Sibling rivalry

I remember when I was only three or four, having one of many writing books; on the first page, there was a picture of an ant on the top left corner. The rest of the page was filled with alternating solid and dotted lines, with a sample 'Aa' at the start, showing us how the letters were to be written. You had the exact same book; being only a year apart, we had the same of almost everything.

I don't know (or don't remember) why, as we sat down to begin our new book, you took the back of your pencil and ran it across that first page. Of my book. It left a yellow scrawl on the page. I screamed for Mom at the top of my voice, and I was crying, I don't know why. Mom resolved it the way she always did: since you drew on my book, it was only fair that I got to draw back on yours.

You refused, but Mom said so, and there was no disobeying Mom. So after a lot of pouting from you, and more tears and screams from me, you finally relented and handed your book over. I took my pencil and drew across that same page of your book with as much strength as I could muster, leaving a huge black scrawl that threatened to tear through the page. Before I reached the end of my scrawl, you were screaming and crying your lungs out.

I promptly got scolded by Mom.

"Meimei used yellow to draw on your book! It can hardly be seen! Why must you use such dark ink on hers?!"

I had no answer to that. I only knew that you started it, and I had to pay you back.

I don't think either of us touched the books again; we got new ones. We were spoilt.

I never apologised for it. And perhaps that is why I've never quite forgotten it. I know it's silly, and you might not even remember, but I still feel guilty to this day, for the vindictiveness I showed you, for not giving in to my little sister.

I'm sorry.

I promise never to deface your writing book, not even if you started it first.

That, I think, ranks as one of our most bitter fights.

I hope it always does.

We've been blessed.