FLESH & BLOOD
I have a younger sister, who is called Barbie. Barbie is a short and chubby girl with blond
hair and she often has a radiant smile plastered on her face. But, never, never believe what spews out of
her mouth for she is a devil in disguise. She is sly and would push the blame to others
when she lands herself in a heap of trouble.
She has small and innocent eyes with the power to melt the hearts of
others. Then, she would seize the
opportunity and frame others, even her own brother.
It was a sweltering day.
I peered out of my bedroom window and saw the majestic sun, which was a
merciless orb of fiery flames, blazing menacingly in the cerulean sky. It was only the first week of the school
vacations and I was already bored out of my mind. Father was at work and Mother was at the
nearby supermarket to replenish the groceries.
Before leaving for the supermarket, Mother instructed me to look after
my younger sister. I tried to protest
but my endeavour was fruitless.
Just as my boredom reached its zenith, the telephone
rang. It was my best friend, Charles
Dickens. Glad to have some distraction,
we started to exchange juicy gossip about our classmates. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I
lost track of time. I did not even
realize that Barbie had wandered into the kitchen in search of food to stuff
herself with.
In the kitchen, Barbie scratched her head as she wondered how
to reach for the jar of cookies which was placed high up in the cabinet. A smile lit up her face as her small beady
eyes rested upon a stool. Stepping on
the stool, she climbed up on to the counter deftly, flung open the cabinet
doors excitedly and reached out for the jar.
However, the smooth glass slipped from her hands. The jar smashed onto the floor and shattered
into smithereens. A crest of panic
seared through her and she realized that she was in hot water as she had been
told umpteen times never to climb in the kitchen.
Upon hearing the deafening loud crash, I rushed into the
kitchen. Barbie looked so guilty that
she lost her balance and landed on the glass shards. She howled in acute agony as the sharp glass
fragments dug their way through her clothes and into her flesh. Crimson blood oozed incessantly from the
lacerations, staining her clothes. My
heart sank as I knew that I would be in trouble with my parents for failing to
look after Barbie properly.
Just at that moment, Mother returned home. She dropped her bags and ran into the kitchen
instantly when she heard Barbie wailing.
She took in what was happening with a single glance. Seeing Mother, Barbie looked at her with
innocent eyes and in between sobs, she framed me, saying that I had told her to
climb up the counter to get the jar of cookies for me. Staring daggers at me, Mother cleansed and
bandaged Barbie’s wounds.
I protested and said that I was framed. But, Mother did not believe me. She promised me a severe thrashing after she
had bandaged Barbie’s wound. For the
next few minutes, I was on tenterhooks as I awaited my mother. Then, Mother came towards me ominously, with
a cane grasped tightly in her right hand.
I flinched as I saw the cane approaching me. Whack! A stinging pain flared up as it made
contact with my tender flesh. I clenched
my jaw and lower lips, determined not to cry.
After the caning, I hobbled back to my room. I stuffed the
pillow into my mouth, to stifle my sobs.
Though it was partly my fault, I hated my sister for making the beating
a more serious one. This would be a
painful and humiliating lesson that would be etched on my mind for a long time
to come.
Lee Xuan Hua
Comments
There is some odd humour displayed in this story such as the sister Barbie having blond hair and the writer's best friend being Charles Dickens. But just take them as the author's quirks. What makes this story stand out is the twist that the author introduces - the younger sister is not the innocent victim but a devious girl who tries to manipulate those around her despite her young age.
No comments:
Post a Comment