The Sibling Rivalry

Lux Connell was just getting ready to go on holiday. Like every year he invited Ma and Pa and this time his little sister Lianna agreed to join in. She was now a grown-up woman and could get over their sibling fights. Lux never cared much for the fights once they were over and now that his sister was speaking to him again, he hoped to reunite with the sibling banter and talk about her time at university. Still, Lux hoped that his university stories would be funnier than Lianna’s. He was glad she was on the right track to finish her degree in Occupational Therapy and could just see her open her practice in a couple of years. He hoped he could be there for her when it happened and this holiday was the first step in reigniting that sibling relationship.

Lianna Connell took the time from studying to spend some time with her parents. Of course, her big brother was going to be there as well – he organised the whole escapade. When they arrived at the holiday home in the leafy city of Astana, she jumped out of the car and run inside hoping to find some quiet space to get away from family small talk. As she entered the hall, she saw a beautiful wooden piano. She hasn’t played in a long time but she hoped she could still remember a few tricks. It wouldn’t do any good if her horrible piano play would attract the attention of her brother, the great Doctor of Philosophy, Lux Connell, and he would start a conversation. But all was good when she sat down and her fingers run across the piano keys as if they had never left. There were a couple of old pop songs she still remembered the tune off. Her hand muscles were dancing on the piano playing these tunes and Lianna and soon her whole family was silently enjoying them.

The Connell parents were both extremely glad to have their two wonderful children around. They were so proud of them and their academic achievements but all these years of being away from home took a toll on the old couple that was so used to their two little angels running and laughing around the house. In the evening, everyone sat down to play a game of Consequences. When it came down to reading the jumbled up sentences, the two kids made fun of their parents the same as the parents used to make fun of their kinds. It seemed that the tables were turning and the Connell children were very much ahead of their parents, at least as far as beautiful handwriting goes. In many other aspects, the children still had a lot to learn, as in the first morning of the holiday, the parents made the most exquisite breakfast that brought both Lux and Lianna back to their childhood days.

It seemed that the whole Connell family had the best time throughout the holiday. They enjoyed the homeliness of the holiday home playing games and ventured into the Astana city, only taking a break from sightseeing to treat themselves to ice cream and hot chocolate in the Western-style coffee lounges. All seemed like a dream. Until Lianna and Lex had a heart-to-heart the morning of their departure.

The evening before the family celebrated with a barbeque outside. The atmosphere was familiar yet somewhat strange. The only light in sight was a candle that cast a dim, yellow light on the saddened features of the conservatory that the family was sitting in. Outside, the barbeque that has just cooked their food was soaking wet. The shower was sudden and yet endless.

In the morning, Lianna walked through the back garden where the wet grass tangled into her shoes. She stopped by a backyard pathway leading into an enclosed part of the holiday home estate overgrown with weeds and vines. A tree branch grabbed at her long blond hair and a spider web stretched across the branches go caught in her eyes and mouth, its stickiness obstructing her view of an incoming figure.

“About last night…” the ever-wise voice of her brother took the words out of her mouth. She didn’t mean to say what she said, but it was done now. It was stupid, yet she was glad it was finally out. She just hoped her family can recover from this.

Lianna wished the rain would start pouring again, at least it would cover her tears. Storms were very calming to her, they made her feel like her struggle and pain were matched by mother nature. If Lex could only understand.

Her brother just stood there, not saying a word. He seemed to be looking at the birds who started pecking into the weeds. They are probably looking for worms. The two siblings’ gazes locked; they knew the other one was thinking the same. They spent their whole childhood observing birds eat worms, climbing on trees and getting all dirty in the mud. These were the things they could do anywhere, as long as the sister and the brother were together, they had fun.

Until Lianna started being “a moody teenager” and locked herself away from Lex. If only she hadn’t been so suspicious about her parents love for her brother, if only she hadn’t investigated it all, if only she hadn’t been right.

But yesterday, the party was over. She told them she knew.

Lianna Connell was no Connell at all, she was a daughter of a drunkard soldier and a refugee, or maybe a kidnapped child, nobody knew. But Lianna now knew, that her whole happy family was a lie and she knew that Lex knew as well. That’s why she shouted at him the most the night before.

“You have always been my little sister and you always will be.”

Repetition is sometimes the worst enemy of the truth. Lianna wanted to trust Lex so much – but she couldn’t. He could say whatever he wanted, he could be silent for however long he wanted, it wouldn’t change the past.

Lianna headed back inside, Lex following her every step. He was just trying to be a good big brother. But he should have told her. Why didn’t he tell her he went to visit her real father in prison?

As Lianna put all the dishes from last night into the dishwasher she wished she had enough strength to just run away from these liars. But instead, she pressed play on the radio to dive deep into her favourite music and started sweeping.

“You always liked classical, eh?” said Lex from the door frame. He was the man of his words, so it irritated Lianna when he decided to talk about the music rather than how big of a liar he was.

With the groom in her hand, she sprinted to her big brother and with a smile on her face and sarcasm in her voice said: “You always told me the truth, eh?”

“Li, I am sorry but I just didn’t know how to tell you. When our parents…”

“Your parents!”

“…told me what a horrible person that scumbag was…”

“My father!”

“…and what he did to your mother. I just couldn’t!” the words came out of Lex as heavy as the stones being carried to the top of the pyramid. He never wanted things to be like this. He just wanted his little sister to be happy and have a good life. The truth is overrated sometimes, Lex just wished Lianna would understand.

Lianna could see the tears in Lex’s face but her face didn’t return the favour. She continued sweeping, her mouth tightly shut.

“Okay, if you don’t let me talk to you, let me help you!” Lex wasn’t sure if him cleaning the fridge and packing all the stuff from the kitchen ready for the family departure was going to help things, but he felt like he should do something.

Lianna let him do whatever. She continued listening to her music, as both of them danced around the kitchen, grabbing stuff and moving everything around. They like being busy and it wasn’t the first time that they were doing chores silently. The feeling was eerily similar, despite the mood and the events of the previous night.

When all was finished, Lex made both of them their favourite beverage – hot white chocolate with banana on top. They always had it at the end of a family holiday because ever since they were little their parents used it as a distraction from the impending end of the holiday.

And like any holiday before, the sibling duo didn’t want this one to end either. There were so many unresolved arguments, so much unspilled sweat and unused screams. There were also unwashed tears and calming embraces that were destined never to be felt. But most importantly, both Lianna and Lex thought to themselves, there were unused practical jokes and board games never to be won by either of them.

And right before they got up to clean the chocolate mugs, there was a hint of a cheeks rising on both of their faces.