SISTER, AND BROTHER, AND…

NGUYEN - THI - HAU

Sister, because she had been born a few years earlier.
Brother, because she used to call him that…
When sister began grade one at Elemetary school, brother was born. During a month later, his crying all days all nights made the neighbors annoyed very much, and sister’s house was the next door. And there was only a thin board between the two houses…
When sister began studying at her University, she was a slim, beautiful student with pull-overs and jeans. Meanwhile, brother was a student at his Junior Highschool. He was famous for being a good student as well as a naughty handsome boy. The girls were afraid of him a lot but also liked his pride very much.
When sister graduated from her University, she was a young teacher with such a lovely smile that many “rich, handsome, good” men had to follow her. Meanwhile, brother became a tall and big young man with his solid shoulder. The girls couldn’t help themselves when they heard him singing a song with his warm voice… When sister got married… brother was a senior at his University. After a practicing period, he came back home, realizing that she had had her own family and hadn’t been there any more. It was the first time he felt something empty but he couldn’t tell what it was…

Then sister had two little princesses as beautiful as she had been. She seemed still young as ever, but somehow he felt that she was withering, and it just appeared lightly in her eyes or on her familiar smile…
Then brother got married, too. His wife was a good, tender girl. He also had two children and they were such naughty boys as he had been. Oh, he changed from a dynamic young man into a mature man. “An excellent husband, a fantastic daddy”, she teased him. But then when she read his books, she found out the loneliness was somewhere on his pages…
And life went on… went on…

Once, sister saw brother going out with a strange girl. Looking at the way that girl leaned her head on his shoulder, sister understood she was “his girl”…
Once, brother met sister with her gaunt face. One of her little princesses had been sick and had been brought to the hospital. Sister managed to do all by herself, ‘cause her husband had left and now she lived alone…
Then, brother and his wife were angry with each other due to “his girl”. Brother asked sister what he had to do now but he knew that he couldn’t follow her advice…
Then, there was a man who wanted to have a relationship with sister. She told everything to brother but she hesitated at his advice…
Brother and “his girl” still continued their relationship until one day, he suddenly thought that she usually talked about the same things as his wife…
Sister also realized something from the man who was following her. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but the sixth sense told her that it was the thing she had suffered from the ex…
And now the relationship between brother and “his girl” wasn’t as same as before. Not because of his wife’s jealousy, not because of anyone or anything, it was just getting more tasteless though brother still met her like the others’ “love stories in the offices”…
“Supposing you had been my girlfriend…”, brother said with a joking tone when he chatted with sister.

Up to the present time, sister still sat in coffee shop alone. Sometimes sister received brother’s messages: “How have you been?” or “Is there anything new?” and then sister thought to herself that she would never have someone’s shoulder to lean on when she felt lonely and exhauted…
And now sister, and brother still went on… with their lives… SISTER, AND BROTHER, AND… Sister, because she had been born a few years earlier.
Brother, because she used to call him that…
When sister began grade one at Elemetary school, brother was born. During a month later, his crying all days all nights made the neighbors annoyed very much, and sister’s house was the next door. And there was only a thin board between the two houses…
When sister began studying at her University, she was a slim, beautiful student with pull-overs and jeans. Meanwhile, brother was a student at his Junior Highschool. He was famous for being a good student as well as a naughty handsome boy. The girls were afraid of him a lot but also liked his pride very much.
When sister graduated from her University, she was a young teacher with such a lovely smile that many “rich, handsome, good” men had to follow her. Meanwhile, brother became a tall and big young man with his solid shoulder. The girls couldn’t help themselves when they heard him singing a song with his warm voice… When sister got married… brother was a senior at his University. After a practicing period, he came back home, realizing that she had had her own family and hadn’t been there any more. It was the first time he felt something empty but he couldn’t tell what it was…

Then sister had two little princesses as beautiful as she had been. She seemed still young as ever, but somehow he felt that she was withering, and it just appeared lightly in her eyes or on her familiar smile…
Then brother got married, too. His wife was a good, tender girl. He also had two children and they were such naughty boys as he had been. Oh, he changed from a dynamic young man into a mature man. “An excellent husband, a fantastic daddy”, she teased him. But then when she read his books, she found out the loneliness was somewhere on his pages…
And life went on… went on…

Once, sister saw brother going out with a strange girl. Looking at the way that girl leaned her head on his shoulder, sister understood she was “his girl”…
Once, brother met sister with her gaunt face. One of her little princesses had been sick and had been brought to the hospital. Sister managed to do all by herself, ‘cause her husband had left and now she lived alone…
Then, brother and his wife were angry with each other due to “his girl”. Brother asked sister what he had to do now but he knew that he couldn’t follow her advice…
Then, there was a man who wanted to have a relationship with sister. She told everything to brother but she hesitated at his advice…
Brother and “his girl” still continued their relationship until one day, he suddenly thought that she usually talked about the same things as his wife…
Sister also realized something from the man who was following her. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but the sixth sense told her that it was the thing she had suffered from the ex…
And now the relationship between brother and “his girl” wasn’t as same as before. Not because of his wife’s jealousy, not because of anyone or anything, it was just getting more tasteless though brother still met her like the others’ “love stories in the offices”…
“Supposing you had been my girlfriend…”, brother said with a joking tone when he chatted with sister.

Up to the present time, sister still sat in coffee shop alone. Sometimes sister received brother’s messages: “How have you been?” or “Is there anything new?” and then sister thought to herself that she would never have someone’s shoulder to lean on when she felt lonely and exhauted…
And now sister, and brother still went on… with their lives…

NGUYEN - THI - HAU