15. Sisters are doin it for themselves
We all grow old,
But not to
Clara Ortega
I was born an only child and was happy with the arrangement. All the attention, all the accolades, came to me. But two years after my arrival, along came my sister and changed everything!
Janine was born two years and three days after me. We share a star sign as well as DNA, a wicked sense of humour and the love of a good time. Our mother despaired of us for fighting when we were younger, often telling us how much she wished for a sister and how she couldn’t understand the way we treated each other, but at the end of the day, when push came to shove, we were always there for each other.
When we were younger, Janine and I did everything together. Mum and dad encouraged this, as not only did it keep us entertained but it made it easier for them to ferry us to various outside pursuits including music, calisthenics and athletics. Birthday parties were also always combined, which certainly would have made catering and organising simpler. And school holidays were at our grandparents, in the Brisbane Ranges, where we roamed the bush together, playing imaginary games or frolicking with the dogs.
My father enrolled us in Little Athletics when I was eight and Janine was six. He had always been an athlete, and when in 1967 the Victorian Egg Board sponsored the brand new organisation, he was a pivotal member of the Oakleigh division. Every Saturday morning from September to April we would be at the sports oval running, jumping or hefting to our hearts delight, winning stickers and ribbons and having a wonderful time. When I was ten and Janine was eight our club won the Victorian competition and we were very proud to hoist the trophy.
Mum had always wanted to learn the piano but never had the chance when she was a child. When they had the space in their house and the time for her to learn, my grandmother helped my parents buy a piano and mum started lessons. But, being fascinated with this new accessory, I begged to learn to play and not long after my sister did the same. As money was tight and they couldn’t afford lessons for everyone, mum gave up her dream and gave us the chance. Janine gave up after not too many years but I continued learning until I was fifteen – when the combination of school exams, boys and the Moonlight Sonata was too much for me.
Janine showed more interest in Calisthenics and joined a local club in Huntingdale; this time it was me who didn’t want to miss out! Mum obliged and found the time and money for both of us to participate. I had no talent at all – there was one occasion, in the end of year concert, where my wobbly arabesque saw me fall into the gymnast beside me, who fell into the one next to her…just like a row of dominoes, we all went down. But mum encouraged us, sewed numerous costumes for us and supported all our efforts.
In an era where birthday parties were a rare treat rather than an annual “event”, our parents made it easier on everyone by giving us combined parties, on the closest Saturday. If the weather was good, these were held in our backyard, with a few decorations on the clothesline, games with prizes and a delicious cake, lovingly made by mum. One year, when I turned ten, mum and dad generously organised a ten-pin-bowling party, but it was noisy, difficult to control and not nearly as much fun as our backyard romps.
During family holidays Janine and I always had each other to keep us entertained. Many school holidays were spent in the Brisbane Ranges with our grandparents, but there was usually an annual holiday to somewhere; Dromana or Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula when we had little money and dad would have to work all week and drive down for weekends, or Torquay in a work colleague’s holiday house. Then, as finances improved we ventured further afield – beaches in Adelaide, the NSW north coast or even the Gold Coast – a big adventure! Janine and I loved spending hours on the beach, building sand castles when we were younger and working on our tans as we grew up.
As we grew into teenagers and started exerting our own independence, there were plenty of quarrels, disagreements and disputes along the way. According to my mother, we “fought like Kilkenny cats”…Janine and I could argue as well as each other and neither of us liked to back down. Mum used to despair of us but eventually she left it to us to sort out our differences, knowing we would, in due course. I always knew my sister had my back if I needed her support. We would talk about (almost) anything and offer each other (sometimes misguided!) advice along the way.
There were some marked differences in our personalities. I was the more bossy of the two of us but also the more “goody goody” – Janine was much more likely to bend the rules to suit herself. I was the school prefect, she was the one smoking behind the toilets. I was the studious one, she was the one at the pub underage – usually with a copy of my birth certificate as “proof of age”. We left school in the same year – 1976 – me off to University, Janine into the workforce, keen to leave school behind, learn new things and earn her own money.
In our twenties we both married, bridesmaids at each others’ weddings, and had two children each. By then we lived further away from each other; I’d moved to country NSW and then interstate, Janine stayed closer to Sydney. We saw each other regularly, particularly because our parents lived near her and we would get together for many family occasions.
We continue to contact each other regularly even though we see each other more sporadically. We remain close, sharing life stories and supporting each other through difficult times, celebrating successes, laughing together at failures. I may have resented the “intrusion” of a new baby sister into my perfect little life, but I wouldn’t want to be without her now.
I smile
because you’re my sister
I laugh
because there’s nothing you can do about it…
Comments
Post a Comment