And the bird has taken wing

The chirping of the birds, excited and enthusiastic, commencing the day with a chatter every morning as they nibble on the bread crumbs in the balcony, seems distant despite its presence just this morning.

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The home here in Singapore has visitors every morning. Even before I open my eyes, I hear them outside, waiting with an eagerness matched by none. They return daily, with the trust that they will find what they are looking for, as they have done for all these days. She ensures that this trust of the birds remains unbroken, and they come back for those bread crumbs almost as a routine now.

Tomorrow though, will be different, and these birds will be among the first ones to sense the difference. The provider of these bread crumbs has taken wings herself; she has taken off on a flight that will now take her places. The flight which will build her future, and ensure she blossoms into one of those very beautiful birds that she herself provided crumbs to everyday. 

It won't be just those birds though that will feel different; there will be the others who'll realize whats missing. And despite the face of strength I have put on the last few weeks, as an elder brother in front of his sister, the moment I waved bye to her, I started missing her. Amidst the happiness of her moving successfully into a new phase of life, I realized that those small arguments, all the lecturing I've done, and the shouting here and there, will reduce in frequency now. So much so, that I will yearn to live them again. At times, the presence of someone is taken for granted, and somehow, this is ever so prevalent in the relationship between siblings.

The moment I stepped back into the house after dropping her off at the hostel where I have spent a good part of two years myself, the house whined in her absence. It came whispering in my ears that it misses the youngest and probably the liveliest member of the house. All it told me was, that along with the birds, along with the other family members, even it will miss my sister as she heads off into a direction that will take her a long way. The bird which I love more than I can ever tell her, has taken off, and I see her flying somewhere over the rainbow.

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I love you Ria, and I miss you already. Yet, I know the next time I see you, I will feign a show of brash "been-there-done-that". Just know, that deep inside, I miss you more than I can ever tell you.