When Chris and her younger brother were children they played a couple of made up games, 'Rough Aunty' and 'Mermaids'. Both games involved role play and violence, but because they were games, their parents were powerless to stop them. In later years the siblings fell out, and now only go through the motions for their parents' sake.
'Rough Aunty' went like this; the stairs were a bus, and at first I was the conductor. My brother would get on, and I'd give him the ticket. I would run down to the bottom of the stairs, which became the bus stop. I was then 'Rough Aunty', and he was coming to visit me. I would drag him roughly off 'the bus' shake him and throw him into 'my house'(the living room). Once inside, he would receive more beatings.
'Mermaids' was me being a mermaid on my island (the sofa). I was dressed up in scarves etc, as little girls will. We had cushions down as 'stepping stones', but before I got to them I would step on my brother, who had prostrated himself on the floor as the door mat. I would usually jump up and down quite a bit on the 'doormat'.
Lots of older sisters go through this phase. The games were a way of legitimating giving my brother a beating! He thought it was great fun too. Normally, if we were fighting our parents would appear and give us a clip round the ear, but when we were playing the games we would say,'But it's only a game!'
I invented the games. I must have been really horrible. I think there must be a sadist lurking in me somewhere! When my brother was born I doted on him! Maybe I was letting out all my angst. Maybe I could see what was going to happen later...
We are like chalk and cheese. We were very close as teenagers and 20 somethings, but about 10 years ago, when I got divorced, we stopped talking. It is heartbreaking for my parents, and we are civil now to each other, for their sakes. But you can't choose your family. I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I would hate it if my children fell out like this..."
