Here are my two special buddies from my childhood, Guonong and Fengfeng. In case you could not figure out their genders from spelling their names, they were my non-biological brothers who, tender-natured little human beings, had inevitably suffered my innocent bossy temper for so long. We literally grew up together, attending the same childcare since we were three years old and studying in the same classroom from the first day of elementary school all the way to high school graduation. We disliked each other on some occasions and fretted over trivial things some other times, mostly in our very early years together. In the end, we have established our friendship through our lives on a solid foundation, in the beginning for the benefit of our parents but later ourselves.
We were enrolled into our childcare in the same year when we reached the eligible age of enrollment at three, me the oldest, Guonong the youngest and Fengfeng (now a tall, handsome mature man, like his father in old time)two months apart from both us. For six days and six nights in each week, we ate at the same small table, slept in the same big room and sometimes were thrown into the same bathtub to fight over floating toys while being bathed by a caretaker. As a middle child among my siblings and a tomboy, I bossed over the two unfortunate, little boys who both were the youngest in their families. I commanded them and they would not be bothered to argue. In return, I did have the moment obeying what they asked me to do, without nagging, for most of the time if not always. According to our mothers, who had worked in the same office building for quite a while by then and ended up being colleagues for more than thirty years, I was the offender and warrior, for which I have only a little glimpses of memory, while they were tolerable, which I think I would be resented if I disagree. My mom often lectured me to be friendly with them while their moms kindly pointed out that we all should be taking care of one another.
I became less aggressive toward them after we left the childcare, which mainly was because our separate social lives veered our own interests. Therefore, I, unfortunately and helplessly, lost many opportunities to continue testing their endurance with me and forcefully educated myself to acquaint with the role of relating them as a sister other than a little dictator. To brighten up my own image and expose the evil side of their characters, this is their revenge story. After I started wearing glasses at a tender, young age, they judged my new glasses each time I got a new pair and gave unkind comments without any consideration toward my extremely self-conscious feelings of my not-so-good-looking four-eyed image. “It looks ugly on you. Get a nice set next time!” They would say, harshly. They never liked any pair of glasses I owned, including those which they would love dearly as soon as they were taken off of my nose and landed on someone else’s face. “It just looks ugly on you and you look so ugly wearing it,” they mercilessly countered at my protest. Their picking on my glasses and destroying my self-esteem made me believe they must have hated me and were taking the advantage of the growing-up years to pay me back with those unbearable sufferings.
As years slipped away, we became mature enough to, with the solid invisible bond among us, directly criticize one another without feeling hurt, which is definitely a special gift for longtime friends like us.
Our mothers worked in the same building of the same factory for more than thirty years, my mom in planning office, Guoneng’s mom in accounting and Fengfeng’s mom in support services. In no-school days, we would be brought to work and sent to outside to play along with other kids, That stopped when we were old enough to be cared by older siblings and not to want to play together anymore. These days, my parents’ home is still ten-minute away by walk from Guonong’s. Our moms meet and chat in stores and on streets. Fengfeng’s mom and mine are the two friends who have kept in touch by phone after their retirement, saying hello once or twice a month. As funny as it sounds, we get the most updated information of others through our moms rather than by our own direct contact.
Guonong’s brother is much older than we are, who always looked superior to us and acted importantly in those old days. Even after I had been in college, he still criticized my skill of apple peeling. “No, no, no. You are peeling off too much of its meat.” he would say, shaking his head and frowning in disapproval. “You will still need to practice.” Guonong’s sister was quiet like their mother, greeting us with a few words and then leaving us alone.
Fengfeng’s sister is two years older than my sister, very talented in drawing. She went to the same childcare and decided to include my sister in her senior group while their younger siblings belonged to the same junior group. She drew a lot, generously giving her work to her admirers in her group, but selectively distributing the leftover to those she considered belonging to the baby group. After she left for school, I became her delivery girl. The drawings brought to me directly from her or through Fengfeng were carefully labeled with names of the receivers, with one for me to appreciate my role.
