I had a dream last night. I dreamed of my mother. She was busy as always. I was with her in the kitchen. Something was cooking in the oven. I looked up from the dinner table to see my little brother walking in. Fresh from boarding school.
I wondered to myself: "Where are my sisters?"
Then it dawned on me. No wonder daddy looks so sad. They've gone. Abrar is studying Biotechnology at Michigan State University. Jinan is somewhere in the UK doing her Law doctorate at Kent University.
My youngest sister joins me at the table. She is on her weekend break from pre-Law at UiTM. My other baby brothers are busy playing games on the PS2.
Sigh... who will take us to the malls now that Jinan is gone? No more Baskin Robbins, no more Movies... Who will drive me around now that Abrar's flown? No Sunday markets, no squabbling... I felt this crushing loneliness settle itself around me... suffocating...
I wake up.
I'm in my room in Winston St. Mowbray. My semester hasn't finished yet. I'll be seeing everyone in November. But my sisters will have gone by then.
I'll miss their laughter in the house. All our jokes with each other. Sometimes I wish we never grew up. But c'est la vie. One day when everyone is back at home, we'll have a huge gathering and we'll be whole again