Day 4: Afraid

As part of the blogtember challenge today I’m supposed to share about a time when I was very afraid. There have been many times in my life when I’ve feared for my life but one of my most terrifying experiences was when I was afraid for the life of someone else, my younger sister Natalie.

The relationship between siblings is a complex thing. There is a dynamic between each sibling and then the one of each sibling’s standing in that dynamic (the first born, the middle child, the baby). The relationship between my brother and sister and I is extra special because we are all ten years apart, so it’s like we were all the only child at one point in our lives.

When my sister was born I was ten. I was used to being the baby of the family and was not at all happy that that would be changing. Growing up we never really got along; she was always too small to play with my friends and I, and I wouldn’t dare be caught playing Barbie’s with her when I was 15.

This one day, in my freshman year in high school, an impromptu lacrosse practice was scheduled so I called home to let my mom know I wouldn’t be home until later that evening. When I called home my mom answered with concern and panic. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that my sister wasn’t home from school yet and she was supposed to be home by now. All the resentment and bitterness I had held for my sister had faded away, and in that instant I had never been so afraid in my life.

Immediately I ran the 4 miles home and started roaming the school yard for Natalie. I went up to her classroom and asked the teacher when she had left and was told about 30 minutes prior to my arrival. Now, the distance between the elementary school and my house was less than a mile, so I knew something had to have gone wrong.

I started scouring the neighborhood, asking all the children and parents if they had seen my sister. No luck. I ran back home and let my mom know about my failed attempts to find her so she suggested calling the police. I decided to have one last look in a neighborhood that was a little sketchy about a mile from our house. As soon as I got to the shady neighborhood I became a piece of meat – creepy middle –aged men began to catcall and tell nasty jokes. I remember praying that my sister wouldn’t have gone down this neighborhood and I as I was rounding the corner I saw her leisurely walking towards me. I’d never been so relieved in my life. When I got to her she had told me that she had followed a friend home and had gotten lost. I gave her the biggest hug and we rushed back home.

It wasn’t until recently that Natalie and I have finally gotten along. She’s 18 so I feel like our relationship is at a place where we can finally relate – talk about boys, college, fashion, etc. It’s nice to have that relationship now after so many years of disconnection. I love that we FaceTime on a regular basis and chat about everything under sun. Our relationship now is that of loving sisters, exactly how it should be.

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