My Baby Brother...

~ Ages 15 and 3
~(2 vs. 18) ...isn't a baby anymore. My brother, Brandon, turned 18 yesterday. 18! I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday he was attached to my hip. I'll never forget the day he was born. I was almost 12 years old and had just started 6th grade. My sister (nearly 13/7th grade) and I got into a fight with a couple of girls on the way home from school. Turns out Candace owed one of the chicks 75 cents! Can you believe that? 75 cents and they're ready to kick our asses! Well, as we believed was the right thing to do...and actually sensed some urgency to get home...we kept walking while the girls (and what seemed like half the school) followed us. Long story short...we essentially got our butts beat, because we didn't fight back. The girl who Candace owed the money to got a good lick in and put a knot on her head...I came away without a scratch (the other girl who was trying to jump on my back was smaller than me and I easily threw her off a few times.) At the time, our walk was about 25 minutes from the house...the fight lasted anywhere from 10-15 minutes. The last 10 minutes we were sprinting home crying and ticked off, only to get home and find out that we were locked out of the house {we didn't have keys at the time} and a note telling us to go to our grandmother's who lived across the street (literally.) As were heading over, our neighbors told us that our mother's water broke at a bus stop downtown and that we were supposed to go to our grandmother's. We get there, Candace all banged up...and we had to tell our aunts, uncle, and grandmother the story...who were very disappointed because we didn't fight back. That same sentiment was shared by our father when he arrived a few hours later... He yelled at us unlike anything I could ever remember...(stressed maybe??) before he even told us what was going on with Mom. Her water broke around 2pm on Friday, September 16th. She ended up having some complications and delivered Brandon around 2am on September 17th by caesarian... He was 1 month premature, weighing in at only 4lbs.

From the time he was born until I left the house at 18 (he was 6) we were inseparable. I literally was this kid's 2nd Mom. I took care of him all the time...even Candace hardly participated in "babysitting." When I left the house, I know it was hard on him, but I didn't realize it until he was much older. Once he got into high school I tried my hardest to participate more in his life...even if that meant being his chauffeur at times... It was worth it. I'd do anything for that kid within my means. He's my heart. Happy Birthday, Brandon!


~ On his 18th birthday.