‘Flying-Tsinelas’

By Jeshiene S. Padilla

Jesh is a civil engineering student at Liceo de Cagayan University, Cagayan de Oro City.

These past few years of my 19 in this world, I’ve learned so many things that I had taken for granted. I had ignored people instead of taking good care of them; I only assumed that they already know how much I valued them. But sometimes it's not enough to keep things unsaid. 

Ever since I was little, I know I've been giving so many headaches to my family. I’ve said words to them that I thought were right, and have done things that have only made things worse. I was like that, never thinking what would happen even if it wasn’t right anymore. Sometimes they didn’t understand me. In spite of that, there's someone I know who is always there for me, who accepts my being different. 

She may seem weak when you first see her but she is very strong, especially when it comes to her family. She will do almost anything for the sake of her family. I am blessed because I have been with this someone for years, and spending time together has been really worth every minute. Now that we have been separated for some months, I really can’t imagine spending my day without thinking of her, even worried at times for I’m too far away from her. All I can do is reminisce about the times when we were together.

I can still remember our childhood years, the times when I had to get into a fight just to protect her. She never wanted to fight anyone. She would choose to ignore all the things they’d said or done even if it caused her pain. But I couldn’t stand it! That was why I was the one who always got into a fight even if she was the one involved and not me. But on the other hand, I’m happy because in my own way I protected her. 

I miss her. I miss spending my day with her. I miss the arguments that would end with us hurting each other. I miss the slaps, the broken door every time we fought, and most of all I miss the ‘flying-tsinelas’ (editor’s note: ‘tsinilas’ is a rubber slipper or sandal] making its way towards me. In our own language ‘iiyak ang araw kung hindi kami nag-away,’ (the sun would cry if we didn’t fight.) We were like cats and dogs that always fight, yet loving each other in our own way.

I love this someone not because she’s the one who is always there for me, not because she always fixes the things I’ve wrongly done, but because she is my SISTER, my TWIN. And I will love every ‘flying-tsinelas’ coming towards me because I just love being with her and I will never exchange the times that I’m with her to what the world can give. I remember one time when we had a big fight the week before her OJT (on-the-job training), I was planning not to talk to her for a week. But the day after our fight she gave me some cakes from Goldilocks [editor’s note: a popular chain of cake shops in the Philippines) and she said, ‘Peace offering ko sa’yo, ang mahal mo kung magtampo ah’ (‘My peace offering. You’re too expensive when you’re sulking’). I’m not sure how I reacted that day. I was just too happy for what she had done to fix things between us. I really miss her now. And I will wait till her OJT abroad will finish. 

Six months is not too long, and I hope God will always be there for her, guide and protect her. Although we are different in our ways, one thing we have in common is that we love each other and we will do everything just to make our family happy. 

To my twin sister, I may not have the courage to say this to you personally, but I have always loved and cared for you the best that I could since the day our mother brought us into this world. That was 19 years ago, and still nothing has changed.

I thank God for giving me a twin sister who is always there to guide me. I think He used her to be the instrument to help me become what He wants me to be. I’m just glad it is her.