12 Things Only An Ate

Will Understand
Nobody gets to bully your siblings. Except maybe you.
by Sandra Pineda
May 27, 2015

1. It will always be your fault. "Bakit kasi hindi mo binantayan kapatid

mo? Nahulog tuloy sa swing." I don't know why older sisters get blamed for
90% of the crap their younger siblings do, but it is practically law. Like that
time your kid sister fell off the stairs and ended up in the hospital? That was
your fault. Also that time your brother failed his Math test? That was on you,
too. "Hindi mo kasi tinulungan mag-aral."
2. You never get the last piece. I don't know what this is called officially, but
I'd like to call it The Last Piece Mentality. It is when you order deep fried
Oreos for dessert to share with your siblings, and then you end up with one
Oreo left. You want to eat it, but you can't because you have to
share. Ates never get the last piece. You instinctively want to give whatever is
left to your siblings.
3. You shop for them. Kind of. You look at a dress and the price tag is
expensive AF, but you realize, "It's okay, this looks like something Maria
would wear."
4. You spoil them to death. "Ate, bili mo ako ng shoes," your siblings would
suggest. It's never a suggestion, it is always a demand. And you like giving in
to that demand.
5. You've probably blamed your siblings for stupid things. When you
were 7, you accidentally broke a really expensive Chinese vase at lola's and
you blamed your then four-year-old brother Carlos because he couldn't speak
yet. You are guilty until this day.
6. You're a really good tutor. You taught your siblings how to write the
alphabet and how to color within the lines.

7. You are overprotective. You think you'd grow up to be one of those cool,
big sisters. You know, the type who'd be super game to help your sister sneak
out of the house after curfew? NO. One day your 17-year-old sister will ask
you if she can get a tattoo because it is cool, and all you can do is stare at her
with a bitch face and reply, "When you are 25 years old, you can come back
to me and we can discuss this tattoo." When that time comes, you know the
answer will be a solid no.
8. You are very, very overprotective. That one time Maria came home
crying because her classmate Jack pulled out her butterfly clips from her hair
was the worst day of your life. Because nobody gets to bully your sister.
Except maybe you.
9. You are proud of the fact that they exist. Oh, your brother is going to
prom? You update your Facebook with real time photos of him getting ready.
"Look at my baby brother! Isn't he so guwapo and perfect and awesome and
he gets his wonderful genes from me."
10. Their victories are always your victories. Your sister playing a starfish
during her first ballet recital was the best day of your life. Also, that time
Carlos went up on stage when he was seven and gave a speech entitled,
"When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A Teacher."
11. Your younger bro's friends will have a crush on you forever. You will
always be Carlos' Hot Older Sister.
12. You are always right. Even when you're wrong, you're still right. Ate ka
eh.