CYK

The news of your imminent arrival brought excitement and flooded my heart with a deep nervous feel at the innocent age of twelve that I was.  I remember our brother, only six at the time, asking me what my problem was.  But trying to explain a significant moment of importance to a child is like trying to defeat you in a debate about anything at all.  I’m going to lose and most likely wind up with a stabbing headache at the end of it all.  The two of us, brother and I, had been sent to stay with one of Ma’s friends while she was well, “working” on bringing you into this world.  I remember the friend not being the cleanest person on Earth and us being attacked by at least five mice the first night we were there, or maybe they were rats or maybe a mixture.  I don’t remember but it was pretty nasty there.  I don’t think either of us got much sleep that night.  Needless to say, we packed our things with breakneck speed when Pops came to pick us up the next day. 

The two of us couldn’t help but smile as he declared us “big brothers”.   Since I was one already, the title itself didn’t mean much but the fact that I was now going to have a small female to protect made my tiny chest puff out just a bit.  We entered the hospital room in the maternity ward and had to resist from leaping on our mother who actually looked quite peaceful.  Anytime that she wasn’t ordering us to take out the garbage or wash the dishes was always a good day.  Finally we were escorted to the area where you get to peer through a window at all of the babies who had recently been liberated from their mothers’ wombs.  We searched and searched until our eager eyes eventually fell upon your name for the very first time: Chastity Yvette Knight.
 

My chest swelled with pride a second time and I couldn’t wait for you to make the trip home.  After a couple days in the hospital, the time had come.  You arrived at our apartment and nestled into Ma & Pops’ bed while we hovered over you.  Ma was glad to finally not be the only girl in the house being run ragged by us ruffians, Pops had his little girl to painfully spoil until he saw fit to stop & we were just glad that you completed our now epic trio.  The nights followed where you for some reason mistook 3 AM for 3 in the afternoon and kept us awake but it was ok because us boys weren’t the ones that had to feed you.  So my face never left my precious pillow during those times.

I remember bragging non-stop at school like you were my own kid.  When pictures of you were finally developed, I snatched one and passed it around the class like every single day was show n’ tell.  When Ma would come to pick us up from school and bring you with her, I would carefully and not without a life threatening warning, let my friends take a peek at you.  I usually got the response, “She’s beautiful, what happened to you?”  Not that it took any excessive brain power but I take all of the credit for coming up with your nickname, Chas.  Yes, I know, truly a great discovery.  But I was that kind of genius brother.

As you grew older, I grew more protective.  No one came near my sister without a background check.  “I don’t care who you are little boy, what’s your social security number?”  I remember the transition from Ma trying to turn you into a child model, yeah you were somewhat of a gorgeous little girl, to the reincarnation of bell bottoms to that My-Size Barbie you got for Christmas one year.  Me & Adrian used to practice wrestling moves on that chick.  Not to mention putting your jacket on her and sitting her on the toilet before we went to bed knowing that Ma always woke up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.  I think her heart actually jumped out of her chest once because of that.  Oh, good times.

Walking you to and from school was fun but became annoying sometimes when you decided to complain.  Being “Daddy’s Little Girl” didn’t help matters much either.  One time all of us were on our way back from a day at the park, Adrian & I were starving but for some reason couldn’t convince Pops to stop and get some food because you know, there’s always “Food in the house, ya’ll won’t die”.  Just as we passed a McDonald’s, you happen to utter the magical words, “Daddy I’m hungry”.  The car came to a screeching halt as we immediately made the sharp turn into the fast food restaurant’s drive-thru.  I had a headache for a couple days from my face connecting with the window but I wasn’t about to complain, we got food.  Ma pointed out that the only reason why Mickey D’s found its’ way into our belly’s was because of you.  Pops casually denied this accusation over and over again.  Youngest and the only girl, a lethal combination.

As the years rolled on, I watched you grow into a young lady with style, charm, beauty and muscle that you got from us always beating on you.  Hey, it worked, you are freakishly strong.  The women of the family made sure that you never became a tomboy but that didn’t stop us from delivering many finishing maneuvers from our favorite WWE superstars on you.  I remember spending time with you at the movies, park, parties, helping you with your homework (doing some of it for you) and trying to keep you out of trouble.  Didn’t always work though.  Parents are smart sometimes, what can I say?

My ultimate goal of murdering any boy who came near you was cut short but I can always dream.  You went from my little sister to my younger sister since someone allowed you to grow to my height.  Mother Nature apparently didn’t like me but that’s another story.  You, sometimes, were my friend while other times I wanted to lock you away somewhere.  You went from a whiny little sister to a wonderful aunt.  Jaden, at the tender age of three, speaks very highly of you.  I know that we didn’t always see eye to eye or even like each other at times but we always understood who we were and what we meant to one another.

I don’t say it too often, well I don’t really say much in general, but I have always felt like you understood me.  Even though you are twelve years younger, you get me, kind of.  Life may be tough at times but knowing how you came up and everyone who helped to raise you, I know that you will do great in the future.  I hope to never have to fulfill my goal of killing some guy.  Quiet people are usually the ones who have no problem taking some dude’s life who messed with their sister.  I’m only joking; maybe only a little.  Later this year, you legally become an adult and I hope that you will take everything that you have learned and use it to your advantage.  I know everyone and their mother’s sister’s uncle’s cat has used this before but no matter how old you may get, you will always be my little sister.  I love you Chas.