Part 1 of 3: The Prodigal Sister
My little apartment.
I was finally able to afford a cozy little apartment in downtown San Francisco. But that was a few years ago. Since then, the city has been booming and tech workers flooded the city. Generally, that's a great thing, but for a lot of people (including me), rent was skyrocketing.
That's when I was forced to do something I dreaded: I had to find a roommate.
No more privacy. No more quiet place. No more bachelor pad. I needed a roommate or else I wouldn't be able to afford my little apartment anymore. And I needed a roommate fast.
Screw you landlord! You greedy bastard!
I used social media. I had a decent amount of facebook friends. Luckily, most of the people I knew were in the San Francisco bay area. I was hoping that someone wanted to move to the city and was willing to pay me several hundred dollars for my extra bedroom.
There were a few inquires. Some people were interested, but nothing ever came of it.
I was starting to get worried until I got an email from Ellary.
At that point, I hadn't seen my older sister in several months. Since she graduated from college, she had moved all over the place to pursue her dreams in the fashion & modeling industry. She had lived in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. At one point, she had even traveled to Europe for work.
But apparently, she was interested in moving back to San Francisco to stay close with our family.
I looked at the new pictures on her google profile. She had recently turned 30. It's hard to admit, but she became even sexier than before.
She had always been a party girl. But suddenly she seemed more womanly, more mature. Yet, she still had a playfulness about her. All of her facial features were perky and youthful. All of her google photos were of her smiling to the camera with her pouty lips and slightly upturned nose. Growing up together, I used to tease her because she looked like a duck. Now, only an idiot would tease her appearance.
I stared at the computer screen, thinking of how to reply to her inquiry. Based on her email, she sounded serious about moving in with me. I'm sure it was an easy decision for her. The rental market for living in SF had become insane.
The downside would be that
I
would have to live with her. We've always gotten along, but there was always a sibling rivalry between us. The friendly kind. But who knows? Maybe she's matured. I know I have.
My fingers waited on the keyboard and I was ready to reply to my sister's email. But it was my sister.
My sister!
It didn't feel right to just email her about something so important. With our family, we always had to talk. Our parents were against the use of email when communicating with family. They preferred to do things traditionally. Maybe they have a point.
I needed to call her.
That way, there would be no misunderstandings, and no hurt feelings if we couldn't come to terms. The last thing I want was a family feud. Doing things over the phone seemed to be the better option.
I picked up my phone and called her. After several rings, she answered:
We made small talk at first. Then I realized that I hadn't called my sister in years, and vice versa. We only spoke at family gatherings, or communicated online through email and facebook. How awkward.
"I got your email," I eventually said.
"And? What do you think? Is the offer still open?"
"It is. I was thinking about posting an ad online."
"Well, you're in luck," she replied. "I had been thinking about moving back to San Francisco for the past few months. Then I saw your note on facebook and it helped me make my decision."
"So this is all my fault?" I joked.
"Definitely. And I expect a fair deal."
"Don't worry, I'll give you a fair deal."
"Good, because a fair deal is all I can afford right now."
The issue of money suddenly came to mind.
"Do you already have a job ready in San Francisco?" I asked cautiously.
"Something like that," she replied in a coy tone.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I still earn money."
My sister's vagueness was driving me crazy. I wanted to sigh out loud, but I didn't want to be rude.
"Renting an apartment here is tough," I said calmly. "So I'll need a few hundred dollars from you each month."
"That can be done."
"At least $400. Preferably $500. That's the best deal I can give you."
"Sure, no problem."
"Do you have a job?" I asked cautiously again.
"Something like that."
"Don't take this the wrong way, but if you don't have enough money, I'll have to kick you out. I can't afford this apartment with my salary anymore."
"Still don't believe me, huh?" she asked playfully.
"Rent is serious business."
Ellary paused for a moment on the phone. "How about this? I'll transfer $5,000 to your account as a good faith gesture. That'll cover my end of the rent for the next several months. Then for each month after that, I'll pay $500 monthly, and some extra for food and other stuff. Sound good?"
Suddenly, I felt like an asshole.
