The Space Between Us
This is a story about my brother and me. I am Lefty and my brother is Righty. My brother is the protagonist of this story. He is loved by all and treated with respect whereas I’ve always been the side character. Righty is trusted with all the responsibilities and I usually hang around trying to help when he needs me. Both of us look exactly alike but are mirror replicas of each other. We seem identical to a point where it would be impossible to tell us apart. Yet, we are treated very differently.
Righty was educated; he had to write, sketch, and sign important documents. He has been taught dining etiquette, how to use chopsticks, a spoon, and a knife with poise, how to hold a glass of wine while raising a toast in style. Along with that, he is even expected to do all the household chores, like washing the dishes, vacuuming the house, doing the laundry, lifting objects, and holding grocery bags. I feel sad for him and even angry. I can do that too if given a chance or I could at least help my brother. Why does he have to do it all by himself? Of course, I am always by his side and offer him support whenever needed but the majority of the work is handled by Righty.
Why does it have to be this way?
It’s because I am a little weaker and even clumsy, so I never get assigned important tasks. People have problems trusting me, they consider it to be too risky. What if something goes wrong, because you see there’s rarely room for error. But I would do just fine holding objects, typing on the laptop, or using a phone. Righty had similar feelings too. At times he would wonder why he is given all the work, even the menial tasks like opening a bottle cap had to be done by him. It’s not like he enjoys doing all the work, he just has no choice.
I am good at some things too. I am more of an artist, I play musical instruments impeccably. My fingers come alive on the piano, I feel important while holding the guitar and pressing the strings in the right place at the right time for that perfect note. These are the only moments where Righty is given the role of a side character and he is equally good. Of course, Righty is good at everything.
We both love each other, we don’t feel that one is better than the other. There is no enmity between us, we exist in perfect harmony. When we are watching TV or appreciating the pensive tranquility, our fingers intertwine. We don’t do it consciously but we often mimic each other. We even play games with our thumbs mindlessly. We both complete each other, it’s the other people who make us feel unequal.
Sometimes I would attempt to hold a pencil or use the mop but it would be so bad that whoever saw my work would make fun of me and laugh at my clumsiness. Other kids were mean to me for no reason and even called me a loser or a southpaw. Some of our relatives would even go as far as considering me to be unclean and inauspicious. I was never allowed to perform rituals and holy tasks. When I tried to shake hands with people while greeting them, it was considered rude or mannerless. Righty had to quickly take charge and correct the situation.
In our society, I feel there is no place for me, even the tools, equipment, and certain objects like a pair of scissors, a computer mouse, a knife, or a camera are designed to be used by righties. I don’t understand the discrimination, why do people have to feel offended by my existence when the space between us is only a shoulder-length apart?
Why are kids at a young age forced to write and do other activities with their right hand? Why are people ogled at when they eat with their left hand? Why associate superstitious beliefs with lefties and why are we considered to be unsuccessful? What’s so right about being right-handed? Why am I always left behind?
People who favor me do not have a disorder, it’s just that they are wired differently. Left-handed people are a minority, which does not mean we are lesser than regular people. Societies should stop discriminating for spaces even as small as the one between our shoulders.
