For My Sibling

By: Adaeze Omekam

The referee exclaimed, “GAOL!” as Devon made another goal for the game. I stood from the stands and screamed my lungs out, once again, proud that by brother scored another one for the team. As the goalie kicked the ball back out I sat down think about how good my brother was.

So lost in my thoughts I didn’t see when Devon scored the winning goal, he was on a role. That’s why I was startled out of my thoughts when everyone supporting Devon’s team started screaming and hugging each other like there was no tomorrow. My head was swarming with confusion until the referee yelled out, “Winner: Lee-son Leopards”. I soon joined them too with the screaming.

As the soccer players cleared the field, my hazel eyes started roaming the field looking for my bro. I turned around, my shoulder length hair whipping around me, when I heard someone calling my name “Ashley! Ashley!” When I saw that it was Devon, his brown skin covered with sweat, hand shielding his brown eyes, I ran over to him.

“Good game,” I said, those being the first words out my mouth.

“Good game is that all you can say!” He replied hysterically. “Ashley we finally made it to the finals in over 30 years and that’s all you can say! Some sister you are.” A silence came after that outburst. After a minute or so, I busted out laughing and started hugging him.

“Good job Dev, you were great” In said in between my laughter.

“I was better than great I was the best.” He stated arrogance clearly in his tone.

After that we started walking to the parking lot, where our parents were waiting for us. As we entered the car my mom asked, “How was the game.” Deen started ginning, then said in a proud, confident tone,

“We won”

They started cheering and congratulating him on a job well done, I watched them with a smile on my face. After all the excitement subsided we started driving home.

The next morning it was time for school. After doing all my necessities I went downstairs to go get some food. Already finding my brother there, I sat down and grabbed some toast from off his plate. “Thanks,” I said munching on the jelly covered toast.

“Whatever, why do you take so long we have to go now” He replied walking the door.

“Hey! Wait up” I shouted out to him. Then ran to catch up to him, thus beginning the day.

As we were walking to school he asked, “How’s your poems going?”

“I created this new poem that I really like,” I answered enthusiastically. Me being the person who loves reading and writing poems. A poet being my dream.

“Oh” Was all he said as we continued walking.

When we reached Lee-son high school we split up, him going to his 11th grade classes and me to my 10th. I immediately went over to the bulletin board to see if they had anything interesting. Scanning through them something caught my attention.” District Poem Competition” I murmured to myself, “Interesting.” The rest of the day went by in a haze with me thinking of the competition.

When I reached home I went to my room exited to tell Dev at what I found out.

After about a couple hours Devon came home from practice. “Hey guess what? There’s a poem competition coming out this Saturday and I can’t wait to see all the other poems and see how well I do.” I said all in one breathe. Him luckily being my brother understood me and answered back,

“What! The game is then too. You can’t go, I need you there you’re my lucky charm.”

For some reason he believed in all that luckiness stuff, because in his very first game he got the winning goal and deemed me his lucky charm. Me being the supportive little sister I am rooted him for all his games. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But I really wanted to go to the competition, who knows the next chance I’ll have. I couldn’t decide, me one step closer to achieving my dreams or being there every step of the way for my brother.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when my brother nudged me back to reality

“Well what are you going to do?” He asked impatiently.

“I don’t know.” I said thoughtfully, heading to my room.

As the week passed by I became more and more stressed about what to do. To me this was a big deal. Was I going to support my brother or leave him hanging? Should I oblige to the duties of a sister? Or to myself? These thoughts raged inside my head for who knows how long.

When the day finally came, I still hadn’t come up with a decision. As I was slowly climbing the steps down the stairs. I slowly came to a realization as I was coming down, but soon I started feeling dizzy and my eyes got bleary. Next thing I knew started falling down the steps and the last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was my brothers horrified, wide brown eyes.

As I woke up, I looked around the unfamiliar white room. When I saw something familiar, I saw my mom in the chair in the bed I was currently laying on. I gently shook her awake. When she saw me her eyes widened with delight and she started hugging me. I hugged her back still having no clue what was going on. Then dad and Devon came in and both of them smiled at me. Devon then spoke, “Your awake, man can you believe that you were asleep for two whole days!” It hit me that I was in a hospital, and then I felt my eyes widen at what he said; I had missed the District Poem Competition and the soccer finals.

Just when I was about to say something my father interrupted me saying, “The doctor said that you passed out from too much stress and that you should take it easy. The good news is you didn’t break anything when falling down the steps.”

Devon spoke up again in an excited tone, “More good news is…”he paused for a second, “that you won the District Poems Competition!” Once again by eyes widened in disbelief.

“How?” Was all I could say. Then my mom spoke p for the first time.

“He decided that he would do it for you, so instead of going t the finals he went to the competition.” I stifled a gasp. I knew how muck soccer meant for him; it was his dream as poems were mine. I looked into his eyes and saw all I needed to.

Sibling love,” was all he said. I smiled back and said,

“And to think I was going to do the same thing for you.”