'Twas a beautiful, sunny summer day and five young girls of varying ages were basking out in bathing suits about a large wading pool. Four of them were sisters, and the fifth was the youngest sister's friend. The friend and sister were aged nigh five and eight respectively.
They chatted rapidly about all those silly, childish subjects little girls will harp on. Their conversation turned to a discussion of people they dislike and/or care nothing for. The sister's friend said she cared nothing for older teenager girls and the sister agreed heartily. The sister's friend asked whether that meant if she cared nothing for her own older teenage sister.
The reply was shocking. The youngest sister replied that no, she cared nothing for her oldest sister. She cared nothing for anyone in her family besides her sister only a year older than her, her mother, and her father. The rest of us she didn't care about at all.
There had been no fights, no disagreements, no particular reasons for this comment. It was not said haughtily or smugly or spitingly. It was announced jovialy, seriously, and truthfully. She looked her oldest sister straight in the face as she proclaimed it.
The oldest sister was stunned. Utterly crushed. This sister had always tried her hardest to be a good older sister. She tried to never complain or groan when her other sisters bothered her for favors at inconvenient times (although she still sometimes slipped up), she tried to always help them and to sometimes do nice things for them. She would fix their lunches sometimes, when she didn't want to and when she knew they could do it themselves. She had let them off easy for rule breakings, and had neglected to tell their parents about a few slip ups on their part here and there.
But really, she knew that it was never much, and never enough. She was rather a selfish girl. Although perhaps a lot more of that was founded on the childish system which was unhappy with authority figures whom enforced rules and authority when they were not that much higher on the steps of power than themself. It was then not the oldest sister's fault, it was only a poor recompense for the care she held for her youngest sister. A spit in her face where it was not merited or deserved.
In any case, the oldest sister was now greatly agitated. She quickly exited the pool, moved away from her other sisters and cried.
I cried.
Today's anonymous, ambiguous statement: Did you think I really had any faith left in the promises anyone makes anymore?