My sister and I

My sister and I

This looks like a book’s title “the king and I’ or maybe a movie title like “Anita and me”. Sorry for the cliché. This is not only about my sister and I; it’s about all the siblings in the world who are spaced significant a 3 or 4 year apart.
The joys of being the elder one are so many. Our mothers tell us we’re going to get a new baby in the house. Each time my mom came from the hospital from a routine check up, I used to run to the door and ask her “the new baby came?” My parents used to laugh out loud and say “not yet putta.” A little put off but hopeful nevertheless I used to wait. One of the things every elder one does.
The arrival of the little one is the best of all. It cries and cries and you look on in wonder. It looks so small and so delicate. We are scared to even touch it. When it comes home though, you can’t stop fondling the baby until your mom tells you it’s sleeping and you shouldn’t wake it up. How many times have we kept our finger in its fist waiting for it to clasp it? After a few days though we start hoping it’ll grow up soon. Sigh… how long is it going to remain small?
Ok the babies grow up. They are 4 in no time. Then our complaints start. We rave and rant that our parents love them more. We are jealous and angry. People come home and are all praise for the younger thing. “Look at her, she looks so big now! Grown up so tall!” you wonder if you exist. But when the younger one snuggles close to you in the night saying she is scared of the dark. You protect her fiercely ready to take on anyone or anything that’ll harm her.
And then they are ten and you are in your teens. You have no time for them. You have your friends circle, your school, studies, different extra-curricular activities, never ending phone conversations. At this point of time, we try to make an identity of our own. People start seeing us in a different light. They have huge expectations and we have to strive to meet each one of them. Probably at this time the younger one realizes our value. When we aren’t around that often. Now she looks on in wonder as we tackle everyday problems. She is so impressed when she realizes that we can solve her math problems so easily. That’s the time when we become the hero in their lives.
Now both of us are teenagers. The younger one copies me. I am the role model. She has my wisdom already. She has grown up so fast. She wishes her friends were as cool as mine. Little does she realize that I’ve been through what she is going through and that my so-called wisdom is only experience! I know each minute detail of her life and she mine. My baby is now my youngest best friend.