as we got older, our bond only grew stronger. we'd catch the bus to go downtown and explore stuff. we'd would sit in our rooms crying for each other whenever one of us was being disciplined. we made home videos together, built couch forts, and set up haunted mazes to make our parents walk through. during my middle school days she actually threatened and beat up a few older guys who would pick on me. when an ex-gf tried to run me over, she and our cousin went to her job and had a few choice words with that crazy broad.
at football games, she wouldn't talk to guys unless i was ok with it (they literally had to ask my permission). i lost count of the number of visits i had to make to have talks with guys who i thought shouldn't be interested in her. her being one of 5 girls on both sides of my family (only as far as 1st cousins) amidst a sea of males, she was fiercely protected.
some time after she graduated high school, she was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. she was treated for a while and eventually had to endure dialysis twice a week. shortly after that began, we were told that a kidney transplant was necessary so she was placed on the donor list.
while this was going on, she experienced 2 stillbirths. the first happened before i left for college (i dropped out because i couldn't stand to be so far from her). this was particularly devastating to her due to her huge love for children. her dream for her life was to be a mom. 9 months after the the second stillbirth, she became pregnant again. at the end of the 2nd trimester, her water broke and they had to deliver. my niece spent the 1st 6 months of her life in the hospital. incubator, eye surgery, feeding tubes, etc. the day my sister and i brought her home was the happiest day of her life. i had never seen her like that. i finally understood what people meant when they say you're glowing. i got to see it again the day i came home from work and she showed me that if you entice the baby with a cell phone, she could take a few steps on her own (i hold the record for that first day with 5 steps).
since she lived upstairs from my parents and me, i would go up to see her and the baby even before i took my dog out every day after work. she'd have a plate of dinner for me and we'd talk about our day while i ate. we'd take field trips to random stores/car dealerships to try stuff out and screw with the sales people. the first 10 minutes after arriving at a restaurant was spent deciding whose b-day it was so we could get some free dessert. she was loads of fun, brutally honest, and the coolest person you could ever wish to meet.
descansa en paz, hermana. te quiero mucho, y hasta el fin del mundo, yo voy a buscarte.
-thanks, again, for the photo editing, mehdi.
