Two Sisters
When you are born in a small village, life is pretty simple. If you are an adult, you put food on the table for your family and if you are a child, you help the adults put food on the table for your family. Pretty straightforward.
Runa’s village is one such place. Small and plain, it lives by the sea, where the fishes are plenty and the weather is good all year around. Life starts early in the morning when the sun rises, and for children, ends pretty early also near when the sun goes to bed. Runa’s family is a typical one. Two healthy and happy parents, and children numbering more than the fingers on one hand. Runa is the sixth child in her home, and the second girl.
Growing up, Runa watches the people in her village. Everyone has a job. Something they do bring value to the village. Runa’s father is a builder and he builds and repairs people’s houses. Runa’s mother is a teacher and she teaches the children how to count and she teaches them who they are also, their stories, their ancestors, where they come from.
When Runa is very young, she thinks she will grow up like her older sister, Nira, who is beautiful and graceful. Nira is not very good at anything but she tries very hard and she is kind. She dances. She does not dance very good but she always gives her best. Nira also weave baskets. Nira’s baskets are not very good and often fall apart in a matter of weeks but they sell quite well. Nira fishes but never catches anything bigger than her thumb but Nira is very beautiful and people are kind to her.
Runa thinks it is nice to have people be kind to you by default, but people does not treat the two sisters the same way. Runa is born big-boned and a little plain and Runa has to do everything twice as hard as Nira to get the same level of rewards. Runa has to be the best weaver to make the same sales as Nira. Runa has to dance absolutely perfectly to get the same applause as Nira. Runa has to become the village’s best fisher to even get people to praise her.
This is very upsetting to Runa.
One day, a very handsome and wealthy man from the next village proposes to their parents and they accept this. Nira is going to be married off and Runa feels a little happy that she will no longer be around. She goes to congratulate her sister but Nira is crying her eyes out at the back of their tiny house. Runa doesn’t get it. What could Nira be upset about! Her life is so easy!
Runa comes to slap some sense into her sister! But Nira looks up at her before she can do it and mistakes her raised hand as in a gesture for a hug, so she lunges at Runa and hugs her terribly!
“Oooof!” Runa goes.
“Oh, if only I was like you, Runa!” Nira wails.
“Whuh?” Runa goes.
“I don’t want to be married off! I wish I was like you, someone who is very good at things that can stand on her own two feet!” Nira exclaims!
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat!” Runa goes!
“Please, teach me how to do something so I can be the best at it! Then they won’t think I have to be dependent on some one else!” Nira begs.
Runa feels dizzy. She pushes her sister away and she says, “You are crazy! You have the best life!”
It is now Nira who stares at her sister as if she has a funny face.
“That’s crazy! I have the worst life! I am no good at anything! How can you think I have the best life!”
The both of them think the other is crazy.
Later on, Nira runs away. Who knows where she goes, no one can say. The parents apologize a lot to the parents of the groom-to-be from the neighbouring village. They send many gifts to make up for their shame. Runa is sometimes sent off to give them her best catch or her best basket.
They ask Runa, “Where is your sister!”
Runa shrugs, “Not here.”
She goes back home after she gives away her best fish or basket. She looks at the horizon sometimes, when no one is looking and she wonders the same question. People misses Nira very much. The flower of their village. Runa misses Nira too, but she does not let it show because she will get into troubles if people finds out that she helps her sister run away.
Runa doesn’t know where Nira is, but she knows one thing: She is at a place where she can own her own destiny.
