At one point in your life, you realise how weak you are. Should I consider myself lucky that I was taught this early on?
My mother walked me to and from school till the end of middle school. At least now, I get to walk home alone.
"Why are you so late?"
Before I could knock, mum opened the door and pulled me inside.
"I got fast as I could, mummy."
"Don't lie to me. You were wasting time with your friends. Should I tell your daddy?"
"No! Please don't."
Although I knew she hated it – no – because I knew she hated it, I clung to mummy when I begged.
"Don't don't touch me! Don't you have something to study?"
Mummy pushed me away.
"I will shower and start studying right after."
Mummy, daddy and I lived in a house with many other people. This meant that rent was cheap, however…
"Are you going to shower big sis?"
"I'm not your big sister. Get lost."
The brat sat by the bathroom door, is one of those people.
"Why can't I sit here?"
"You know exactly why!"
"What are you saying? I would never think any dirty thoughts about big sis."
Somebody needed to beat some sense into this brat.
"I don't have time for this..."
The water is cold again today, so I got out of the shower as fast as I could.
"Big sis, you smell really good!"
"Perv."
Mummy, daddy and I lived in a single room. Nobody's happy about that, but the rent is cheap.
I got out my books from my bag and copied out my notes. This didn't take an hour. There isn't any homework either.
That's when my dream came back to me again. Remember, I tried to tell you about it before-
"What are you doing now?"
"I just finished writing out my notes, mummy."
"I asked you what you're doing now."
"I'm going to copy out passages from the textbook we used in class."
Slap!
"I-I wasn't doing anything. I'm sorry."
"Wait till I tell your father about this."
"No, mummy please."
"How do you think seeing you laze around makes us feel? After all the work we do to feed you and put clothes on your back. No, you wouldn't understand."
I cried and begged, but there was no point. Mummy loved seeing me get hurt.
That night, after mummy went to work and daddy to sleep, I slipped out to go to the toilet.
"Big sis, are you ok?"
"Do you not go to sleep?!"
When I got out, that brat was there.
"Big sis's dad hit her again, right?"
"Mind your own business."
I tried to get away, but he grabbed my hand.
"I'll tell him to stop. I'll protect big sis."
"You're just a brat! You can't do anything. Just leave me alone."
I started to cry.
"Big sis…"
"I'm sorry."
I knew there wasn't any point yelling at him. He's just too young to understand how weak we are.