lj idol - the better half

[hug_machine]

When you are seven and a half or nine and one third years old, your sense of justice is magnified with the exacting precision of an electron microscope.

As is your measurement of the serving size of a particularly delicious homemade dark chocolate birthday cake.

"But Moooom, Cat got a bigger piece than me! I'm older, I should get more!"

So the cake fight (or the pizza fight, or the cookie fight or the shared bedroom fight) goes down, in home after home, sibling after sibling. Endless variations on that ol' the grass is greener theme. The creativity of children when it comes to claiming personal property is nearly unfathomable. In their social wrangling, kids pull out age, height, hair color, eye color, t-shirt color, toy preference. Anything to get an edge, no matter how itty-bitty microscopic it may be.

Because really.

1. The last time we went to Pizza Hut, she got the last slice of pizza. Not only that, but the slice had approximately three more green olives than any other slice.
2. Matty was turning six. That was closer to my age. Ergo, I should get the bigger piece.
3. Green was my favorite color. My sister's was orange. Most of the cake, being of an jungle safari theme, was green. Need I go on?

Anyway you (wait for it...) SLICE it , my older sister had a moral obligation to surrender this tasty bit of cakey real estate --even if the difference was a few millimeters. Even if the difference was so monumentally minor it wouldn't even register to an adult brain, nothing escapes a seven and half year old's sense of personal justice.

---

Nineteen years later, I don't remember who got the bigger piece of the cake, but I remember the fight. It's the bitterness that stays in my memory, not the sugary deliciousness I was after when I was seven years old. I don't remember getting our photos taken, arms round each others' shoulders, all party hats and warm grins. Forever preserved in sleeves of the family album. I don't remember the good bits, but I do remember that it was a green cake, darn it.

Nineteen years later, I sit with my sister on the living room couch. We talk about the big things: the sadness and silliness of war and international disputes. We pretend to watch thanksgiving football as we share a few bottles of our dad's homemade microbrew. We couldn't care less who gets more, yet we insist on sharing each bottle rather than having our own.

Nineteen years later, little Matty (who is now rather tall Matthew, with a handsome beard and broad shoulders) tells his older sisters to kindly shut up because he's got money on this game. And besides, war ought to be settled on the football field.

Nineteen years later, we giggle over our shared bottle because maybe Matty's right, after all. Nineteen years later, we're nineteen years wiser and we couldn't care less who got the bigger half because everything tastes better shared.

Comments

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

The one that drove me nuts was I was a very slow eater, and my brother would demand that I turn over part of whatever I was eating because he would have finished his and I wouldn't have finished mine yet. And my mom usually made me. So I learned to scarf treats. That sucked.

But I think this whole piece really hinges on two words: homemade microbrew. My mom used to make her own beer. Now I am happy!

[blythe025.livejournal.com]

Very well said. I think a lot of siblings could relate to this. Oh, the fights I've had with my brothers and sisters, all over the silliest things.

[lawchicky.livejournal.com]

Aww, this is a very true glimpse of the lives of siblings :)

[plastrickland23.livejournal.com]

"...this tasty bit of cakey real estate..." I love the wording of this! P.

[banyangirl1832.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree with Zia here. This piece was good, don't get me wrong, but what made me smile was the phrase "homemade microbrew."

[bigdoug.livejournal.com]

Did someone say moonshine?

[chocolatrouge.livejournal.com]

I love this story. "Nineteen years later, we're nineteen years wiser and we couldn't care less who got the bigger half because everything tastes better shared." Yes, this is why I always get a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest when I share something...UNLESS it's food. Even now, at 24, I resent having to share a single bite of my cake/ice cream/pizza. I'm an only child, though, so I have a legitimate excuse. ; ) But that's sweet that you and your sister are willing to share now.

[cacophonesque.livejournal.com]

I think that I sometimes still have that fight with my big sisters, who are 18 and 15 years older than me. ;)

But, I would totally share bottles of homemade microbrew with them.

Your stories are always so refreshing, Cat (like homemade microbrew). I love them so.

[sonarvampress.livejournal.com]

I remember the days when cake replaced clothes, and if we both liked the same shirt we just had to have two because catching my little sister in my clothes was enough to cause a fight for a week. Now if I see her in my clothes my reply is usually "I forgot I had that shirt, make sure you wash it so I can wear it in a few days".

[pixie117.livejournal.com]

Neat take on the topic. I remember fighting over the bigger slice, the best piece of cake with the rose on top instead of the writing, etc. So true of kids :)

[oneonthefence.livejournal.com]

Oh, what a great take on the topic. My brother and I are 8 years apart in age, so I never really experienced this (I was more a caretaker than an older sister), but we'll joke around about the fact my mother clearly loves him more, or that I'm more artistic, or other silly things siblings "fight" about that amount to nothing in the end. And we do it as a way of saying, "we never got to fight over fun things as kids, so we'll mock that as adults to show that we love each other." It's fun :)

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Awww. Very fun and sweet. You mean you didn't fight about who got the extra flowers or the corner piece with the most frosting? haha

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

lol. I don't remember fighting with my brother that much. Wonder if we did.

[tamaraland.livejournal.com]

Great take on the topic!

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

The rule in our house when two people shared something was that one person cut and the other had first choice. It doesn't get much fairer than that, and with 4 girls only 6 years apart (from oldest to youngest, not between each), fair was necessary to keep the peace.

[phoenixejc.livejournal.com]

Nice take on the topic!

[rattsu.livejournal.com]

Hehe, my mother had the best solution to all of that. She made one of us (my brother or me) cut out the bit of cake, bowl of icecream or whatever. It got to the point where I actually would get the scales out to get the amounts of icecream just right... It's so important when you're a kid.

[onda-bianca.livejournal.com]

Awww, great ending. I never had any siblings to share with...I didn't get to experience sharing until much later in life. This makes me see what I missed out on...

[shadowwolf13]

LOL And suddenly I'm very happy I was raised as an only child. *laugh* Though I'm still learning how to share and I often make sure Lynn gets the bigger piece of anything. :)

[liret.livejournal.com]

Cake is VERY important.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

my older sister had a moral obligation to surrender this tasty bit of cakey real estate

I do so love your playful phrasing. The ending of this is wonderful and takes the whole piece to a higher level. Nice job!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mysticalelf/]

I think so many of us can relate to this. :)

[beloved-tree.livejournal.com]

I love the way you use words; your personality carries over really well into your writing because of it. :) This was a sweet entry!

[kandigurl.livejournal.com]

Aw, this one is really sweet. :) And now I want some cake. GREEN cake.

[rejeneration.livejournal.com]

Anyway you (wait for it...) SLICE it , my older sister had a moral obligation to surrender this tasty bit of cakey real estate

HAH!

Aww, this is too precious for words! So cute. Thank you for this warm grin I'm sporting!