by Janelle Ng (P4 2019)

My sister squealed in excitement as her eyes shone with wonder at the multi-coloured streamers and balloons that filled the room. It was her birthday and my parents had organised a wonderful party for her. My sister invited all of her close friends and soon, laughter filled the room. The smell of food wafted through the air and the guests were helping themselves to seconds. Everyone was engaged in excited conversation.

 

Meanwhile, I sat sulkily at the corner of the room. My sister and I were not close. She was the golden child who managed to get everything she wanted with a single bat of her eyelids. I, however, was an outcast who had to bear the brunt of my sister’s bullying.

 

My sister’s friends had huddled together, whispering as they glanced over to me. I shifted in my seat. I knew that they were scheming. They were hatching a plan and I scowled. All the adults assumed we were simply playing, and the bullies disguised their prank in a game we played soon after my sister cut her birthday cake.

 

The game involved everyone catching a floating apple from a tub of water only by their mouths. Apple bobbling was silly, so everyone cheered when the game began. Most people clutched their sides as they burst out laughing at everyone’s feeble attempts at getting an apple. My turn was also a futile effort. My sister and her friends cackled and shoved me into a corner.

 

“This is what you get for being a loser!” my sister mocked me, and she threw the bucket filled with cold water.

 

My hands flew up to cover my face. The water soaked through my shoes and a puddle of water was pooling under me. The bullies pelted me with hurtful insults as they howled with laughter. I was seething with rage. I fought back tears of frustration. Everyone else around the room fell silent. They were at a loss for words, but they understood that my sister had committed the act out of malice.

 

“You should be ashamed of yourselves!” my father’s voice bellowed across the room.

 

Both of my parents were fuming in anger and they demanded an explanation from my sister and her friends. Their faces contorted with every horrific detail of them bullying me in school. The bullies received a tongue-lashing from my parents. They stood solemnly with their heads hung in shame.

 

I was given a towel to dry off and nobody was in the mood for a celebration. Before anyone could head home, my sister and her friends apologised to me for their wrongdoings. I could not forgive them that easily for all the hurt they had caused me. However, I told her that we could work to mend our relationship.

 

After all, we were still siblings. That day, my resentment for my sister dissipated and she learnt to treat me respectfully as nobody should be ill-treated.