"Jeez, I wasn't expecting that."
"I've got some income and savings."
"Oh, I just assumed that you'd need a new job since you're moving here."
"I'm kind of like a freelance model now," she replied. "So I can take my work anywhere. My income should be steady until I find something better to do."
"Great. I'm glad. This feels so sudden."
"If you think it's sudden, then wait until next month."
"What happens then?" I asked.
"What do you think? I'll be moving back to San Francisco and we'll be best buddies."
"Sounds good."
"Then it's settled," she replied. "Email me your bank information and I'll send you $5,000 tomorrow. I'll book a flight next month and you can pick me up at the airport."
Suddenly it hit me. My sister Ellary was going to be my new roommate for the foreseeable future. And I had already agreed to it.
Damn you, greedy landlord!
In typical Ellary fashion, she said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone before I had a chance to clarify things.
And that was it. Freedom would soon be over. So long being lazy in front of the tv, or doing whatever I wanted, or leaving my stuff everywhere. Ellary was coming. And she was going to be my new roommate for the next few years.
Part 2 of 3: My Roommate, My Sister
I woke up to the sound of things moving in the other room. Actually, it wasn't just 'another room' anymore, it had become Ellary's room. Whatever she was doing, it was annoying. It sounded like she was pushing her desk around or something.
Landlord, this is all your fault.
Sleep was no longer an option, so I got up and started my day early.
It was our first morning together as roommates. By the time I washed up in the bathroom, Ellary was already in the kitchen.
She wore a large white tshirt with tiny shorts. Her athletic legs and bare feet were showing. Her face was make-up free. And her long hair was tied in a simple ponytail. There was no denying it- she looked good. Amazingly good.
A pot of coffee was boiling and she was stirring something on the stove which smelled like a decent breakfast. Plates were already arranged along with freshly sliced fruits.
"Hey," she said with a bright smile.
"Morning. What are you doing?"
She continued stirring. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making us breakfast."
"You know how to cook?"
"This breakfast isn't making itself. Yeah I know how to cook."
"Sorry. You never seemed like a cooking person. No offense."
"None taken," she said, putting the food on the plates. "Sit down."
When I sat down, my sister made sure the plates were prepared. Then she poured me a cup of hot coffee, along with another cup of water. As always, I started with the water. She sat down and we began to eat.
Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
"Pretty good," I said after the first bite.
"Thanks. Years of practice."
"I can tell."
She stuffed her mouth full of food before preparing to talk. "By the way, I ordered some stuff online. It should arrive next week. Be on the look out."
"What did you order?"
"Computer stuff."
"First you're cooking. Now you're a computer nerd? What's this world coming to?"
She smiled, "It's for my job."
"Are you ever going to tell me what this mythical job is?"
"I've told you. It's modeling related. That's all you need to know."
"Okay. Just don't hurt your brain using the computer."
Ellary sharpened her eyes. "If I remember correctly, I've always had better grades than you. Plus, aren't you the one who accidentally blew up dad's mustang because you didn't know how to drive stick?"
"That was back in high school," I replied, nearly blushing from the embarrassment.
"Anyway, if you get the package when I'm not around, just leave it in my room."
"Will do."
***
It was a week later that I learned what her package was. It was a high quality webcam for her computer. She also got new speakers and other stuff which I was clueless about. Apparently, my sister had become tech savvy. But I naturally assumed that she needed it to communicate with people in the fashion industry since she was home all the time. Or maybe she was using it to talk with her friends also.
The roommate thing went a lot smoother than I expected. I didn't annoy her. And she didn't annoy me. We got along like friends. Our parents thought it was great that we were living together as adults. Aren't tight-knit siblings every parents dream?
Ellary always seemed happy. It wasn't like when we were young and she would occasionally have mood swings or hissy fits. I assumed it was because she was more mature. Maybe traveling around the world had helped her become more level headed.
Whatever the reason, I was treated to my sister's cooking everyday. The dinners she made were really good. Every night was something new. It was certainly a lot better than the stuff I was eating before. Plus I saved a lot of money with my sister cooking. I didn't have to buy as much takeout food.