Early Years 2

February 26

Scenes From My Childhood (Part Two)

For a long time I was very jealous of my sister.  She was little and cute and everyone made a fuss over her.  Our older brother hated both of us, and then we all in turn got annoyed by our baby sister.  Apparently its just what siblings do to some degree or other.  And then if things turn out the way they should, you all eventually grow up and get over it. 

Mom must have felt at one point that she couldn’t wait that long, and that drastic measures were needed to end some of the madness.  One day she handed me a book and told me to read the story she had marked and then come back when I was finished and we’d talk about it.

So I take the book and I’m reading – big sister, little sister, little sister is sick in bed, big sister is obliviously playing, little sister asks repeatedly for a drink of water, big sister is flippant and rude and can’t be bothered….blah blah blah…..I can see that my mother is attempting to point out my bad behaviour to me….blah blah blah….

And the next day, the little sister died.  I cannot believe my eyes.  I read it again.  AND THE NEXT DAY, THE LITTLE SISTER DIED.  Big sister is all remorseful, but unfortunately she does not ever get another chance to be kind to her sister.  I am devestated.  I sob to my mother “She killed her sister!  I HATE this story!”  (Of course she didn’t kill her.)  “Yes, she did!  She DIED!  Her sister killed her!”  (She was already sick -she didn’t die of thirst. Honey its only a story.   I just don’t want you to grow up with a sister who doesn’t want to be your friend because you were always so mean to her.)  So do I understand?  Well, sort of.

The next day my sister races into the kitchen yelling “MOM!  Make her STOP!”  My mother turns and glares at me as if to say, have you not learned anything?  And I really don’t get it, because I’ve been trying so hard to be nice.  “She keeps asking me if I want a drink of water and I don’t and she keeps on BUGGING  me!”   Mom doesn’t even crack a smile - she just hugs us both, tells us to please get along, and turns back to what she was doing. 

You are so ungrateful, I tell my sister.  I AM NOT!  Yes you are.  NO I’m NOT!  Are so….AM NOT!    Our mother turns around and yells at us.  “GO AWAY!  GO…..climb a tree or something!!”   That seems a rather abrupt change of mood, so we take it outside.  My sister turns to me and says “Mommy is so ungrateful”.  I know that’s not the right word, but I agree with her anyway.