For years, I was embarrassed by my older sister, Lena.
She had dropped out of school young, worked cleaning offices, and always seemed to be struggling financially.
I was the opposite.
I got good grades, dreamed about university, and secretly thought I was the successful one in the family.
When I finally received my acceptance letter, Lena called me immediately.
She sounded so proud.
Instead of thanking her, I was cruel.
I told her she didn’t understand my life and said she should stick to cleaning because that was all she was good at.
There was a long silence.
Then she quietly said, “I’m still proud of you.”
Three months later, she died unexpectedly.
At the funeral, guilt was eating me alive.
After everyone left, my aunt asked me to stay behind.
She handed me an envelope filled with bank receipts.
For years, Lena had been secretly sending money to help cover my school supplies, exam fees, and university applications.
She had even taken extra night shifts so I wouldn’t have to quit studying and get a job.
I stared at the receipts and couldn’t breathe.
My aunt said, “She never wanted you to know. She just wanted you to have a chance she never had.”
The last words my sister ever said to me were that she was proud of me.
I wish my last words to her had been something she deserved.
