Five years have passed since that miraculous event. Sonalila have grown taller and much more intelligent. In fact, she displayed abilities bordering monstrosity. No one knows when she learned speech, but even her parents were shocked when she expressed her opinion at the age of 1 during a monsoon, saying something about how it would last for half a month. 

And it did. 

Fortunately, the village elder have not dismissed her words as pointless blabbers and took precautions because of it, reasoning to his people that being a step more careful would not harm anyone. The men raised the river bank twice they normally did when raining, while the women started harvesting crops earlier than usual, and many more precautions. Due to this, when the rain came and lasted for a good fifteen days, some folks felt shiver as they looked at Sonalila who was looking wistfully at the overcast skies, while some looked at her with gratitude and reverence. That was only the beginning as Sonalila, with her tender age, continued surprising everyone. 

Thankfully, overall, the town only have praise for the clever child. Since that day, many have already expected her to become different from her peers. This reasoning of theirs was not backed by any sort of logic, but by intuition alone. But even though Sonalila really was too different, no one would condemn her for it. They did witness her tread space between life and death before even seeing sunlight, so they could not be as heartless as to cast her away for something she had no control with. So long as she continued using her uniqueness for good.

-

"Sonalila, is tomorrow gonna rain? Or is it gonna be sunny. We plan to go past Laki Mountain to hunt, so it would help to know if tomorrows weather will cooperate." A middle-aged man asked Sonalila casually while his eyes stayed fixed at oiling his arrows. This was Sonalila's father, a hunter.

She briefly paused and mysteriously gazed at the skies and then to the trees outside the windows of their humble home. "It will be sunny!" She exclaimed jubilantly. Sonalila loved to be of help to her father.

"Good!" He smiled than tussled the hair of his daughter lovingly.

"Father, can I come?" A boy peeped from the window, surprising Sonalila who had been immersed at looking outside to confirm her predictions. This boy is around six years old, a year older than Sonalila. 

"Stop doing that!" She exclaimed again, this time with furrowed brows. "Father, you tell him!" 

However, her father only smiled more brightly looking at this two children. "Kuor, don't bully your sister too much if you want to come with me." 

"Really? Like, really really? Really, really, really really?!?" Before his father could even reply, the feisty boy was already dancing in delight while also provoking his little sister by sticking out his tongue.

Infuriated, Sonalila threw an unexpected punch which landed on empty air. "Father!!" She turned around, wanting her father's admonishment to her foolish looking brother. 

"Alright. Enough, enough. Kuor, stop making her mad. I swear, one of these days, your teeth would fly out when her punch lands."

"If it lands." He smirked, then laughed wholeheartedly.

"Father!!!" Sonalila looked like she was gonna cry.

"Kuor..." The father was finally feeling exasperated.

"Why only me? Tell her too!" The other complained.

"You started it!"

"Ah? Why is it my fault that you're such a- a- a puss-"

"Enough!" 

The two quieted immediately, but still passionately glared at each other. The father sighed, feeling a little guilty, but did not erase the frustration in his face. "Kuor, if you want to come, then you better behave yourself. One more time and forget about coming with me, I would have you cleaning the stables for a month!"

Sonalila silently snickered, but loud enough for her brother to hear. He glared at her, but stayed his tongue. 

The exchange did not escape their father's eyes. He looked at his daughter and mulled. Really, this daughter of his was hard to punish. 

Actually, this father wanted to reward his son for eliciting such reactions from his sister. Soanlila had always been prim and proper. Anything tasked to her was completed without complaint, even going as far as exceeding of what was expected of her. If anything, she only becomes unruly when it involves her brother. But then again, only Kuor had the gall to pick on her because more than half of the village treats her with extreme adoration! 

"Nalie, do you think everything is your brother's fault?" He asked gently, not exactly sure if he wants his daughter think any deeper than she already does.

"...No, I shouldn't have been provoked. Attention is exactly what he wanted, so I shouldn't have given it to him so there would not be trouble." She said, face down in shame.

Her father's face sank, wanting to bite his tongue for even asking. 

"Stop acting so high and mighty! You're just a kid!" The brother looked at his sister incredulously.

Sonalila's eyes flashed, and her arms flew to her brother's face before she knew it. Incidentally, her punch actually landed, easily squaring the other's unsuspecting jaw. She was startled, before letting out a cheer of joy. But it was a short-lived celebration. Her brother unabashedly returned the strike. 

With another cry, the father has finally been startled awake. He immediately jumped in between his two kids and forcibly separated the two. By this time, scratches and swelling could be seen at their faces, making their father's face grim.

Wordlessly, he took them by the arm and went to their kitchen. He made them sit on the floor and glared an eye indicating that any movement from them would just make their situation worse. At this, the two kids finally realized their mistake. They watched, horrified, as their father went around looking for things. The enmity between them vanished like smoke when they shared the look of impending doom. Seeing their father grab a flat basket, beans, salt, and stones, they knew exactly what kind of punishment is coming. 

Laying a pair of flat baskets in the floor, he stopped and eyed the two. "Do you know what these are for?" He asked, then continued as they nodded. "Then do you know why this is happening?" The two went still, but he still continued anyway. "Kuor, you're a man and older. More than anything, she and your mother are the people you have to protect the most! Someday, when you get married, how could you promise protecting your wife and children when you harm your own family? Unforgivable!"

He stopped, knowing that his son was only six, did not press further. 

