He was at the dinner table, and in deep thoughts. Part of him worried that she would probably come home drunk, and part of him reassuring himself that he should not worry too much because of the fact that she had gone out with her childhood friend and they are probably reminiscing good times. It’s been two weeks since she started drinking “continuously” again. He had been taking care of his sister all these years, and he is the only one she would ever confide in. But the distance between them always grows when she makes her choice over liquor. She had promised him once that she would never touch alcohol again. She did pretty well at keeping her promise but made a mistake when she tried to drink her depression away. Well, the fact is, she is beyond the age of getting married. All her friends are either married with kids, while most of them have passed away, mostly due to liver failure. Every facebook photo comments she gets would always remark about her age- “KTP I over der tawh elaw?” “When are you getting married?”, “it’s high time you get married”. He puts himself in her place, “had it been me, God knows if I would be doing the same thing. People- do they realize how much they can hurt other’s feelings with their petty comments? Why can’t they just let her be? Maybe she is not destined to be married. Maybe she was born to be my sister and me to be her guardian angel. Why can’t people just mind their own business, their own husbands and wives, and their own kids?” He was fuming with anger, and woke up from his thoughts to find his fist held tightly against the plate of his untouched cold food.
It wasn't long before he was done with the dishes that he heard someone calling him from outside. He rushed to see his sister-too drunk that she couldn't even stand up on her own. Her friend was also there-also drunk! They stopped several times to climb the stairs as she had trouble breathing, and they both made it to the living room. She tried to leave the house again and even tried to jump off the balcony. He managed to stop her and pulled her down to sit. The two friends were already in a deep conversation. Her (also drunk) friend was lecturing about how she should stop drinking. She could not stand the lectures that they almost got into a fight. While the two friends were talking, he sat close by to stop any kind of fight that might occur again. The friend told her how happily married she is now, and that she too should settle down soon. And he thought to himself “there she goes again with the petty comments, it will surely trigger my sister’s inferiority feelings!”
Trying to take away their conversation subject, he set the table and served dinner. After food, the friend left. It was just him and her. They were sitting at the balcony. He didn't want to ask her anything and waited for her to speak up.
“Bro, do you have dreams? What is your dream?”
“I don’t know if I have any dreams sis” he replied.
She continued “Ever since I was in high school, I had a dream of being in a music band and tour the world, but now, look at me, look at the pathetic me!”
He wanted to advice her to maybe look beyond those dreams, but he was afraid he’d mutter the wrong words and discourage her further. So he kept silent.
She blurted “I think I should go somewhere far away, just disappear, if you know what I mean”
He knows exactly what she meant. She wants to leave---forever. “How can I tell her that there is so much to live for when she has given up on everything?” He tried his best to control his tears while telling her how much she meant to him and to the family, and that nothing would be the same if she was not there. His heart pounded every time she got up to look down from the balcony. The fear that she might jump off in this depressing moment haunted him, and he told himself that he would never let her off his sight. He prayed silently over and over.
She wanted him to help her search for the Rum that she got. She said she wants to finish the half bottle that’s left, then she would quit from the next day. Maybe his prayers got answered that they looked for the Rum, but could not find it anywhere. Maybe she didn't bring it home as she was too drunk. He asked her to go to bed, and to call him if she needed him at all. Finally, she went to sleep. That night, he got down on his knees, and thanked God for giving her another chance to live while many of her friends had left this world.
I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42:6, 7