TEN

LITTLE BROTHER

July 7, 2008

It’s funny how I still remember wanting to follow you around everywhere, just like our loving Golden Retriever Ginger who always wanted to follow us to school each morning. Just like our dog I was “obedient,” and never second guessed you when you asked of me to do something. It was like during the time of this picture, I would say or do just about anything in order to gain your “approval.” Just tell me why you didn’t play Frisbee with me? I had gotten all of my shots. Ha!

Our sister Sandy just thought this sort of “boyish behavior” was so far below her standards. We’d “carry-on around her” on purpose which always made her say things like, “Boys are so stupid!” and “You don’t even know what you’re taking about!” Back then we really knew how to “get under her skin,” like interrupting her asking the dumbest questions we could come up with. She’d yell, “Don’t bother! Can’t you see I’m busy baking Cup Cakes in my Easy Bake Oven!?”

When the two of us agree on starting our first business partnership together, Sandy said “Why is anyone going to buy your Lemon Aid when they can spend their money on my delicious homemade cookies and cupcakes?!” She didn’t realize her “baking skills,” or lack of, was the “main reason” we came-up with the idea of our Lemon Aid Stand in the first place! Daaa! Her “baked goods” were always dry-out because of overcooking.” After tasting her goods we noticed how people would then quickly look around for something to drink.

It was easy cashing-in on the high number of the “Cotton Mouth Customers” that quickly came over to our Lemon Aid Stand after visiting “Sandy’s Bakes Goods.” I recommended we set-up our business on the opposite corner of our front yard. After running over to us, our customers would say the same things after grabbing a cup of Lemon Aid, and quickly “slamming down.” They would say, “Thank you! That’s okay....just keep the change!” They’d be so happy we saved their lives they’d then put a one, or five dollar bill into our tip jar when the price for a cup of our Limon Aid was only twenty-five cents.

Through our business venture my attachment towards you slowly grew, Big Brother. I heard someone call this sort of thing “Little Brother Affectionism, or “Little Brother Itis.” I may not have received my PHD, but you should still consider believing me. I think we studied about these “illnesses” in my Early Child Development Class at Fresno City College were I earned a “C.”

I just want you to know I’ll never forget the times our parent let me tag along with you, Big Brother. I felt like a “Joyous Caged Puppy” suddenly being released outside to the unknown world. It was so exciting to discover all of these new things you already knew about. I didn’t realize the resistance running through your veins because I was now taking-up your private time. I knew you still needed your own space. It’s just that I found being around “so adventurous,” even though there was just one year and one month in age between us.

You protected me through our “Grammar School Years,” and I even though you really didn’t want me tagging along with you everywhere, through my eyes, you were really someone special. This was still very special time in my life because we got to share “other youthful first times.” Like the first time our parents gave us permission to go half way around the block on Floradora Street to go visit our older cousin David. We didn’t have our bikes yet, and we weren’t about to ride-up in our Big Wheels because we didn’t want anyone thinking we were a couple of little kids. So we raced each other around the block to see who could get there first, and of course, you were the winner by a couple car lengths.

David was already in Junior High School when we were still going to Mayfair, but it didn’t seem to matter to our cousin that “you were younger.” It just hurt my feelings something terrible not to be treated equal. I still remember how you guys use to make me wait outside by myself. I’d cried like a “newborn baby,” with these streaming tears that brought our City’s Rain Level quickly back up to its yearly quota. Yes my first feelings of this new world I had been waiting to experience didn’t start-out fun at all.

On our second visit to David’s I just experienced more of this same “Little Brother Neglect.” The only difference was I was now suddenly realizing you really did want me tagging along at all. This fact was very hard for me to accept at the time, but this meanness finally infuriated your Little Brother to his Boiling Point! My face must have turned “firecracker red” that day, just like those Fire Engines at the Fire Station just a few blocks away from David’s on Floradora/Miniwawa.

Why I probably “carried-on by myself” I’m surprised no one call-in an Emergency after seeing all of the “dark smoke fuming out of my little nose and ears.” My tempter was burning out of control because I refused to believe this was how it was going to be every time we visited our cousin. To me, this was unacceptable.

On those first two visits I’d pace back and forth while my tears thoroughly watered the front lawn. Again, I was suddenly limited by boarders all around me, just like that same little puppy our parents kept so much control of before. But I wanted to be accepted and play without rules. So after giving the lawn “a few good coats of tears” I could start to hear you guys laughing, and carrying-on together like you didn’t have a care in the world. So I cried a little more, looked-up to the sky and asked God, “Why am I not being included?!” I kid you not. It was though He suddenly whispered in my ear “Don’t cry.”