"And, you, Sonalila, why would you harm your own brother? Have he ever done that to you? Has anyone ever hit you? Hitting anyone is wrong. No matter the reason, unless your life is threatened, then it is never justified to harm another. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

She nodded, silent tears spilling at her cheeks to their earthen floor. The sight made his heart tremble with guilt, but it was too late to step back. Instead, he spread the beans and salt at the basket. "This is to remind that never, ever, am I to see you two again harming each other. Call me harsh, call me bad, but I will absolutely not tolerate violence in this house. Come, you know what to do."

The two stood up in submission to kneel at the basket, not even bothering to speak up as they knew they were in the wrong. They raised their arms, palms open, as their father place a weighty rock on both their hands. "Now, stay still until twilight." After saying that, he turned around, exited the small kitchen, leaving the two in their contemplation.

-

"Sorry..." Sonalila was the first to break the silence. Her sobs cascaded after that.

"Me too, sorry." Kuor looked at his sister, who was tearing up rivers.

At six years old, he may not fully understand how special his sister is, but he certainly felt it. As long as he remembered, this sister of his took all the attention. While he was busy being taught how to write his name, his sister was already familiarizing herself with many books. While he proudly caught a dragonfly, his sister finished a flower's sculpture. While he was painstakingly learning how to lift a bow, his sister started predicting tomorrow's weather. They lived under the sane roof, yet distance between grew ridiculously further apart. Their parents did love them equally, but that did not console the sense of inferiority within him. He tried, many times, to blindly catch up to a man his sister's prestige, but the result would always be his sister earning everyone's attention. Compared to her achievements, all his effort seemed to be non-existing, irrelevant.

However, even with all this, Kuor never hated his sister. Jealous, yes. Inferior, yes. Useless, yes. But never wrath. In this part, his parents played a critical role in keeping his angst pointed at soft clouds. Though they knew they could not keep him blinded his whole life, but the parents refused to see their two children having deep rooted enmity between them, especially at such young age. They understood that childhood imperceptibly would change their future, so they thoroughly ingrained to him that his sister is not as perfect as he thinks. They would point out her flaws, but instead of lifting him using these, they made sure he see her flaws as reasons why she needed him. And it worked. As one of Sonalila's flaws were her very intellect. This made adults love her, but the children distance themselves from her. She cannot make friends with them as she was too advanced while her peers saw her in intimidating light or simply incomprehension, which created the lonely distance between her and other kids. Because of this, Kuor could not truly hate her as he himself dared not imagine not having friends at all.

Now, seeing her cry so helplessly, it stirred the brotherly affection on him. "It's okay. Father didn't put so much salt this time."

Unexpectedly, she chuckled. "You know so well. How many times was it by this time?"

"My fifth? I can't remember. Anyway, here, let me take one stone." He briefly stood up and took one of his sister's one kilogram stone. 

"Isn't that cheating?" 

"Hmph! I'm helping my little sister so it doesn't count! If father knew, he would be proud."

"No, I mean, standing up..."

"Ah...? Oh, why do you have to be so picky!?"

"I was just asking!"

Outside, their father could not help but pinch the bridge of his nose. Just when everything was going so well, they start fighting again. But still, the smile in his face was undeniably filled with joy and relief. As Kuor said, he really does feel proud towards this son of his.

At this time, their front door opened accompanied by a voice, "I'm home!"

The figure went straight to the kitchen to prepare their lunch. On the way, the father only raised a brow at the figure then nudged his head towards the kitchen. Understanding, the figure stepped in.

""Mother...""

The two who had been arguing stopped their chatter and greeted their mother in surprise. 

"What it this?" She asked.

"It's him!" "It's her!" They said at the same time.

She heard an audible groan outside the kitchen's doors, nearly ruining her stern facade. "Well, it seems you two haven't had enough yet, so I'll let you be..." Her voice trailed off as she approached the door.

""MOTHER!!!""

"Hmm?"

""...We're sorry."" They said in unison. 

With heads bowed and bodies stiff, even a single clap could scare them witless. She contained her smile and refrained pranking the two.

"About what, exactly?" She pressed.

"For hitting him." "For hitting her."

"And then?"

""We will never do it again.""

"I see, I forgive you, but you have to tell your father yourselves."

The two paled but kept quiet.

Soon, their father entered. His face still lined grimly like it was previously. "You have something to say?"

""Father, this won't happen again.""

Their father stayed silent for a while, making the two incomparably nervous. 

"More importantly, have you apologized to each other?" 

At this, the two eyed other, before nodding with determination. "Yes, we did!"

"Good, then stand up!" 

The two sighed in relief then shared another glance, this time it was a glance victory. "Thank you, Father."

"But do not forget your words today if you don't want any more punishments."

""Yes!"" They cheered.

"... Father, am I still coming with you tomorrow?" Kuor suddenly asked timidly.

"Well, what do you thing, Nalie?" 

"Mm, he apologized so I'm fine now."

Both father and son beamed. 

"Thank you, sister!" He leaped and hugged her. 

She stood rigidly, but did not reject him. But after more ten seconds passed and the other was still not letting go, she grew agitated and even began kicking him.

"Wait, wait! No hitting! No fair! Father, see? It's not my fault, right? Sister is just too aggressive for a girl! Maybe, the gorilla in the forest- Ouch- ouch! That really hurt! Hey-!"

This time, both parents truly did not know whatever else to do. Maybe having siblings at home simply meant no peace in foreseeable future.