for a liv…"
"Relax. I'm a billionaire, not a charity. Your payment will arrive. Right after my great-grandmother finishes being buried. You'll get your money. But if heaven works the way you preach it does, I suggest you start saving it for the trip and if I hear I hear the word 'payment' again before the burial ends, I might start charging you rent for breathing the same air as me…ugh the air is getting contaminated let me be blessed." I said with a sigh as I shook my right hand in the air slightly with my head bowed for the holy ghost.
The preacher grinded his teeth together even more and said stuttering but desperately with a serious look on his face "P…please. I really need th…"
The audience quited down. All looking at the pulpit stand with sad looks on their faces as they waved the fans in their hands.
"Thank you all for coming and attending this small funeral gathering in honor of grandma mia's memory. She would extremely grateful to know that some people who really cared for her have attended. Wherever she may be. Preacher." I said calmly while side eyeing the preacher. Both of golden nailed manicured hands gripping both sides of the pulpit stand tightly with bulging veins.
Suddenly a group of bodyguards pointed at the preacher and signaled for him to get off the stage.
The preacher gritted his teeth even more with bloodshot eyes and clenched fists but gave in a left the stage.
I watched as the preacher left the stage and said while looking down at a piece of wrinkly paper in front of me with things I wrote on it and said with a deep breath "Mia was a force, she was something special. She connected everyone together through a smile. Laughter, emotion, embrace, sheer will of the strength that she held and possessed as her own."
"PREACH BABY." Said a old mexican woman loudly from the back with a cloth waving high in the air.
I looked back down at the wrinkly paper for a moment and said with a sighing while looking back up at the audience, specifically at back mama that was crying and barely holding herself together "Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every, unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear."
The hall was absolutely silent. The sound of sniffling, crying and whispers being heard all throughout it.
"When I can't put my emotions Into words. I like to sing them so I hope ya'll don't mind if I give you all a little some, some." I said with a wave of my left hand and a little chuckle.
"DO YOUR THANG, BABY GIRL." Said a old chocolate skinned man loudly from the back.
I folded the paper and stuck it inside my purse while saying calmly "This song hasn't been recorded or written. It's purely from my heart and it is titled mia, with one more look at you."
The audience was completely silent. All had unchanged looks in their faces.
"Ms knowles, the microphone." Said the male pianist chuckling from behind me.
I looked down at the microphone in front of ms and tapped it with my finger and heard absolutely nothing from it and clicked my teeth while muttering Irritatedly "Cheap ass shit."
"FLAT FOOT AND SANG ALINA, YOU DONT NEED NO A MICROPHONE, PIANO OR ANY OF THAT SHIT. BE YOU." Said selena loudly from the audience as she hit a very unexpectedly high, raspy note while grooving her hips up against a old man who had a wide ugly bastard grin appearing on his face as he adjusted his glasses.
I moved the microphone away from my mouth and asked calmly "Can everyone still hear me."
"YES." Said the audience loudly an patiently with occasional chuckles. Most likely having heard me curse.
I chuckled slightly and said while rubbing my hands together and walking slowly away from the pulpit stand on the stage "Alrighty then. I shall repeat myself again. This song hasn't been recorded or written. It's purely from my heart and it is titled mia, with one more look at you."
"WOOOOOO." Said the audience cheering and clapping loudly.
I looked down for at the stage and looked back up and said singing in a low register, holding the notes midway "Mia, with one more looks at you."
The audience quited down Immediately. Their focus on me.
"I can learn to change the clouds, and let the sun shine through." I said singing in a low register, holding and placing the notes midway with masterful phrasing.
I looked at big mama in the wheelchair who was wiping her eyes and said singing in a airy tone as I held the notes midways "Leave a troubled past and I might start anew. I solve the mysteries."
"If mia's the prize. Refresh these tired I's." I said singing, sliding up the register midway and bringing it back down while holding the notes lonely as I played with my fingernails.
I looked back down at the stage floor momentarily for a moment and said singing in a low register and held the notes midway as I gestured outward with both of my hands as I stared at something beyond the current audience in front of me "Mia. With one more look at you…I might overcome the anger. That I've learned to hold."
The audience's eyebrows creased as they fanned themselves.
"Find a peace of mind. I LOST SO LONG AGO. Your gentle touch…" I said singing in a low register a momentarily transitioning into a high register and sliding back down smoothly as I held the notes. midway with my right hand outstretched.
The audience cheered softly and silently as someone waved fans and cloths.
