Short Stories

After Rain Comes A Rainbow

I'm tired and I'm sick, another day of being compared and told that I am nothing and my sibling is more than I'll ever be. To be told I am a failure, to be raised as the wrong choice. I lived under the shadow of a perfect child, and being the youngest didn't mean anything. It only ever meant more of a reason I should look up to them. It was me and my brother, raised by two very hardworking doctors. Grades, appearance, and phenomenal work habits is what is expected for me to have and to be born with. In reality, it doesn't work like that, you have to work for it. But my brother had the luck of just being naturally perfect. Perfect physique, perfect grades, and perfect habits. I think he had taken all my chances of even being close to perfect.

Unhealthy, chubby, average grades, and lack of commitment to work habits. That was me, because at some point I gave up trying to be perfect. Trying to be what my parents had wanted me to be. I just wanted to be alone in my thoughts and recollect everything. I knew I was a mess that was going to be hard to clean up.

I dealt with constant nagging from my parents, I've been yelled at more than I could count, but what makes me feel the worse is when they try to compare me with Jin. I guess you could say, strict asian parents aren't false rumors, I lived with two. I knew he was perfect in every way and I knew there was no way I could be the same. But I couldn't even hate him, he was never mean to me, and quite honestly he's the exact opposite.

He listens to my problems, and listens when I need it. He comforts me, and he tells me the way our parents treat me isn't right. I think it's relieving to hear him say that, but it doesn't fix the fact that they still continue on with comparing me. There was a time where I thought Jin heard my problems way too much and I thought it would be best to keep it to myself.

That didn't help me. It only made me think more on how imperfect I was, I thought about it late at night as I layed in my bed, hearing the sound of rain falling down on my glass window, going from droplets to large amounts of rain. I decided to take a breather, I tippy-toed to the front of my house putting on my shoes and heading outside without my jacket. I let myself feel the rain touch my skin as my pajamas started sticking to my body.

I started walking away from my house, letting my feet take me anywhere. I don't walk far but I take a second to look at the dark sky as raindrops fell onto my face, refreshing I thought. But all of a sudden my thoughts came back crashing onto me and my eyes started leaking. The rain got heavier and I couldn't tell the difference between my tears and the rain. I didn't go far only making the edge of my driveway, I sat on the concrete hugging my knees as my body became soaked. I cried loader letting the noise leave my throat, I just wanted to be good. I wanted to reach my parents' expectations but I couldn't do it, I gave up.

I cried in the rain, but then I didn't feel any raindrops fall on me. I raised my head to see my brother who had his jacket on and my coat and an umbrella in his hands to cover me from the rain. He dropped down to my level and placed my coat around me, and as soon as he did that I was quick to bring him into a hug as I cried into his chest, This came to a surprise to him and he dropped the umbrella but pulled me into a hug.

"Why can't I be like you." I sobbed into his chest

"You're perfect the way you are." He pats my head.
"You're just being modest"
"Am not, Don't change yourself for our parents sake."

"Why can't I be good enough?" My brother held onto me even tighter,"You are good enough, never should you think otherwise. Now let's get inside and get yourself all dried up." He pulled me back on my feet and he grabbed the umbrella with his free hand and we walked back into the house, to which we changed into dry clothes and sat at our kitchen sipping on hot chocolate.