my silver year surprise

    I am 25 years old now and I never thought it will be a significant year for me. It didn’t even occur to me to celebrate my silver year. But this year was significant in its own way.

   I was the youngest of almost happy family. I live my life the way it is.  But mind you, I never really felt like I was the youngest. I have a niece and nephew whose living with us, so technically I felt like a big sister not an aunt. My daughter is already two years old and that was also a part of it. Technically speaking, I’m only youngest by birth status.

   

  But few days before my 25th birthday there was news that turns everything into a joke. It was not actually a big surprise because my mom knew it from the very beginning. I had a step sister from my father side, she was living somewhere in Dumaguete that time. I was really not sure how to react, I didn't felt pain and I didn’t even felt angry. Believe me I always felt angry. Anger is part of who I am and it suddenly defines me. But not that time, it only left me in daze for a moment.  I had a few days to accept reality, before I finally see it.

   Few days after the news, she went to visit us to meet my father. She was not like the person I pictured in my mind, it was relieved and disappointment both washed over me. I guess, I just expected too much.

   She looked fragile and she's smaller than a typical seventeen years old, my 12 years old niece is even bigger.  How could I feel hatred to someone who is so fragile?

  Me and my big sister toured here around the place. My dad shopped her around and she met her new dentist. It was only three days when she visited us, few days before she finally say goodbye to high school. Maybe meeting my dad was her greatest graduation gift.

   Now, she's spending college here, in one of the best school in this place. Her life suddenly changes, so was ours. She is part of the family now and our small family suddenly felt so big.

  

   Not everyone had a life like those in the movies but my life felt like a movie. It seems too late for us to know about her. But when I look back to my life and if I suddenly knew her when I was younger, maybe things will be different. I know how I would react; there is always a rebel inside me. But now, having a daughter to think about, the issue doesn't seem so huge.

   Maybe growing up made me see things better or maybe I'm gaining my own wisdom (I hope so). I felt lonely when I think about that incident but I’m still proud that my dad accepted the responsibility even though it is 17 years too late. See, happy ending do exist and she was my silver year surprise.