Angelica

(From the Life of Jasmine)

(Began writing this section at approximately 5 AM on the morning of May 12th, 2026/ AM 5-12-2026)

(Updated again- May 14th, 2026

5:48 AM)

(Updated again- June 3rd, 2026

10:03 PM)

A young roommate began to pull at the heartstrings of Jasmine, although she pestered Jasmine at times, an affection for this young girl softened the sometimes cynical Jazz.

Her first name was Angelica

(pronounced like ‘Jelly’ she’d say), she was quiet and slept on the top corner bunk above Yolanda. Angelica had curly black hair, it bounced about when she laughed. The bouncing curls made Jasmine smile, they were significant in the moments of each day.

These curls bounced with a light springy resilience. This was precisely the resilience Angelica would need. She would need to come right back from a plethora of disappointing moments.

The valleys of emotional swings, long mornings of pining for visits from relatives, the let downs…. Jasmine knew these would be difficult passages that Angelica must bounce back from each time.

Jasmine remembered getting pushed into the wooden frame of her bunk bed by an older girl who used too much hairspray named Priscilla when she first arrived to The Maria House.

On that day, the emotional weight Jasmine felt was tremendously heavy. She wanted to be anywhere but in The Maria House.

The morning after getting pushed Jasmine learned that Priscilla had been sent to a Juvenile Detention Facility. Her behavior was erratic and the staff at The Maria House had warned her of these volatile outbursts.

Those moments lifted spirits, particularly ‘Jazz’ as she worried about ‘young Jelly’ as the girls referred to her. Angelica often responded to the nickname of endearment with a head bobbing rap, “I am young Jelly…. Yeah, that’s my name/ I say it with pride & not no shame”…. “Jelly. Jelly…. You heard me, Jelly, J-Jelly… that’s right I’m Jelly ..…”

Angelica liked trees, she often gathered the loose sticks that had fallen from the tree just outside Jasmine’s window. When she arrived to The Maria House she asserted that that tree was her best friend, this piqued the curiosity of Jasmine especially when Angelica gave the tree’s titled name: Joanne The Tall Tree

When Angelica first arrived she found a branch from the tree she had soon aptly named, Joanne. Jasmine similarly valued the tree and understood why Angelica latched on to the first branch she stumbled upon. Jasmine also leaned forward to listen as Angelica had insisted that this branch was a present from the tree for her.

Soon after noticing Angelica’s fond affection for this old oak branch, Jasmine folded tape and attached a faded lavender heart to the stick, watching as Angelica quietly climbed up to her corner bunk. Jasmine gazed over excitedly from her bed as Angelica located and held up the stick with an open mouthed smile, while a twinkle lit up the mahogany eyes of this young child.

‘Young Jelly’ grasped ahold of the stick with her jaw agape and looked up at the ceiling.. “….how about that?…” she muttered quietly.

She knew not where to look, the direction of her glance was upward, she felt that she could believe in a warmth and this gesture was evidence enough that goodness was still prevailing.

Jasmine felt good about her self, the decision she had made and smiled as she too laid flat while staring up at the ceiling. At this point Jasmine was grinning in a satisfied state promising herself that these moments should happen more often.