Blood and Kidney

I'll try this prompt, Pop UP WeWrite Contest by @owasco

THE PROMPT

To Elder, Sister always seemed to have dirt on her face. Others thought Sister was peachy keen, top of the heap, something to admire, to cherish, to laugh with, and to love. But Elder knew Sister was dirty dirty dirty, in the way only an older sister could know such things. A sister who had been stabbed in the back, time and again, from the moment Sister was born.

Of course, Elder wasn’t without her own unsavory identities. She was pretty sure that SHE was the peachy keen one of the two. So she devoted her life, from the moment Sister was born to showing up Sister. This was easy in the intellectual department because Sister’s aim was only moderately good when she shot from the heart. Elder’s aim was unerring when she shot from the head.

“What's that got to do with the price of eggs?” Elder asked, that time Sister was having a hissy fit about the ice skate.

“We’re not talking about the price of eggs!!” Sister stamped her foot, turned purple, and cried.

Elder had perfected her smirk by this time, and smirk she did.

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THE CONTINUATION

“Come on, sis. Getting pissed off at some silly blabbering? Weak!” Elder marched her way out, leaving Sister whining.

The rest of their days were used up and wasted on their endless and nonsense competition over who was better than the other. But then one day, everything changed just because of a piece of devastating news.

It was their dad’s birthday, but he had to spend the day at work. So, the sisters decided to surprise him in their own way.

‘I’m the elder daughter, I must outshine Sister,’ Elder told herself while working on the decoration and the balloons.

‘I’ve already stolen the spotlight from Elder since I was born. I just need to be consistent,’ Sister mumbled in the kitchen, preparing the food for the celebration.

Their mother commended the siblings for working together because it turned out great.

“You guys should always help each other. You both look superb lending each other a hand in times like this,” their mother said, which made them simper at each other.

And so, they waited for their father to come. But it was already an hour past six; their father usually arrived thirty minutes after six.

“Maybe there’s a traffic jam along the way,” their mother said, warming the foods set on the table.

Another hour passed, still, no father had arrived. And another hour… still nothing. Until someone rang the doorbell. The sisters looked at each other’s eyes and rushed towards the door, pushing each other to grab the knob. They didn’t even notice when their mother stood behind and threw them both out of the way.

“Why are you always competing?! This is a house NOT an arena!” she yelled, then twisted the knob to open the door and was shocked to see two uniformed men standing by the doorway.

“Is this the house of Father?” one man asked.

“Y-yes. But I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Mother asked. Her hands were icy. Her heart was raising.

“Your husband was rushed to the hospital by a stranger who saw his car wreck along the way.”

Mother’s face turned white as if the vibrance of life escaped her veins.

---

At the hospital, the doctor announced that Father was severely injured. He lost a lot of blood and needed to undergo a kidney transplant because his right kidney was badly hit by some broken shards.

“I’ll donate blood and one kidney to father,” Elder said, determined to be the sole life savior. ‘Now’s my time to shine, again,’ she told herself.

“But miss, it could be dangerous to do both,” the doctor said.

Sister simpered and said Elder was a ‘show boat’. She proudly walked towards the doctor, trampling Elder’s ego. “I’ll do it, Doc. I’m younger and healthier. For sure, I can survive both.”

“No, you can’t,” the doctor insisted. “Doing both at the same might put yourselves in danger. Look, how about one of you should donate the kidney, then the other one donates the blood?”

Elder and Sister fell silent, then spoke at the same time. “What’s more important?” they chorused.

“Blood?” asked Sister.

“Or kidney?” asked Elder.

“Both. Okay? We need both to live!” Finally, Mother butted in, annoyed by the competition. “Your father needs you both. And whatever will you be donating will save his life. You are siblings. You’re supposed to be helping each other, not competing against one another.”

For the second time, the sisters fell silent. They were absorbing every word Mother said and believed she was right. After all, 'mothers know best.'

“I’ll donate the blood,” Sister said.

“I’ll give a kidney,” Elder said.

“Great!” The doctor smiled and asked for the operating room to be ready.

Mother hugged both her daughters. “I’m so proud of you both. Remember, helping a family member is not a competition; it’s a responsibility. And sibling rivalry doesn’t exist in the eyes of the parents who favor and love all children fairly.”