Jumping off from my perfect high school life, let’s dive into the plot twist – it wasn’t perfect (in the way most people would judge it to be).
Frankly, when the plot twist came up, I was still responding like the sheltered 15-year-old that I was. I was genuinely happy to know that I have an older sister albeit a product of my Dad’s extramarital affairs back in the day. You see, I was born 5 years into the marriage and our half-sister is 2 years older than me. I will skip the unsavory details because I do not wish to speak ill of her mom.
Ohhh, we became the talk of the town when she came for my high school graduation! Everyone was asking about the fair lady vacationing at our place. (Remember, we live right smack in the center of what’s called the RTN Townsite.) She was just there for three days but it was enough to get the rumor mills turning. Not that we didn’t expect it – a seemingly perfect family turns out to have a juicy secret. But the reason I wasn’t really affected is because that was my Mom’s kind gesture. My Dad didn’t want here there but Mommy said it was the perfect way to show her that she is accepted for who she is, and that was the first big family event that we can invite her to. In my Mom’s mind, it was the perfect timing (since she wrote my Dad, asking to get her from her mom during the first quarter of that academic year) for assuring her that she is loved and welcomed with open arms.
Fast-forward to college, let’s just say the good you show others and the good intentions behind it are not always reciprocated in kind. Before we graduated in college, I no longer wanted to live in the same house with her; and I must say I tried really hard to do what my Mom asked me to – show her understanding, acceptance, and everything in between. After four years, I still love her as my half-sister but I felt we’ll have to give her support from a safe distance so we can continue loving her instead of letting my growing resentment fester.
Those four years put a very significant wedge in my relationship with my Dad. I wasn’t used to having people lie to my face and definitely not used to having someone in the home doing manipulations and stuff. It was a very tumultuous four years – even affecting my younger siblings who only had to spend time with her during summer break (when we all go home to our summer place in Mango Country).
That was my turning point.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23)
Oh how true this turned out to be!