Li’l Sis All Grown Up
Like branches on a tree we grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one. Each of our lives will always be a special part of the other. ~AnonymousIt seems like it was only yesterday that I witnessed my youngest sis got married. As I watched her sat in front of the Tok Kadi, waiting for the marriage to be solemnized, all my faculties were frantically trying to convince my skeptical, doubting self that she is all grown up. Could this demure-looking woman possibly be:
That precious bundle of joy that I had held and cooed in that tiny, isolated little ward in the hospital 23 years ago…
That little rascal with China doll bangs who cut off the cats’ whiskers, put make up on them, then pretended like nothing hideous happened…
That rowdy teen that I’d chased out of my house for behaving just like any other normal, hot-blooded, rebellious teen…
Looking back, there has been a close bond between my youngest sis and I ever since she was a baby. I remember when my sis was just 2 or 3 months’ old. My mom’s maternity leave was over and she had to go back to work. So she hired a relative to live in with us to take care of the baby. But that lady left after a month so the responsibilities fell on me. It was school break and my mom promised to give me 100 ringgit if I spend the rest of the break taking care of my baby sis. I was ecstatic because 100 ringgit during that time was a lot of money! So, there I was, taking care of everything- from feeding to nappy changing. I also acquired the skill of folding nappies (moms nowadays are so lucky to have disposable nappies).
When it was time to go back to school, My Dad, my other sis and I took turns to look after the baby. This was not so difficult to manage since my mom used to work shifts. If she worked in the afternoon shift, I’d have to make sure I came home from school just before my mom left for work. If my mom worked the night shift, I would be the one taking care of the baby who would be sleeping in the swing that is placed next to me. But my sis was an easy-to-look-after baby. She’d only cry when her nappy needs to be changed or when she needed her bottle. I practically raised her like my own child during the first few years of her life.
I somehow couldn’t recall much of her formative years. Could be because I was away from home most of the time. My university years were long and after I graduated, I moved to JB for my first teaching post. My sis, being the youngest in the family, was pampered, naturally, but she wasn’t over pampering herself like my other sis. In fact, I think she was cool and independent. Probably because she didn’t get along well with my other sis. Also, the age gap between her and the rest of the family is wide. I remember though, those times when my mom and Dad were at work and she would call two or three times a day just to talk about petty things with them. There would also be times when she would call my dad just before he finished work at night, and asked him to stop by Abang Lan’s place and get some kuey tiau goreng. Requests which my dear father would oblige without much fuss. There was also this time when I returned home 5 o-clock in the morning after a marital spat. I slipped into bed next to her and cried silently. At that time my sis was barely 17. She woke up and instantly became my shoulder to cry on. “Don’t cry, big sis,” she cooed.
Material wise, she got most of the things she wanted. She also had gone through her share of growing pains, which could be enormous in big cities like KL. There were a few times I found myself literally foaming in the mouth advising her whenever I could, to keep her purity intact. Which she amazingly did right till the day she got married. Maybe she wasn’t so academically-inclined but I’m proud that she at least has a diploma.
I can’t thank my sis enough for staying with my mom in Johor right after my Dad’s death. She was working in one of the telcos in KL when my Dad died. Upon my Dad’s death, she quickly resigned from her job, packed all her stuff and returned to Johor for good. Knowing that our hometown is not anything like KL, and job opportunities are scarce, she made the ultimate sacrifice for our family, which I am forever indebted to. My sis was tremendously affected by my Dad's death that for about a month after his funeral, she mostly kept to herself and came out of her room only when necessary. One thing that I notice about my sis is she's quite the sensitive type and when she sulks, just give her the space and time to nurse her feelings, and she'll be fine. She's quite a joker, too, and a story-teller. There were times when I laughed my head off listening to her hillarious accounts of things.
That precious bundle of joy that I had held and cooed in that tiny, isolated little ward in the hospital 23 years ago…
That little rascal with China doll bangs who cut off the cats’ whiskers, put make up on them, then pretended like nothing hideous happened…
That rowdy teen that I’d chased out of my house for behaving just like any other normal, hot-blooded, rebellious teen…
Looking back, there has been a close bond between my youngest sis and I ever since she was a baby. I remember when my sis was just 2 or 3 months’ old. My mom’s maternity leave was over and she had to go back to work. So she hired a relative to live in with us to take care of the baby. But that lady left after a month so the responsibilities fell on me. It was school break and my mom promised to give me 100 ringgit if I spend the rest of the break taking care of my baby sis. I was ecstatic because 100 ringgit during that time was a lot of money! So, there I was, taking care of everything- from feeding to nappy changing. I also acquired the skill of folding nappies (moms nowadays are so lucky to have disposable nappies).
When it was time to go back to school, My Dad, my other sis and I took turns to look after the baby. This was not so difficult to manage since my mom used to work shifts. If she worked in the afternoon shift, I’d have to make sure I came home from school just before my mom left for work. If my mom worked the night shift, I would be the one taking care of the baby who would be sleeping in the swing that is placed next to me. But my sis was an easy-to-look-after baby. She’d only cry when her nappy needs to be changed or when she needed her bottle. I practically raised her like my own child during the first few years of her life.
I somehow couldn’t recall much of her formative years. Could be because I was away from home most of the time. My university years were long and after I graduated, I moved to JB for my first teaching post. My sis, being the youngest in the family, was pampered, naturally, but she wasn’t over pampering herself like my other sis. In fact, I think she was cool and independent. Probably because she didn’t get along well with my other sis. Also, the age gap between her and the rest of the family is wide. I remember though, those times when my mom and Dad were at work and she would call two or three times a day just to talk about petty things with them. There would also be times when she would call my dad just before he finished work at night, and asked him to stop by Abang Lan’s place and get some kuey tiau goreng. Requests which my dear father would oblige without much fuss. There was also this time when I returned home 5 o-clock in the morning after a marital spat. I slipped into bed next to her and cried silently. At that time my sis was barely 17. She woke up and instantly became my shoulder to cry on. “Don’t cry, big sis,” she cooed.
Material wise, she got most of the things she wanted. She also had gone through her share of growing pains, which could be enormous in big cities like KL. There were a few times I found myself literally foaming in the mouth advising her whenever I could, to keep her purity intact. Which she amazingly did right till the day she got married. Maybe she wasn’t so academically-inclined but I’m proud that she at least has a diploma.
I can’t thank my sis enough for staying with my mom in Johor right after my Dad’s death. She was working in one of the telcos in KL when my Dad died. Upon my Dad’s death, she quickly resigned from her job, packed all her stuff and returned to Johor for good. Knowing that our hometown is not anything like KL, and job opportunities are scarce, she made the ultimate sacrifice for our family, which I am forever indebted to. My sis was tremendously affected by my Dad's death that for about a month after his funeral, she mostly kept to herself and came out of her room only when necessary. One thing that I notice about my sis is she's quite the sensitive type and when she sulks, just give her the space and time to nurse her feelings, and she'll be fine. She's quite a joker, too, and a story-teller. There were times when I laughed my head off listening to her hillarious accounts of things.
So, that day, when my uncle finally gave her over to my bro in law (who, luckily, earns a living in our hometown), and the Tok Kadi pronounced them married, and I saw that bridal radiance on her face, I was finally convinced that my li’l sis was all grown up. I sincerely wish her all the best in her marriage and future undertakings.
With all my love, sis. You're one cool cat!
With all my love, sis. You're one cool cat!
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