The Love of a Brother.

At the age of 12, he became the man of the house. He consoled mother and I as we grieved our father's departure to heaven. Little did I know that under his wing he had now taken me: protection, love, laughter and understanding.  

I will always remember the wind in my face as me and my brother cruised around town in Daddy's old Mazda 626. Music tuned out our doubts and trapped all our troubles.

 Crack! The pain shot through my foot as it said "hello" to the newly formed fracture. With each tear he told me I was ok and wiped my eyes. Up the stairs he carried me and stayed till Mommy returned home.

 He accompanied me on my first date to see the movie "Bedtime Stories" on Christmas night. In the middle of the movie he came down the steps and caught Sam and I holding hands. "YOU TWO, UP HERE RIGHT NOW!" he yelled in the silent theater. After the movie he calmly said, "Holding hands, none of that."

A day before New Year’s he came to me with a little black box. Contained in the box was a diamond star necklace. "Jasmine, with this necklace I want you to promise me that you will not have sex until you are in love and that you know, without a doubt, he loves you." 

Nine-thirty pm in the Walmart parking lot he hands me the keys to his stick shift, "It's time for you to learn." After being stuck in one place for about ten minutes we decided the lesson was over. The air was filled with the stench of burning rubber and gas, "Jasmine, you broke my car!"

Hours at the gym he would spend with me improving my basketball skills. "Come on, keep up, let's go!" He would yell. Around the track he ran me against my will. He made me stronger with every push, pack, bump, and, of course "Good job, Baby sis." 

One day Mother and I were not getting along so well so he decided to take me to the recording studio with him that night. With each lyric sent through my ears I saw a new artistic and creative side of him. He looked to me for my opinion on the songs and even used some of my ideas. He referred to me as "Coach."

 The day he graduated high school his smile spread from ear to ear. There was a sense of pride with each stride marched down the aisle. As he passed me on his way to the stage he gave me a couple of slaps on the cheek. I screamed, "Love you too!" and the crowd giggled. 

 When he left for college we gained the strongest relationship we had ever had. Updates on every single thing in my life were always being sent to his phone. I sent him a picture of a little denim skirt I had fallen in love with. He responded with the sweetest words, "You don't need revealing clothes to look cute. You do that already."

 I knew by his embrace we would not see each other for quite a while. His car was piled to the roof with his belongings. At five am he departed for his new beginning in Long Beach, California. Tears from all present eyes fell as the last glimpse of his car disappeared into the darkness.