On third visit I remember how you guys instructed me to play outside once again, but this time our cousin suddenly came up with the idea I play in his backyard. Perhaps it’s because he “suddenly realized” the Train Tracks ran East and West in the middle of Floradora was always busy with different trains passing every few hours. So after being escorted to the backyard I was pleased to find such a large assortment of so many different toys just lying around everywhere. Questions quickly came to mind, like, “Why didn’t you two wisenheimers tell me about playing in the back yard with all of these toys on the first two visits?! Where’s the love & humanity!”

With this “new-found territory” I remember how I quickly started inspecting the many different bikes that quickly caught my eye, just lying there on the ground. As I started walking towards them David suddenly yell-out, “No, you can’t ride those bikes! They belong to my brother Johnny, Linda and Dee Dee.” (What?! Can’t a kid ever get a break?) My “new-found excitement” had now been cut-down once again, but it was quickly revived as David continued “You can play with any of those footballs, basketballs, or anything else lying around!” I thought perhaps that wasn’t such a bad idea.

I first pick-up this aged ho-la-hoop and I immediately found it enjoyable when trying to use it because we didn’t have this sort of toy at house. My enjoyment was interrupted when I heard you guys through our cousin’s back open bedroom window, hysterically laughing without me. I got all upset once again because you guys seemed to be having so much fun. I won’t lie. It hurt so much because I young, and really didn’t understand what I’d ever done before to you, or our cousin to be so ostracized.

After playing with this “Bucket, and Shovel Set,” like some “Little Kindergartener,” I threw it down and promise myself “This isn’t over. Something’s got to change.” I noticed this aged, leather basketball lying there next to our cousin’s cement driveway that ran all along the right side of their house from the front yard. So I ran over and pick it up. I started dribbling it very forcefully to release my “fend-up anger.” I began cry once again as if someone had just purposely elbowed my chest while playing a little one-on-one, or like someone had made me drop my favorite two scoop “Strawberry, Cookies n Cream from my Sugar Cone on a hot summer afternoon.”

So with all of this “Basketball Anger,” or “Basketball Jones,” I began dribbling that old leather basketball while I began speak-out aloud to myself this “lower toned voice” so no one else could hear. I said, “You guys just wait,” dribble dribble, shoot…miss, “I’m going to tell,” dribbling now faster, and harder, shooting again, missing again. “I’m going to tell Dad how you guys keep making me wait outside alone!” Dribble dribble, dribble, shoot…swisssssh!

It was at that very point I knew exactly what I had to do for myself next. While carrying-on I suddenly noticed this fat, furry, beige and tan stripped cat lying there underneath the shade of that small Birch Tree next to the driveway. By the way he was looking at me, with all of my crying, talking to myself, and continuously pounding of basketball had angered him, and caused “a massive headache.” This is the only “logical explanation” I could come-up with, Big Brother, because while trying to pet him as he was “grinning at me,” I said, “ Hello Kitty” he sliced the back side of my little “Pro Basketball Shooting Hand” with his big protracted claw!”

After that experience with our cousin’s “family pet,” it was only then I finally stopped crying. I told myself I’m not going to take any more of this “First Grade Abuse and Neglect! I deserve better! I’m going into the Second Grade!” Why should I tolerate getting sunburned outside in triple degree Summer Sun while you guys are inside, comfortable with Cold AC and that Big, Isolating, Three-Speed Fan! And I saw you eating that deliciously junk food I could smell while peeking through the bedroom window!

I was done being chased around that circular backyard by that “family cat” because after smelling your junk food I had gotten so hungry, and was caught “borrowing” a hand full of Cat Chow, you know, just to “tide me over until dinner time?” After all I’d been through on this day, do you really think it was right for David to send me to his backyard, only to find-out later that cat I had encountered wasn’t “the family cat at all,” but some “stray cat” that just had showed-up off the streets a couple days ago?! It blew my mind when he went-on to say he’d actually noticed that cat exiting one of the “Train Carts” when the Train had stopped to change Train Tracks!

Don’t you think David should have “spoke-up before sending me to his backyard jungle” and been suspicious after noticing that stray holding his belongings in a “large handkerchief, double knotted at the end of a wood stick! “Ha ha ha you!” I still have a scare on my hand to this very day from this Cat Attack!

I didn’t think being all out of breath after chased around by that “Big Ass Cat” was funny, but you guys laughed even louder after seeing the “Large Mountain Lion Scratch” I my right hand. You reminded me of a couple of “Laughing Smurfs” we’d see on Saturday Morning Cartoons. And while you guys continued laughing about two or three “Episodes Long” I told myself, “It’s o.k., laugh, laugh, while you can, and we’ll see who laughs in the very end?!”

