Miss Wilhelmina

Today is another one of the most important people in my life’s birthday. It’s my baby sister’s 18th birthday today. Still can’t believe how time flies so fast. I still remember the day my mom got up from her sleep and started cringing in pain. I used to be such a heavy sleeper in my younger years, but never had really good sleep when I hit my elementary years.

It was 4 something in the morning and my dad turned on the lights in the room. When we were younger, we’d all sleep together in the same room and we put together two big beds in the same room and just liked it that way. We’d play before going to bed, because apparently that’s the only way to get us to go to bed–tire us out.

My little brother and I would play wrestling matches on the bed, but we’d never get past the poses. He’d play Randy “Macho Man” Savage. And I would be Hulk Hogan. Haha, yeah, those were the times. My stinky little brother just turned three and he was as mischievous as they can get. I was still 5 turning 6.

Back to the story, Dad turns on the lights, Mom sits at the edge of the bed, I turn on my side to look at her and see her holding her swollen belly and cringing in pain. It was the year 1990 and I was going to start first grade in a couple of months. My dad also had our first jeepney made and it was coming out soon. My dad already had an old truck that he used to load up some cargo and make money with aside from his regular job of being a policeman.

My dad shook me gently and told me to look after my sleeping little brother. I nodded, he got my mom out, and turned off the lights again. I fell back asleep instantly. The next thing I remember was I was at the hospital looking over at my new sibling, all red, her eyes still totally shut and she was sleeping. My youngest aunt was there with us too. I remember my dad leaving us at my mom’s office and coming back with our brand new jeepney and my new sibling who just got released from the hospital.

I knew nothing about babies at the time and all I know was that she always cried, and that she would cry every time she would poo, get hungry or wake up. But one thing’s for sure though, she loved having her pictures taken. Point a camera at her and she’d smile. Hmmm, I guess loving to have your pictures taken is in-born. She’s actually the one among the three of us who always takes her pictures. I’ve always been the shy one who never had pictures taken. Although, I actually was the cutest baby among the three of us.

It’s tough looking for old pictures, I don’t have as many pictures as my brother and sister do, so I have to treasure each and every picture that I can find of myself while I was still a tyke.

Anyway, happy birthday baby sister.