Today is your last day here on earth. You only have one whole sheet of paper to write a letter to just one person... This letter below is for my only and younger sister Renee, or Nica as I call here. She would call me Ate Ivy so don't suprise when you saw this name at the end, it's just my nickname... I think if I would write her a letter, maybe in her Recollection day, I would write all of these stuffs and I would add more of the confidencial and private feelings and experiences we had together....

Dear Nica,

First and foremost, I wanted to say that you’re the best sister I ever had, well okay, you’re my only sister but you are the sister that anybody would wish to have one.

Remember last month, when you had a recollection and you wanted me to write a letter for you. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for doing the last minute and making just like a crap. I mean really like a crap. Maybe half of it is true that you’re one of the most annoying, pinakakulit, pinakamalikot, loving, sweet, understanding and mean sister I ever had and I wouldn’t replace you to any sisters in the world. This is really true, I promise. Remember when you always fight, we would say bad things and swear to each other and we would say, “I wish I wasn’t you’re sister. (Sana hindi na lang ikaw ang naging kapatid ko.) I would be very happy living without you.” I just wanted to sorry for saying these things to you. I know you would say these things to me too, but I already forgiven you for that one and for all the evil things we’ve done to each other.

Remember when we lived in Shanghai for the last two years, we were so excited and nervous to go there. We would cry together in our little room because we don’t want to leave our friends and family here in the Philippines. But when we were living there, we wished we would stay there forever because we made a lot of friends already. Maybe we were lonely in our first month in Shanghai but when we met new people and made new friends, we wouldn’t to leave. You would sleepover to your friends’ house, and I would hang out to my friends’ house until late. Then when June comes, we were so sad because once again we were living our friends and classmates in Shanghai and go back to the Philippines. I remember the days when you were crying and praying to persuade mom to extend our staying. I was part happy and part sad about that leaving-Shanghai news because I am going to leave my best friends and Shanghai. But you were the most affected about the news because you don’t want to leave Shanghai. You keep on praying every night wishing that we can extend our stay in Shanghai. I know how you feel because you told a dozen of times about your happy times with your friends and classmates in Shanghai. The wild life of middle school, dating, boys, laughs, friendships, hating girls, being annoyed to cheerleaders, geeks and nerds, grades, separation of the whites and the Asians, crushes, fights, troubles, struggles, basketball, soccer, racism of the teachers in choosing who are going to be in the Junior Honor Society, reading chick flicks books and watching movies, sleepovers, chatting, online dating and online relationships, and all the wild things you experienced in your middle school. I know you also missed being one of the popular girls in grade seven. I know all that because you would tell me every single day in our bedroom and every night about these things. And I know you wouldn’t to leave this life because I remember before when we were in Seton, you are just an ordinary girl, shy, kind, not-so-smart and not popular girl and with friends and even best friends just saying “hi” and “hello” during lunch, recess and when you’re together. I know this life you had in Shanghai is difficult to leave because you are afraid to be the girl like you were in Seton and afraid of eating alone in the cafeteria. You would cry and cry all day even when we were already living in the Philippines. But you were so happy after a week when you made new friends in La Salle. I was there all the time for you, witnessing all your sad moments and happy moments leaving with us. I was there for you when you are surviving the wild life of middle school and high school.

Remember when we were in Shanghai, studying in Concordia, we so annoyed because everybody thinks we were twins. When all the people who knows me and would see somewhere in the school, they would talk to you like I was you and when they saw your face they would say, “Oh, I thought you are Roxanne. Sorry, Its just that you and Roxanne really look one or twins,” or when you said to them, “Sorry I am not Roxanne. I am her sister,” or vice versa. We were so annoyed, even our best friends made a mistake on knowing us. I was mad on those times. I remember when you served on that one Sunday, and one of the parent-teacher saw you serving as a sacristan in the Mass, she went to me at the end of the Mass and told me, “Good job!” I was so confused when she said that and realized she wasn’t talking about me, she was talking to my sister so I just said, “Sorry, I think you are referring to my sister.” And then she would say that phrase again, “Oh sorry, honey. It’s just you and your sister look like twins.” And just remember all those experiences we had, even my P.E and Health teacher would call me Renee, and they would call you Roxanne.

For all this time, I wanted to say this to you but I couldn’t because every time I am ready to say this, we would fight, and I would postpone saying these things. Since today is my last they on earth, I would say that I love you. I love you as a sister, as a friend and as my alter ego or as my twin sister. I love you sis, and I hope you wouldn’t forget all the things that we had living together.

Your Loving Sister,
Ate Ivy

Ms. Mac, sorry if this assignment was late. I didn't know we had a new assignment till last Wednesday when I heard my classmates talking about it and so I think it's due on Saturday, but's not pala. We don't have Interrnet since now, and I am not allowed to go outside to go in a computer shop because I'm still a little sick. - Roxanne Mercado