The Sister Song

You should just hug

A sibling is your friend for life. Without them life would be boring and extremely lonely.

******

I heard shouts and screams from downstairs. Arguing, always arguing with each other. I remember those days when they used to laugh with each other and have fun, now they are always at each other's throat. I miss those happy days.

"IT WAS YOUR FAULT!" it was a statement that I heard very often. Almost in every argument this statement was repeated. Even now someone was saying this dialogue. Who? I don't know. All of their voices sound similar, full of hurt, pain and anger, so much of anger.

I looked down at my feet and gave a dry chuckle. You know what the sad part was? I knew. I knew when my family fell apart, I knew when the smiles turned to tears. Hell! I even knew how things fell apart. I knew, but I could do nothing. I stood there helpless and motionless watching the events take its bloody course. I looked at the night stand and a single drop of tear fell from my eyes.

I opened the second drawer of the night stand. Like the pendant there lay a broken watch in solitude. The glass broken and the dial stuck at 11:45, the time when I realised that my family was starting to fall apart. I still remember the day the watch became a part of my happy memories. It was fourteen years back. Now I could only reminisce those moments, but never live them.

Fourteen years ago

I was keeping Elizabeth company in the living room, more like watching her play with her toys. She played with the one toy for a while, got bored with it and tossed it aside. I had to go and fetch or else mum would say, "Eve please clean up the room." Why did I have to do this? when Beth was the one making the mess. There were better things that I could be doing now.

My mum and dad were listening to the news on the radio and drinking coffee.

The doorbell rang and my mum ran to open the door. Soon she was engulfed in a big hug by my uncle Aaron. He was not alone though.....he was accompanied by the same nurse we met at the hospital. I could see my dad smirking at him.

"You sly bastard," my dad said before shaking uncle Aaron's hand and hugging the nurse. I always wondered why dad never hugged uncle Aaron?

"So where are my two little nieces?" said uncle Aaron. His brown eyes scanned the entire room and finally found us. He walked towards and scooped me up. "Are you taking good care of your sister, Eve?" he asked. "Yes," I replied, I was actually busy searching his hands for any gift for me. "Where is my gift, uncle Aaron?" I asked him. What? I wanted a gift.

"Oh! Eve I forgot your gift," he said. He slowly put me down, then fished something out of his pocket. It was a toy for...for Beth. How rude! he got her a gift and not me! "I am not talking to you, uncle Aaron," I declared and turn around so that my back was facing him. I could hear him and my parents chuckling. Here I am angry and they are laughing? I won't talk to any of them.

As soon as I made the decision, an object wrapped in colourful paper was brought in front of my eyes. I snatched it and quickly shredded apart the coloured wrapping. It was a blue dress, the very dress I had begged mummy to buy me. I spun around and threw my tiny arms in the air, embracing his kneeling figure. "Thank you! thank you so much! I love it," he just gave me a smile. "So am I forgiven?" I could only nod, as I was too happy with my gift. I loved it.

He got up from his kneeling position and walked over to my dad. "Happy Birthday, Aaron," my parents wished him. "You know Daniel I don't need your wishes, I need my bloody gift," my dad chuckled and whispered something along the line, "You are worse than Eve." His statement was met with a scowl from me and which in turn caused him to burst out in laughter.