After that incident, there was nothing getting in the way of my “six year old determination!” I told myself that I was no longer going to put-up be kept outside like some “little kindergartener,” playing with “Baby Buckets and Shovels in the Dirt!” (Wasn’t I just playing with those toys?) Even you were surprised at the actions I implemented to cause this change in my life, Big Brother. After arriving home from David’s that afternoon, both of our lives would change forever. I guess you just underestimated me? Surprise!

Yep. Your “Shy Little Brother” actually found his “Little Marbles,” found the strength to stand-up for himself, and all of this was actually happening right before your very eyes. I could tell by that look on your face you were “totally surprised,” that is, right before becoming very upset with me. So I ask now, Big Brother, even though so many years have passed, “Can forgive me for squealing on you to our parent like some Little Angry Piglet?” That afternoon I “Spilled the Beans” on you because you guys had pushed me too far. You should have “never underestimate the strong will of your pissed-off Little Brother!” (Forgive me Jesus for Cursing.)

When our parents heard the “low-down” on exactly was happening when we’d go visit David, and they assumed everything was just “peachy keen” it blew their lids! It’s funny how I still remember after giving my “Oscar Award Winning Performance with my emotional lines right on cue,” how our parents immediately started giving you Big Eyes. Ha! I first began my Performance by pouring-out these “Crocodile Tears” immediately after you and I had returned home. I entered right before you, and like “A Movie Director” suddenly yelled “Action!” And it was on!

I proceeded to tell our parents that on all of the occasions we’d gone to visit Cousin David I wasn’t being let inside, and how you two always played without me! After “delivering the first lines of my script,” while painfully, but slowly stretching-out my little mangled right hand with my arm and fingers straightened-out ever slightly to give that “Big Cat Scratch more dramati... dramati…dramatization you were in deep trouble mister!

My script continued first with “more falling tears” again right on cue. Then I slowly started rubbing-off from my face with my right hand because I’d “temporarily forgotten” which one had “supposedly gotten hurt.” After seeing my mistake and how I played it off without breaking-out of character when suddenly reach-up to scratch this itch on my forehead” by the look on your face I could tell you were happy with me at all!

Against your “seven year old free will” you stood there and listened to your tongue lashing, while in my head I was hearing these “Harps Play My Victory Song.” Because I stood-up for myself with this outstanding performance you were then instructed to let me inside our cousin’s house. Then our mother added, “And you better stop ostracizing him!” I picture of this “Big Ostridge” popped in my head. Even though I didn’t understand what she meant at the time it just felt good to “see you upset for a change”.

Try to understand, Big Brother, I finally had to tell our parents what was “really going-on” because it was the only chance I had of not showing-up to school looking like some “over ripe tomato” from playing in that “Triple Degree Summer Heat!” Even more-so, it was only chance I had surviving all of those “uninvited wild animals” that would show-up in our cousin’s backyard. After that “Mountain Lion Attack” it took sometime before I could sit-down and watch any “Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Shows” we use to watch with our father on Sunday Evenings right before our Walt Disney Program aired.

After that scolding it’s funny how I can still remember that scared look on your eyes, with your right eyebrow raised in that way, and your mouth puckered as if you just eaten a fist full of Sour Gummy Worms from the Asian Market you’d purchased with your recycling money. Then you looked as if trying to burned-off my Eye Brows with your “Sour Heat Rays.” Immediately after seeing how upset you were all of my “Crocodile Tears quickly dried-up.

I quickly scooted into our bedroom to seek refuge while you were still being scolded. After entering I quickly started thinking about the “defensive strategies” I could use to protect myself. So I started lining-up my Plastic Green Army Men on my side of our bedroom, you know, just in case you were thinking about launching another “Heat Seeking Mission.” Couldn’t take the chance of you burning-off my Jet Black Hair and leaving me looking like Mr. Clean.

So you see Big Brother. I wasn’t all that naive as you thought I might have been back in the day, and I still remembered many times when you got so upset with me over things I thought were so little. And after you got so upset with me, you wouldn’t even let me play with your “Metallic Dark Blue, Glow-In-The-Dark Yo-Yo.” And when I’d ask you’d just keep-on pointing that small “Black & Silver Cap Gun” at me, and you kept on firing every after I asked you to stop and all of the caps had already been used-up.

But for real, I’ve realized that we may have done a lot of evil little things to one another back in the day Big Brother, but you know that they were really all harmless little things that all brothers are known to do back then, and still even today. But then difference is now that we are both “supposedly grown adults,” and good men.

“A good man will obtain favor from the Lord, but He will condemn a man who devises evil.”

PROVERBS 12:2 NASB

Next Chapter: Chapter#9