The trials of her life, finally ended, as this woman entered into her elderly years, and, it’d been, a long time coming too, translated…
Being the Eldest of Six, She’d Not Only Had to Help Our Mother with the Household Chores, Needed to Look After the Five of Us, Younger Siblings, She’s Not Just Our Eldest Sister, But a Junior Mommy to Us All Too…
Packed Up Her Backpacks and Dreams, Heading Home
My eldest sister is eleven years senior to me, born and raised in the era of deprivation, as the eldest of six children, she’d not just had to help our mother with the household chores, looking after the five of us, she’s not just our eldest sister but a junior mommy to us all.
My eldest sister only went to elementary school for two years, then, the family could no longer afford to pay for her education, and, being understanding, she’d not given our mother a hard time, she’d, given up on her schooling, packed up her backpack and dreams, headed home. This was, the very first decision that my eldest sister ever made, she’d sacrificed for the family, without any regrets or complaints, she’d “graduated” early from school, never set foot into the schools again.
At age nine, the child had to cook, do the laundry for mom, feeding the livestock and animals, followed our parents to work in the fields, and also, look after us all, my eldest sister was hardworking and knew her place, was a good helper to my parents. Once, while my mother was pulling up the saplings, my eldest made porridge, and took it to the fields for my mother to have as a snack. Waited until my mother finished, as she was carrying the large pot, ready to go home, she’d walked backwards, until she’s some distances away from the workers in the fields, then, she’d, turned instantly, ran quickly home.
After my mother finished working, she’d asked my eldest sister, “Why did you walk backwards?” My eldest said, “There was a hole in my pants on my buttocks, I don’t want people to laugh at me.” My mother’s heart wrenched as she’d heard, recalled how she’d given up her schooling, to help the family, she’d held her tightly in her arms, the poverty stricken home fronts had made this nine-year-old child tasted the’ hardships of life early.
During that time, the troops locally would often put on the movies at the amphitheaters for the locals to watch. This became the favorite pastime of my eldest sister and I, at dusk, we’d brought our small stools there early, to get a good spot, I’d followed her closely behind. As we went to the movies, my eldest sister would have some snacks, and, as I’d finished up my candy, I’d started telling her I wanted more snacks, and, she would, without a second thought, spit out the candy she was already eating, and give it to me, I’d accepted it gladly, it was, quite, tasty, I’d felt the love and care of my eldest sister, like my mother had, loved us, bliss had, filled up my heart, that was, a joyous time of my childhood.
When she turned eighteen, my eldest sister was very beautiful, slimly built, with her shiny eyes, she’d, attracted a ton of suitors. As she was in her teenage years, she’d had her first taste of love, it was, with a young man in our village, but, during those, conservative times, they’d not dared, to hold hands together when they’re out together, and all of those feelings, were hidden, deep, inside of her mind. Back then, many matchmakers came to ask for my eldest sister’s hand, there was one that introduced her to a well-to-do young man from a neighboring village, back then, we were still living in the mud houses, and he and his family lived in a brick house. And, the matchmaker told, that the man is, a bit slow, but hardworking, and can take anything that came his way, that if my eldest sister had, agreed to marry him, she wouldn’t need to worry about not having enough anymore, and, the man gave us a huge sum of dowry, and, my mother would no longer need to worry over all our tuitions again.
Burying that First Love of Hers
At first, my mother was against it, but, the persuasion of the matchmaker continued, she’d prodded at how my eldest sister felt about it, my eldest said, it was, up to my parents to decide. At that time, in the conservative countryside, the marriages are made and agreed upon by the parents. The marriages were made possible, with the matchmakings. My obeying eldest sister, thought that the dowry will help the family a lot, to help put us through school, and, agreed to the marriage. At the age of eighteen, she’d, once again, made a vital decision of her life, sacrificed her own love, buried the heart she held for her first love, and, ended her age of innocence, left home, and married.
After she was married, she had children soon enough, other than busying with her own nuclear family, she’d needed to, take care of all of us, younger siblings too. Back then, all the clothes on our backs, my eldest sister made, from the cloth she’d gotten from her own home, and all our tuitions, she’d paid for, while, she’d, saved up every penny that was, spent on herself. Every New Year’s, my eldest would bring back all the wonderful foods, walked through the distances, to bring them home to us, just so our parents, and we get to, have a taste of what she has too. Seeing how much we’d enjoyed the foods, my eldest sister started smiling satisfactorily.
Actually, the start of her marriage wasn’t smooth at all, because my eldest brother-in-law was a bit slow, his family would always look at her with question, with more suspicions, and less trust. My brother-in-law would take any words that anyone tells him, and because of someone else’s words, he would often, throw temper tantrums at my eldest sister, and when he was unhappy, he’d, beaten her up too, but she’d always, taken it all in, and used her words, to console with him. We all knew how trying it was for her, but, because she didn’t want our parents to worry, she’d never told them about the bad parts of her marriage. And, just like that, for over a dozen of years, she’d worked hard, keeping two households intact, and, done her duty, stayed by the side of the man she didn’t love at all, raised her children up, and finally, she’d, won her in-law’s trusts, and, it’d, made all the neighbors look at her in a brand new light.
As my eldest sister was into her twentieth year of marriage, one day, my eldest brother-in-law, while heading up the mountains to look over his land, he’d, accidentally, slipped, and fallen to his death. After my brother-in-law’s funeral was finished with, my eldest sister, who’d had a trying life, finally, rid herself of the bind of fate, and got her freedom back………
And now, my single eldest sister, and her two grown children who are married too, are living happily. And, I’d heard, that the guy my eldest sister loved from back then, his wife had passed away too, and, he kept asking about her constantly. I’m guessing, that happiness will come knocking, in my eldest sister’s elderly years!
So, this woman grew up hard, she’d made many sacrifices for the sake of her loved ones, and, was tried by her own life, and finally, in her midlife years, she can, have it easier…………