My sister got into this college because my parents paid for her spot in an associate degree program.
But on her very first day there, she fell in love with the military training instructor. That night, she called me.
"Cassie, I'm in love with him. What should I do? He's different from other men."
I looked up this man in the campus directory, but it turned out that he was married.
I immediately advised my sister against it, but she thought I was just jealous that she had a boyfriend and complained to our parents.
As a result, my mother called me and yelled, "Cassie Murphy! It's one thing that you can't find a boyfriend yourself, but now you're even jealous of your sister? How shameless can you be!
"Let me tell you, in a few days, your dad, your sister, and I will go to the guy's home to finalize the marriage. You're in charge of picking out the gifts!"
After that, she hung up before I could explain.
When we arrived at the village, heavy snow started falling, creating an icy chill.
Just when we thought the snow would stop soon, the overwhelming news stunned us.
"Global temperatures are rapidly dropping. Please prepare for extreme cold, which is expected to last about half a month."
In just about a week, both indoor and outdoor temperatures had dropped to minus fifty degrees.
Fortunately, in this rural area, every household had its own stove, so it was not too cold.
They grew vegetables, so we didn't go hungry.
But I didn't expect my sister to cause trouble again. Being pregnant, she demanded fresh fruit.
At a time like that, who would have had fresh fruit at home?
Her boyfriend looked a bit troubled as he said, "Well, there are cherry trees on the hill behind our house, but…"
His meaning was clear. But as it never snowed in this place before, no one had thick clothes on hand.
In this kind of weather, if anyone were to go up the hill to pick cherries, they might freeze to death before they even got there.
But how could my sister, being such a spoiled princess, ever give up? Wrapped in the only thick blanket in the house, she cried, gasping for breath between sobs.
"I want to eat the cherries. I have to eat them! I'm pregnant, and you all have to meet my every demand!" she shouted.
My parents slowly turned their gaze to me and tossed me a slightly thicker coat. Before I could even agree, they pushed me out the door.