Swapping Places

It felt like our parents only ever saw her and her achievements. She would always receive praise while I would be blamed for not being good enough. That was why when it happened, I was so confused and didn’t quite know how to take it. It was a normal evening after we had both returned home from school. Just as scheduled, our art instructor was there to give us supplementary water painting classes.

“Wow! This is coming along very nicely. The way the color blends here makes these flowers look so serene,” our teacher complimented.

“Thank you…very much…” I replied softly.

It was extremely rare for me to be complimented and so her comment took me by surprise. I glanced over at Diana who also had just finished her painting for the day and found her smiling quite proudly at me. It was even rarer for me to be complimented when my sister was also there.

“You’re such a fast learner, Diana. I truly believe you have a gift,” the teacher said to me before showing me a bright smile.