Are You Stress-y?

My lil bro has a knack of losing things. I have lost count on the number of times he has lost his pencil case. He has had more pencil cases in a year than I have had in my whole education life. Earlier this year, I made him carry an uncang to school as a replacement for his pencil case that he's forever losing. 

At the time, my parents were in Mecca, so itulah masa aku nak buli dia. No mercy even though it was the beginning of the school year. Eventually my mom bought him a new one. You would think he learnt his lesson but no, not this dude. I can bet you, the chances of him losing his pencil case and its whole content would drop drastically had he chosen to stick to that uncang. 

He has also lost his wallet and most recently, his phone. (Please don't ask me what he's doing with a phone in the first place, rest assured it wasn't a brand new phone when he got it.)

Earlier today I brought it up, I can't remember what I said. Something along the line of, "If I gave you money you'd have nowhere to put it and if I called you... oh that's right, you have no phone." 

Without missing a beat, the lil dude replies,

"So? At least I have less things to worry about. Unlike you, all stress-y." 

"Stress-y? That's not even a word."

"I don't care, if I can say it, it's a word."

What!? How dare he! Not only does he not have even a slight hint of remorse but when did he become so articulate and put my motormouth to a halt? And he's not even 12! I'm here and I still think I missed out on so much over the years I was away from my little siblings. I can't imagine all the things I'd miss if things had gone differently.

Maybe I'll start using his line. Could learn a thing or two from that lil dude.

To the outside world we all grow old.  But not to brothers and sisters.  We know each other as we always were.  We know each other's hearts.  We share private family jokes.  We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys.  We live outside the touch of time.  --Clara Ortega