And where was I before the day, that I first saw your lovely face

Tomorrow is my baby sister’s birthday. Well she’s not really a baby anymore but since she was born when I was 8 years old, I’ll always think of her as my baby sister. So, tomorrow is also my birthday. And I’ve already heard all the jokes like ‘Wow, what planning’ and ‘Mallu family wanted to save on two birthday parties’… just for the record, we have always had two birthday parties (sometimes even a third for family) except for her 1st birthday and my 9th. That was a funny birthday party. It was at the Gymkhana club and there was a merry-go-round that I kept stopping every 5 seconds to go greet everyone who arrived and there was a puppet show that was damn stupid, or was it a magic show? But since so many people were invited for her 1st birthday party, I know I got TONS of presents!

Anyway, I still remember the day my father told me I was going to have a little brother or sister. For as long as I could remember before then, every time I prayed in Church or wished for something at Christmas, there was always a ‘Dear God, please give me a baby sister’. And He actually delivered on September 22, 1989. She was really due on the 25th but decided to come out early. That night, I remember I spent the night in my parents room as a treat (I was going to be 8 after all and it was time I got used to sleeping alone) and halfway through the night, I was woken up and sent off to sleep in my room and the next morning by the time I got all dressed up (how exciting was it to not wear a uniform for one day) and armed myself with the traditional birthday sweets to distribute at school, Her Highness had arrived. After a terribly exciting day at school (it was an exam day, so I couldn’t have taken the day off) talking about my new baby sister, I rushed to the hospital to see her for the first time. And she was everything I had always imagined she would be… a cute and soft and pretty and talcum powder smelling overall adorable bundle!

She was my babe, and she still is. I constantly told her she was the best birthday present I’d ever received. I was fascinated by her when she was a baby. I had my own real life doll to play with (although my Mom never let me cut her hair). And as a toddler, she was absolutely adorable, always saying the most outrageous things. And what a freaking temper she had… she’d throw the loudest of tantrums and yell she wanted things “now only” and when she was pissed off, she had this hilarious pout and I’d call her Miss Piggy (from the Muppet Show) and that would just make her madder than before…. Once, she got so mad, she just grabbed the glasses off my face and snapped them in two… I wanted to fucking kill her. But she was always incredibly apologetic later… she’d tear the posters on my room door in anger and later she’d slip a little note saying Sorry and beautifully decorated with flowers and all that childish jazz and Rs. 50 to buy new ones (she always had shitloads of cash also)!

So she was all very sweet and lovable for a long time and then from about age 8 to 14, she became the most insufferable Miss “I want to know it all and think I know it all” for miles around. She made it her life mission to find out exactly what I was up to, which boys I had a crush on, what I was spending my money own, etc. etc. She was really something else… she pissed me off on an almost continuous basis. We had very rare moments of bonding… like when we played with our dogs or watched Friends on TV every weeknight at 8 pm… and she still ran to my room some nights and made me hug her till she fell asleep if my parents had a fight, and she still slipped me little notes of apology when we fought. But mostly it was yelling and screaming or pretending she didn’t exist or telling her without fail that she was the worst birthday present I’d ever received.

Then I left to Australia and I’ve hung out with her thrice since. Last year, I was in India for two weeks and barely got to see her or talk to her but already I could tell that she was becoming a sweet young girl and wasn’t a silly kid anymore. And of course, she somehow managed to pop a sweet note saying she loved me into a suitcase that I took to Delhi for the wedding. This year, I really got to hang out with her day and night in Virginia for two weeks and it was just incredible getting to know her like that without the distraction of friends and parties and school and Madras in general. I found out again that she was really funny and sweet and really a cool chick… and did I mention, she’s become such a hottie… watch out world, here comes my sister, da bomb! The past couple of years I don’t know if it was just all the teenage angst or what, but she went totally grunge and wore all these horrid shapeless pants and loose t-shirts… then for this trip, she told me to buy her strappy tops and party tops and I was so excited she was over that phase I went out and bought her at least 15 funky items of clothing and boy, did she look hot in them!

Anyway, there’s something about baby sisters… they get a pretty bum deal sometimes… they become the slaves of older siblings, they are the proud recipients of hand-me-downs quite often and everything they ever do is compared to what their older sibling did at that age… but also, and they may not realise this, the need to protect and defend and nurture and pamper is so strong, its almost maternal… when I go shopping before heading home for a visit, I buy stuff for everyone, but at the top of my list and at every shop I go to, its always her I want to buy the world for in an attempt to make up for not being around in the last couple of years. And I know she adores me as I adore her and secretly she wants to be just like me (and she’s actually getting there, family get confused about who’s talking and who’s wearing what) and maybe she even misses me a little in the midst of her active high school life… I know that I miss her a lot these days and I can’t wait to see her again in December. I’ve written her a poem (this is the first poem I have ever written in my entire life, so the rhyming is pretty sad and basic) and I haven’t decided if I’m going to give it to her yet.

And as for me, I’m turning 24 tomorrow. I feel old old old! I know its not really old in the grander scheme of things, but I can’t help feeling my youth just happily slipping away from me. Anyway, I am expecting many cool presents and fun lunches and dinners and phone calls from all and sundry (oooh, now I get to get birthday wishes from bloggers too, what fun) and of course big birthday bash on Friday night! I’m still feeling old but I have the rest of the year to worry about that… the next few days is all about celebrating the fact that I was born ;)

The Looking Glass

I remember the day you were born
It stands clearly in my mind
From the minute I saw your tiny face
I never wanted to leave your side

You grew older and more cheeky
You were my favourite clown
Your antics always made me smile
If ever I was down

There were times I may have shouted
There were times you pissed me off
It was all a part of growing up
I regret I didn’t show more love

Now I look at you all grown up
And I feel so very proud
That my baby sister
Is adored by such a crowd

Today you turn sweet sixteen
And I turn twenty four
You are the perfect sister
I couldn’t have asked for more

We could be identical twins
Except we’re eight years apart
This is the lamest poem ever
Except its straight from the heart

They say we look alike
At times they get confused
The ears, the nose, the eyes
Our smiles when we’re amused

Sometimes the resemblance is uncanny
For example, when we frown
But there are differences too
Where my hair is black yours is dark brown

You have a dimple in your chin
And more than a single piercing in your ears
I have a dot on my nose
To see you cry fills my eyes with tears

We are forever tied
By the bond of birthdays and blood
With our best friends Chocolate and Holly (wish I had space to name them all)
We have frolicked in the mud

Before we can meet again
A lot of time may pass
But whenever you want to see me
Take a look in the looking glass