My Tomboy Baby Sister
My sister was born three days after I turned nine. At that stage I had two brothers aged seven and two. That is how they planned us; in two batches of two.
On the night of my ninth birthday we all sat at the kitchen table discussing the arrival of the new baby. Those were the times before sonar and there was no telling if it was to be a baby boy or a girl. My mom and dad wanted a girl but my brother and I wanted another brother; to keep our baby brother busy so we won’t have to look after him.
We though my mom and dad still had a choice in the matter; you know something like going to a baby shop and pick one off the shelf. My brother and I resolved that if it was to be a girl she will have to greet us with the hand as we boys were taught to greet each other; there will be no kissing.
We stuck to our guns and I first kissed her good bye when she was nine. That was when I was conscripted into the army for my military training. My brothers followed suit since then.
We made no distinction between her and us. She was a little boy and we treated her as such. From very early she refused to wear a dress and she stood when having a pee. Until my mother got fed up and put a stop to it.
We taught her how to fight and we often used her to sort out the boys of her age when they annoyed us. She picked up a few blue eyes for her trouble but it paid off in the end. It was a disgrace to be sorted out by a girl and the little boys quickly learned not to trouble us.
After I got married my work transferred me to Johannesburg for three years and when I came back I was pleasantly surprised with my tomboy sister who had developed into a beautiful and sweet young lady.
When she was twenty her boyfriend tried to hit her but she sent him packing with such a hiding that he never showed his face again. I don’t know what happened to him. Her training paid off.
About five years after she got married she arrived at a family gathering one Sunday, sporting a swollen cheek. I asked her what happened and she laughed, pointing at her husband. He gave an embarrassed smile and raised his arms in mock surrender. Accident, he said. He was having a nightmare and he hit my sleeping sister in the face.
We believed the story. Firstly, he never was the type to beat his wife and secondly, there was not a mark on his face. He would not have gotten away unscathed; she can look after herself.
May you all have a great Monday with no shades of blue.
Comments (55)
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I am very proud of my sister. And one would never guess that such a prim and proper lady can carry so much strength and energy in such a slender body.
now you see in fact having boy or girl baby is just same.. that only depend on how we want them to be in behavior, how hard you taught her to be like a boy but at the end she is a lady.. and she made you amaze with her beauty
Hmm, we could not change her gender, but if I could have it all over, I will certainly wish to do it exactly the same again. I would not want her any different.
Truly a sad story.
Though I do not think we were in any danger of that happening. My parents wanted a baby girl and she was loved as much as the rest. And she was not unhappy with the way we treated her. She was quite satisfied to be one of us. When she got her first bicycle she wanted a boy's bicycle as well, but once again my parents overruled her.
It must be so embarrassing to be beaten up by a little girl while her mates stand around and watch.
(But the funniest thing was her rushing in through the front door that evening shouting, "Mum! Mum! If the police call, it wasn't me!" "Oh really, darling? What, exactly wasn't you...?)
No problem my friend. No such thoughts in my mind. I appreciated that comment and such things does happen. I have heard of similar situations but never with such drastic consequences. It is sad.
Yes, I think it is good when a woman can give an account of herself. Even if she cannot effective defend herself against a stronger man, it will make him think twice before taking on a woman again. They are cowards and normally expect no resistance.
In other situations, people's intuition (whether men, or women) tells them not to resist, or play dead. We must respect those decisions as well.
I sat at the back of my daughter's martial arts lessons for many years and she was encouraged to evaluate when to defend, when to run and never to be the attacker.
I think this kind of training is so good for kids. It does wonders for their confidence and sense of freedom.
I am the only baby sister of my only elder sister.We are 10 years gap.
Girls are not made of glass. They are as resilient as boys and should not be pampered as some parents prefer to do. Pampered children in general turn out to be pretty helpless adults.
Hmm but those are the ones you have to be most careful of; the unskilled. Nothing is more dangerous and unpredictable than a scared person. They are capable of killing you in a panic.
The two were both convicted and she and her friends remained unharmed.
Yes, I guess it can be an advantage to have an older brother to pave your way. I remember my younger brother stuttered and I had a torrid time trying to prevent the other boys from mocking with him. I even got a hiding from one of the bigger boys for intervening. Just one of those things.
What ends well is all well. I don't have a problem with it and I'm glad she came out of it unscathed.
Lovely family story indeed...so sad I didn't come from
a family like yours.
Indeed. I did not appreciate it when I was young. I was blessed with my parents but only realized it when I was grown up; when I saw and heard the stories of other less fortunate beings.
Always be better to be friends with a lady. Whether she can take care of herself or not.
Yes, I don't think you can ever take the woman out of a woman. And yet, every woman still has that bit of that little girl that she once was in her.
That is the first lesson in love. Walk away backwards or run.
I'm sure the one at the counter would have been a man. If it was a woman, you could have easily gotten away with a smile.