My Second Eldest Sister, the Features of a Woman

What the woman learned from the examples set by her second eldest sister, the features of a woman, translated…

Since I’d signed up for a WeChat account, my second eldest sister would call me up every now and then, to see how I was living, I’m truly moved, that she cared so very much about me, on the opposite side of the strait.

I am the youngest of four sisters, growing up in an era of poverty and sexism, having daughter was like losing money. I’d learned, that when I was a mere baby, because we were so poor, my parents originally wanted to give me away, and back then, my adoptive mother already had a strapping towel to carry me off, my second eldest sister who’s eight years older than I saw that I was too cute, she’d, held onto me very tightly, refused to let me go; plus mom actually didn’t want to give me away, and in the end, I’d, escaped that fate of being a child bride.

My second eldest sister married young, after she was wed, she’d set up a stand in the traditional markets selling fruits, and carried her household economics all on her shoulders. Back then I’d taught at a middle school, not too far from my second eldest sister’s house, every time she’d killed the poultries, she’d always had my nephew who was attending the same school as I to head to hers for lunch and supper after school. Back then, she wasn’t economically well at all, the four of them may not even get enough portions to share whenever the poultries were slaughtered, but my second eldest sister always saved her share for me, and it’s always, the best, the quarter legs. I’d still recalled how it was when I dined at her place, and, don’t really know how much meat I’d had, back then, I’d thought, that being the youngest, I deserved to get spoiled, and I’d, acted like a brat from time to time, and now, as I looked back, I’d felt, gratitude toward her.

illustration from the papers online…

My second eldest sister would complain on how my parents never sent her to school, said that she’d only needed a little education, to make something of herself. My third eldest who had a sharp tongue would immediately stated the rebuttals, “You were born in the wrong eras, had you been born a couple of years later, then, you would’ve gotten your chances to study.” Then, my second eldest sister fell silent. Actually, although my second eldest sister was illiterate, but she was, very intelligent, she’d very observant of the goings on around her, and, she’d eventually made her business flourish, and rented a huge stand to sell the beef at the marketplace, for more than twenty years, she’d worked hard in the marketplaces, she’d become very loved, with great connections with all of her customers, she’d done quite well, and, saved up enough money for her old age too.

From before when my children were quite young, I’d once considered moving back to my mother’s, my second eldest sister told me, “If you want to move back in, move back in, I’ll take care of the money you need for schooling your children.” Originally, I should’ve been the one, taking care of my second eldest, having studied the most, but instead, she’d, covered me more, it’d made me feel so ashamed. These couple of years, my second eldest sister’s son and daughter-in-law took over the stand at the marketplace for her, but, she’d not enjoyed having nothing to do, and still gone to help out, because she’d enjoyed connecting with the people, after she’d headed home in the afternoons, in the early evenings, she’d gone to the park to line dance, she’d lived her days happily and fulfilled.

Sometimes, when I feel depressed, without anybody to tell, I’d always remembered my second eldest sister, using that upbeat voice saying the simplest ideals of life, “Having a job, with food on the tables, healthy, it’s more than enough, don’t think too much about anything else”, then, I’d, felt, a whole lot better.

So, the woman’s second eldest sister was like a guide, an example that the writer followed, because although she’d not gotten a high enough education, but she’d, managed, to learn a lot about the life she’s living, interacted with others well, and that, is way more important than having a higher education degree, knowing HOW to live well, by the right and high morals.