I don't call Athena  "Biao Mei" which literally means "thesuperficial sister" as I don't call my mom's mother "Wai Po" which literally means "the outsider grandma".  

Athena’s mother, my Gu-Gu, my aunt, was the only daughter of my grandparents and the only sister of my father. 

I never remembered my father being loving to Gu-Gu, somehow.

It happened that I also was the only daughter, and similar enough, had a lonely childhood. 

When I was 13 years old, I used to go to a girl's middle school by train, and the train station was right by my gu-gu’s house.  One day after school, I was so tempted to play with my two “younger sisters” that I walked toward Gu-Gu’s house right after I was off the station.

I will never forget how happy I was at Gu-Gu’s house, and I will never forget the consequence I had either!

Upon returning home a couple of hours late and reporting to my parents honestly, my father took a bamboo stick and whipped me so hard on my legs that they appeared all red and swollen.

It was a painful memory.

What really hurt were not my legs, but my heart which never dared to go to Gu-Gu’s house again.

Praise the Lord! Athena never gave up on me, from Taiwan, the States, Canada, and the States again.

Praise the Lord! Through His grace, Athena and I had worked hard together, and we eventually brought my father and his sister back to reconciliation.

Praise the Lord! Whenever I need a loving ear, my sister is there.

Thank you, Athena;  “Jie Jie” loves you.