Some Things Stay the Same

Even across cultural borders. Like brother-sister relationships, and how the older sibling ALWAYS has the upper hand (you hear, Patrick?).

After dinner today, my little sister asked if someone could go with her to our aunt’s house to get some medicine. My little sister has been battling a cold lately and my aunt is a nurse so she keeps a stash of supplies at her house in case of emergencies. My aunt lives a few houses away so it isn’t that far, but it’s dark with no surrounding lights at night and my little sister is 9.

My host ma commissioned my brother, who’s 14, to go with her, to heavy grumbling and complaining. He put on his shoes and sighed a louder-than-necessary sigh when my sister said to wait, she needed to put on outside clothes first (she was just in a sarong). He waited for about two seconds before walking out the door.

To which my mom calls, “Noch! Van just left without you!”
And my little sister responds: “That dog, I asked him to wait and go with me, not go first!”

A few seconds later she storms out the door with her flashlight.

A few more seconds pass, and I hear my brother jump out behind a bush: “AAARRRRRRR!”

And my sister’s resounding scream for bloody murder: “AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

Followed by sounds of hitting and screaming and crying.

Ah, sibling love.