Going back in time... "What a Shot" (my brother at 9, installment 1)

I have a lot of respect for my brother, the oldest of the three, the only full-brother, the one who is 18 months younger than me. It has always seemed that he had all the luck, all the talent, all the coordination, all the creativity.

He got through school without any studying, he skied downhill the first time he put on a pair. He taught me how to ride a bike, he taught me how to drive. He can play a guitar, a piano, drums, anything he tries is intuitive.

When we were kids, until I was 13, we shared a room (remember the photo of the house?).
Sometimes, when I couldn't go to sleep, he'd tell me stories. The theme/character I remember is the stretchy man, who could stretch to walk over cars and buildings.

Recently, my mom found a bunch of his writing assignments from when he was nine (Standard 2/Grade 4)... I don't know if he'll mind, and if he does I'll take them down, but I'm going to post them here on my "online journal". They make me remember those stories that he told me, and they remind me of those times that he and I were alone - my best friend.

"What a Shot"
August 1980

I was once in a circus. My part was the human cannonball. It was a dangerous act and every night I went on I took two aspirins, a Disprin and a teaspoon of medicine. It was the first night of our act and I was about to go on. "And now ladies and gentlemen, we have the Great Martino Palimino"
I went on. The feeling of fear hit me and I was petrified. You could see my mother in the audience with her hands on her eyes. I could hardly go up the ladder to the barrel. The Ringmaster said "Please ladies and gentlemen, babies, and youngsters, we now see a human cannonball risking his life, so please keep quiet"!!

The flame lit, I was ready. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, shoot!" Pow!! I went flying into the air, the wind rushed past me. I hit the net at a great speed, but I bounced right onto the canvas floor. Wham!

"Ouch", I screamed. The Ringmaster ran to me and asked me to stand up. I could not. I was rushed to the hospital. The next day my feet were amputated. My doctor said, "You did not break your bones on the floor, but from hitting a pole as you flew past it."

The End