I love you, little sister

I have been missing my little sister Cristina something awful since leaving for college.  It's barely been a month, but I've never been away from her for this long ever!  So last weekend we went on a day trip to Seattle.  While we were there my mom met us (it was so nice to see her!) and we went to the musical "Wicked" at the Paramount Theatre.  It was amazing!  But that wasn't the best part of the day!

 

          It was a total God thing, but Cristina's High School Homecoming Dance just happened to be on the very same day and it just happened to be at the Space Needle!  What are the odds!  Not only that, but we just happened to have bought tickets for the matinee and she was arriving with a group of friend at 6:30pm!  The trap was laid!  Mom told Cristina that she was going to see me and my friends off at the bus station and then head over to the Space Needle so that she could take pictures when Cristina got there.  I even sent her a few texts before hand, talking about how disappointed I was not to be able to see her. 

 

          When the time came and we were waiting at the Space Needle for her to arrive I sent a few fake texts from the "bus".  I put some humor in them to keep her from suspecting anything.  I'll copy them down:  1) "There's some weird people on this bus.  There is a lady with a chiuahua (sp?) >:( "  By the way, in case you didn't know, I consider chihuahuas rats, not dogs.  2)  "I should call an exterminator!  This place has a rat!"  She was replying with lots of "hahahahaha"s and that sort of thing. 



          When she finally arrived.  I stayed inside and mom went out to the sidewalk to take some pictures.  Soon I was sneaking up behind mom and, oh!  The look on her face was priceless!  So was the scream!  I think everyone in a two mile radius must have heard her!  I sooooooo wish we'd thought to video-tape it!  Soon she was hugging me so tight I thought I would burst!  I was hugging her right back, though trying not to smash her hair or ruin her makeup.

  

SURPRISE!!!!!
(best picture EVER!)



          My baby sister looked just beautiful.  It's scary how fast she's growing up.  16 years old already...  I hope I don't miss the last of her childhood. 

       

          Unfortunately we had only a few minutes together. She was reluctant to let go of me long enough to take a few pictures with her group.  Soon she had to go upstairs with her friends to the dance. It was over far too quickly for both of us. 

 

Renee, Rachelle, Cristina, Me

Cristina (far left) and her friends

          After she was gone, we stayed around for a bit to say "hi" to some of our other friends from the school.  Mainly Kabrina and Evie.  It was so nice to see them. 

 

Rachelle, Kabrina, Evie, and Renee



          But once we finally got back to the dorm late that night, I couldn't help but feel rather depressed.  I tried to go to sleep, but so many thoughts kept running around in my head.  Eventually I got up and sat down at my laptop.  I needed to get some of the thoughts out or I'd explode.  I wrote this poem at o-dark-thirty in the morning before finally crawling up my ladder and falling back into bed:

Cristina and Me

 

I Saw Her Today

 

I saw her today

I held her close

And squeezed her tight

I was laughing

We’d been apart for so long

Longer than we ever have

But a part of me cried

For I knew

We had only minutes

So I took in every detail

That I possibly could

 

She looked so beautiful

Her fancy dress

Her high-heeled shoes

Her makeup

Dressed for a night

Of High School revelry

In some ways

She looked so grown up

I thought of all the things

I now had to miss

I hoped she wouldn’t

Grow up too much

While I was gone

  

And yet…

There were some things

That reminded me

Of the young girl

She used to be

And, in many ways

Still was

 

She’d forgotten a necklace

If I’d been there

I’d have given her

One from my own

Homecoming days

I forgot to check

But I think she forgot

A pair of earrings as well

Her hair was curled

Full of hairspray

And partly pulled up

In a small bun

With a plain black clip

I’d have dug around

In my cluttered drawers

And found her

A sparkling hair clip

To ornament her outfit
 

Oh my darling sister

How I wish I could

Have been there

To help you prepare

We’d have had so much fun

Laughing and talking

Hugging and grinning

I’d tease you about anything

And everything

I’d poke you in the side

Just to see you jump

I’d tickle you

Just to hear you laugh

 

I would have

If I’d been there

But I wasn’t

And I won’t be

For quite a while

So I drink her in

This strange and familiar

Beautiful and funny

Young girl before me

 

She used to depend

On me for so much

I never truly realized

How much I leaned on her

At the same time

Now we must support ourselves

And I’m left with a limp

For I only walked straight

Through life in the past

With her by my side
 

It’s time to go already

Hardly time for

A last quick hug

It’s not good-bye forever

But it feels as though

It might as well be

And eternity of ocean stretches

Between this moment and

The island, which is when

We’ll meet again

 

I saw her again tonight

My dear baby sister

My beautiful, lovely,

Giggly, funny, annoying,

Chatty, amazing, irreplaceable,

Wonderful, grown-up girl

Now she’s gone

 

I traveled through the rain

Through the fog and the traffic

Knowing with every single

Turn of the wheels

More space fell

Between her and me

As I sit here in the dark

Listening to the snores

Of my roommates

With only my laptop

For company

I remember…
 

I remember her scream

When she saw me today

I remember…

I remember her little nose

That I once teased her about

I remember…

I remember how hard she held me

As I held her just as tight

I remember…

I remember each second

Of those short, sweet minutes

I remember…

And those memories both

Warm and torment me

 

I will see her again

But until then…

 

Goodnight sweet sister

I love you

 



 

I love you, little sister...more than you know.