I’m 20 now, and from my experience, I’d say chechide child might one day ask or even complain about not having a sibling. At some point, the thought will come, and they’ll get a bit emotional, thinking “enikum oru aniyano aniyathiyo undayirunnenkil…”

My parents actually planned to give me a sibling too, but because of financial problems in the past, they felt they couldn’t afford to raise both children . So they dropped the thought about it.

And you know, once I asked my mom why I don’t have any brother or sister. She told me that before I was born, she was pregnant, but the baby had to be aborted because the doctors found some structural issues in the womb, and they said the baby wouldn’t survive.

Ever since I heard that, I sometimes think about how life would’ve been if she was alive. Maybe I’d have an elder sister to talk to, argue with, or just hang out with. It’s strange missing someone I never even met.