I stepped up slightly and said singing in a slightly higher register as I held the notes longly as I brought it back down to a low register with a look of resolve on my face "Has made me strong again. Now I belong again."
Suddenly a soft drum and piano beat came in from behind me with a violin.
"Mia. Or when you look at me….I'M EVERYTHING AND MORE. That I had dreamed I'd be." I said I singing in a low register whil transitioning words slightly and bringing it back down with my arms raised up with pride as I looked up at the roof with a big smile on my face. Seeing the silhouette of a fague face smiling gently back down at me with it's moving speaking silent words.
I looked back down at big mama and seen mia standing next to her with her hand left hand placed on her should and a gentle smile on her face and said singing in a mid register as I held the notes slightly and midway "My spirit breaths, so promise. I won't be alone."
Big mama smiled gently as she touched her shoulder with her head bowed.
"We'll love and live more. Love and live." I said singing with no notes and masterful phrasing as tears streamed down my face form my eyes.
Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked to my left.
Mia smiled and said gently as she hugged me and said warmly as she stepped back with her hand right still placed on my shoulder and a proud look on her face "I'll be fine alina. Sing and let your voice be heard."
The melody stepped up a notch.
"FOREVER. MIA, WITH ONE MORE LOOK AT. I'LL LEARN TO CHANGE THE STARS AND CHANGE OUR FORTUNES TO." I said singing. Unexpectedly sliding all the way up the register into a very high whistle register and held the note longly on a sharp bell like g7. My head raised upward with widened eyes.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH." Said the audience standing up and cheering loudly.
I looked down at my hands and brought the register back down with visible cracks being heard in my voice and said singing. Phrasing in a low register with no notes "I held the constellation. Make you watch it to. All the world, might share this one…yes, so right."
"AHHHHHHHHHHH." Said the audience standing up and cheering loudly. Tears in their eyes as they fanned cloths and fans in the air.
"The world could end each night. Mia, with one more look at you." I said singing in a low register as I grabbed and held Mia's hand while looking at her and holding the note longly.
Suddenly the melody started to slow down an transitioned into a quick piano melody.
I stared at her for a moment and said singing in a low register as I held the notes longlywith a gentle smile on my face "With one more look at you. I, want, one, more look at you."
"Are you watching me now." I said singing in a regular regular. Holding the notes midway.
The audience clapped with sounds of whisking being heard from the back.
Mia smiled smiled as she started to disappear.
I bite my bottom lip slightly and said singing in a regular register as I played with the register "Watch closely now."
"Your eyes are like fingers. Touching my body." I said singing in a regular register with no notes.
Tears streamed down my face as I saw her disappear with a quiet movement of her mouth to look after the family and said singing in a high register as I held the notes longly "ARISE IN ME SO. I'm riding the passion."
"Rising inside me." I said singing in a regular register with no notes as I seen the round look on big mama and selena's face in the audience.
I smiled and said singing in a airy tone as I chewed at the vowels and made it echo in and out. Holding the notes longly "How hard can I go. Your coming with me."
"AHHHHHHHHHHH." Said the audience standing up and cheering loudly.
"I'm gonna show you how." I said singing in a regular register as I shifted up and down the register smoothly and held the notes very longly.
I looked around at the audience and said singing in a regular register and held the notes longly as I twirled my left hand in a circle more "And if it's scary…YAH. I won't look down."
"Mia. ARE YOU WATCHING ME NOW. WATCH CLOSELY." I said singing in a very high register and holding the notes longly with my head raised upward.
I made my way over to the pulpit and held it while looking at the audience and singing in a shifting register with no notes "I feel the hunger. RISING IN YOUR EYES AND EACH DAY WE ARE ON OUR OWN. It's higher and harder. It's faster and farther."
"THAT I'VE EVER GONE." I said singing in a very high and clear sustained bell like g5 belt longly as I crouched fowward slightly.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH. WOOOOOO" Said the audience standing up and clapped and cheering loudly.
I continued to belt momentarily and stopped while taking a deep breath and saying with a wave of my left hand to the pianist "Woo. This is mia, with one more look at you. Thank you fore your time everyone."
"Thank you all for attending to and following me throughout my life journey." I said with a smile while glancing at the readers on the left corner of my eye and made my way off the stage as I continued to hear clapping, cheering and whistling.
My back fading off into the far distance of the crowed.
My name is crystalline alina knowles and this is my story of how I died and became beyoncé's half sister.
…
THE END…