My dearest sister turns
27 18 years old today. Happy Birthday, sister! My wish for you is to grow richer, wiser, happier, younger (at heart), more beautiful and successful in whatever you do :) Congratulations for being a proud houseowner recently, and spend as lavishly as you want to on that Nur Jannah this year. Next year, please don't forget to help us decorate our house pulak. Hehe.
My sister is actually just a year older than me, yet she had taken care of me since I was a baby. She helped Mom to hide me under the bed in case some kidnappers happen to pass by and saw a newborn baby left on the bed alone. Isn't she a smart toddler back then? In fact, she continues to be a smart girl until now. Otherwise, how could she land a high-powered job in a big company? I'm so proud of her!
Having a big sister is a blessing indeed. Yes, sometimes I ended up kena buli, but most of the time, I have someone to look up to when I am not sure of what I have to do. She became my testing ground, or a trial product. If she succeeded after doing A, then A is the established next-course-of-action for me. Most of the time, she made the correct decision because, in compensation for carrying the burden of being the eldest child, God gives all firstborns a certain Wisdom that none other of their siblings can comprehend. So, even until now, if in doubt or need guidance, I will always pick up the phone and call my sister to check what would she do if she was me.
Me: Eh sis, got job interview la tomorrow. What to do, ah?
Sis (wisely): Must always use big words like 'responsible', 'manage', 'team spirit'. Dress formal. Don't forget to sembahyang hajat.
Me: What will they ask me?
Sis (knowingly): Your contributions, how you manage challenges. Blablabla.. (siap give sample answers)
In short, she has the answers for almost everything except how to make asam pedas. Perhaps because she doesn't like asam pedas.
My big sister is also very protective of me. When I have work problems, I will tell her. Back then when I had love problems, I will tell her also. Then she will help to scold whoever made me angry / sad / hurt. Over the phone la. There was one time when Trump scolded me for something I did not understand, so as usual I called up my sister. My sister promptly said,
'Give the bloody phone to Trump. Let me scold him for asking stupid questions!'
My sister, very
gung-ho you know! She seriously wanted to speak to Trump, no kidding! Tak padan kecik!
My sister in her gung-ho pose in the background!
When we were small, there was this one incident that showed her at her true strength as a sister. We were waiting for Dad to come and fetch us from school as our school was quite far. School hour ended at 12.30pm. We waited and waited, but no sign of Dad (who fell asleep when waiting for school to end!). I started to cry (I used to be a cry-baby and over-imaginative) because I was frightened that Dad doesn't love us anymore and our family has moved away, leaving us behind like the boy in 'Home Alone' movie. But my then 8-year old sister did not even shed a tear although she looked a bit worried. She put a hand on my shoulder, comforted me as best as she can and told me that we will walk back home. All that 10km or so distance, as long as it took us to get back home.
There we were, me crying (although had stopped bawling like a baby) and my sister holding my hand comfortingly as we braved the long journey along busy roads, open field etc. to get home. I remembered a few times cars stopped by and kind people asked why I was crying and offered to send us home. But we were told by Mom not to hitch ride from strangers, so we just shook our heads and continued to walk / cry (me). Half-way though, a car stopped by and it was Dad! Hooray! Dad with red eyes because he just woke up from sleep and got the shock of his life to find that we were no longer at school, waiting for him as usual!
After that, my sister became my hero. We were very close. We shared room, clothes, stories, and when I first fell in love with Suami Terchenta, my sister and I spent hours giggling over the phone about our crushes. When she first moved away to start her varsity years in Kuching, I felt like a part of me went MIA and for weeks after that, I couldn't wait for her to call home and tell about her classes and friends.
But the best thing about her is, she's not just my sister. She's our sister, me & my other siblings. She supports my other siblings' education and she pampers all of us unconditionally. We all love her in all her eccentricity, even though she sometimes scares us (because she's fierce! ROAR!) like we were 5-year-olds, or even amuses us (for her undying love to Sailormoon and friends).
She's also a sister to all her juniors who adore her, and very much share our sentiments (Kakak yang gaok ~ fierce!).
To my dearest sister, you're the best sister I could ask for. If there's one virtue I can give for your birthday present, that would be a Gemini's love charm to capture anyone's heart. So it's easier to charm you boss into approving your leave the next time I have to travel overseas.
I dedicate this poem to you, penned by a Kayla Fraser:
What A Sister Means
A sister is someone who leads you when you are having a problem.
A sister makes you laugh and cry.
A sister is someone who likes to fight with you.
A sister is the one who stands with you in all your ups and downs.
A sister makes you remember who you really are.
A sister is someone who is always there for you through all the laughter and tears.
A sister is real.
A sister never will pretend.
A sister is someone like you whom I treasure everyday in my heart.
Kayla Fraser
Happy Birthday, from your 'congek' sister.
p/s: To my other sister, Farah @ Dik Yah, I will pen a dedication to you next year. Because you are younger so I bully you, lah. Happy 17th (really) birthday too! :) I love both of you very much. Muahs!
