Natty Misses her Big Sister Mia

Mia and Natty are separated for the first time when Mia goes on school camp. But Natty doesn't like it one bit... 

Strong sisterly bond, right from the start

When I was warm and safe inside Mummy's tummy, Mia's was the voice I heard the most.  

More distant than Mummy's, but always there in the background. Sometimes sing-songing, sometimes loud, a tantrum, often laughing, whining or crying, asking questions, talking to Mummy or Daddy, reading a book, whispering to Huggy her teddy.  I often heard music too, shakers, xylophone, castinets, the same song over and over 'Girl, Put Your Records On', or a tune from TV programmes that I now enjoy too.

My favourite times were when she put her mouth close to my warm tummy house, and whispered straight to me, into my ear.  

She told me she loved me, even before she saw me.  

She would tell me what she was eating for tea, and Mummy would pretend I was clapping her when she ate her vegetables. I was doing exactly that of course. 
Then she would hug me by rubbing Mummy's tummy. Tickly.

When I was born, I was a bit tired and not very well. Mia's voice was the only one I could muster the energy to turn my head for. I needed to open my eyes to see her, my beautiful sister who had loved me from the beginning.

Since then, we have been together every single day.  Not all of everyday, but always a part of it.  Even when I was having my heart fixed, she came to be by my side. 

She helps me. Sometimes she gets me dressed or takes me to wash my hands. She reads me stories, and draws amazing pictures. I annoy her at times, but I don't really mean it.  Then she walks away from me and I cry.  We always cuddle on the sofa afterwards though.

I help her too. I hug her when she is sad. I share my dinner with her. I make her giggle with my silly faces and funny noises. I show her little things she has missed, like a daisy in the grass of a bird in a tree. Mia says she wants me to live with her when we are grown up. That might be fun, but I might have others plans.

Today, Mia isn't here. 

I ate my tea with Mummy and Daddy but she wasn't there to kick under the table. 

I had my bath and she wasn't there to splash me.  She didn't wrap me in a fluffy towel afterwards.

She wasn't around to bounce on the bed in our pyjamas which Mummy hates.

I wondered if she was playing hide and seek, but she wasn't in any of our best hiding places.

I kept asking Mummy where she was. 

Mummy said she was on a little school holiday. But she surely can't go on holiday without the rest of us! I asked Mummy if Mia was on a beach with sand.  Mummy laughed and said no.  So where is Mia? Mummy said she was in a big place like a school with all her friends and teachers. Why? (Handily, they have just taught me these question words, so I was putting them to good use.) Mummy said she was learning lots of things on a school trip and that she would be home soon. I bit like when my class visited a farm, only her class were sleeping away from home.

I cried. I cried really hard, and just to make sure Mummy understood, I said that I was sad, that I was crying and that I was missing Mia. I wanted my sister to kiss me goodnight.  I wanted to know she was in bed nearby me. Mummy put Mia's nightlight on so it seemed as if she was there in bed, and gave me one of her teddies to hold while I slept.  It smelt of her but it wasn't the same. Mummy held me until I fell asleep, tired from crying. It was nice, but tonight, I wanted my sister to kiss me goodnight more than anything else in the world.