contents - Gallatin School of Individualized Study - New York ...

Rukiye AydinRUKIYE AYDIN Passing Down54Sister Storylike all sisters, my older sister and I fought a lot during our childhood. Yes, Iloved her, but there were times when we both just wanted to hurt each other.I remember one day, we were fighting over whether I should give her myextra piece of candy. I didn’t want to share it with her, and she kept asking for itbecause she’d lost hers. My mom was cleaning the house and heard us screaming,so she came into our room. We both tried to blame each other. My mom stayedquiet until we finally stopped talking. When we stopped, she signaled for to us tosit on her lap. I sat on one side, and my sister on the other. Then she began:“Once, there were two sisters. One of the sisters was really sick. She hada serious sickness and needed a blood transfer to survive. The only blood type thatmatched hers was her younger sister’s. The doctor asked the little girl, ‘Would youwant to give your blood for your sister?’ The girl thought about it for a second andsaid, ‘Okay. Why not, if my sister is going to live?’“So the doctors started transferring the little sister’s blood to the olderone. As the blood transferred, the older sister looked better, while the youngerone’s face was pale. Even though the younger sister’s face was pale and sad, shewas smiling into her sister’s eyes to make her feel happy. Then she asked the doctor,‘Am I going to die right away?’”My mother explained, “She thought she was going to give all of her bloodto her sister and then die.”This story made both my sister and me cry. The little sister thought shewas going to die after that blood transfer. But even if she was to die, she accepteddying if her sister could live.After that day, anytime my sister and I were about to start arguing, weremembered my mom’s story and smiled.Rukiye Aydin of Turkey has been living in New York for three years. She is a student ofCheryl George at CUNY’s Brooklyn College Adult Literacy Program. Thirty-six years old,she is married and has three children. Rukiye Aydin says that she loves her country, andshe also loves to live here in New York.