Call me by my middle name / Che Nooryohana Zulkifli

“So, are you going or not? It’s really up to you if you don’t want to go. Just make sure your sister gets ready quickly!” With her lipstick applied, Mom grabbed her bag and headed downstairs. I hurried to my room, urging my sister to get ready for school before Mom erupted in frustration once more. Sitting by the bed, I wondered why skipping school seemed acceptable for me but not for my sister. When the final exam results came out, I could hear the excitement bubbling in my mom’s voice as she chatted with Dad about my sister’s stellar performance. Standing by my door upstairs, I tried to catch the bits of their conversation but didn’t hear my name mentioned. Well, that should be fine. Clearly, there wasn’t anything noteworthy to say about me anyway. Well, next! It was during breakfast when my mom asked if my younger brother wanted to tag along to the shopping mall. I couldn’t help feeling excited because I wanted to browse for some of my favourite stationery items. The thought of that funky pencil with a furry bear on top lingered in my mind. Quickly finishing my sandwich, I dashed upstairs to get ready. Dressing up didn’t take much time, and as I made my way downstairs, I could already hear the car engine revving. Just as I was about to slip on my casual slippers, my mom stopped me. “I don’t think you need to come. You’ll only slow us down. Your brother alone is already too much of a handful”.