Katie is bored, bored, bored. She has four older brothers; John, Jimmy,
Dave, and Bob. They are a bunch of big
dummies that never let her play with them.
“It’s a boy thing. It’s not for you.
You can’t play, you’re a girl.” It is all she ever hears from them. Her mom is no help either. “Katherine Maria O’Dell!
Ladies do not lick the wallpaper.” “Katherine Maria O’Dell! A lady never leaves
the house without looking her best.” Katherine Maria O’Dell! Ladies do not spit
their food out under the table for the dogs to eat!” All Katie ever wanted was
a little sister. A little sister would
want to play games with her. All the
cool games the boys won’t let her play with them, like Capture the Flag and
Shoot ‘Em Up, or Ninjas at night. A little sister would listen to her stories.
A little sister would share secrets and go on adventures. A little sister would want to share clothes
and dress alike. A little sister would be
amazing. Mama says one daughter is blessing enough. Katie disagrees.
Every night as soon as Mama leaves from tucking Katie into
bed at night, Katie quickly sneaks to the window, looks out, and makes a wish on
the Wishing Star. “Star light, Star bright, I wish I may, I wish I might, grant
my wish on you tonight. Please, please, please send me a little sister tonight.”
And then Katie scampers back to her bed. Katie makes the same wish every single
night and every morning she’s disappointed; no new little sister to play with.
After a particular challenging day for Katie, one in which Katie
learned that ladies do not give their dogs beauty shop haircuts or draw life-sized
portraits of her family on the freshly painted living room walls, Katie has
been sent to her room immediately following dinner to “think about how to
behave like a proper young lady” without a bedtime tuck in. Katie kneels at her window to make her wish.
“Star light, Star bright, I wish I may, I wish I might,
grant my wish on you tonight. Please, please, please send me a little sister
tonight.”
As Katie starts to turn away from the window she hears a
whisper “I’m here.” Katie knew she was not alone. She has finally got her wish.
Katie whirls around to see a blond-haired blue-eyed girl who looks just like Katie.
“Hi, Jinks! You’re finally here! We are going to have so much fun together!”
and Katie throws her arms around her brand new identical “little sister”.