LJ Idol Week: Trust everyone, but cut the cards.
1989
"I have something to tell you," he whispered.
"So tell me."
"I can't, you'll tell mom and dad."
"Whatever dude, like we can tell them anything, ever."
"I know, that's why it's just you and me. I'm your big brother, I will look out for you because they can't."
"Ok now you're being weird."
******
"Hey, ok I have to tell you something but you can't tell anyone."
"This again?"
"I'm on drugs."
"WHAT ARE YOU KIDDING ME THAT IS SO BAD WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU I CAN'T LOSE YOU WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?"
"Psych"
"No! Don't pull that on me again, you have a problem and you need help."
"Calm down, you're only ten, I'm just messing with you."
"Just promise me you're kidding."
"Duh."
******
"Hey, you still have that $100 from grandma?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I need to borrow it for a week, I'll pay you back, but don't tell mom or dad."
"Ok."
*********
"Let's go, we're running late."
"I don't want to."
"We have to, family week is an important part of your brothers recovery."
"We're a family now? Where's dad?"
"He'll meet us."
"Whatever, I'm bringing my book."
1990
"Hey, you got that envelope of cash still?"
"Yeah"
"Loan me $40".
"Fine, there's $111 in there, and I need it back to buy mom a mother's day present."
"Yeah, it will be back in there long before that."
"Ok. I love you."
"I love you too, thanks sis."
******
"IT'S GONE!!!!!"
"Stop being hysterical, what's gone?"
"Themoneyallofithestoleit"
"SLOW DOWN, talk at a speed that I can hear."
"The money, I was saving money and going to buy you a gift and he stole all of it and I had $111 and it's all gone and now your mother's day is ruined even more so because I can't get you anything.
"Your brother took it?"
"He's the only one who knew where it was besides me."
******
My mother kicked him out that day. He would never live with us again. He was 18 and I was 11.
1993
Three years and multiple rehab trips later, I never admitted I'd loaned him part of it, he apologized for stealing, and he moved away to another state, away from his contacts. He got a fresh start.
March 2014
I need to ask you a favor, I need a place to live. Do you have $1000 I can borrow for 8 weeks?
I look at my fiance, who trusts everyone. We had just gotten flex spending money to cover the birth of our son. I tell my brother I'll call back with an answer.
We talk about it. He hasn't asked for money since I was 11, he was going through a tough divorce, he'd been clean since 1993....we had it in the bank, we could pay the hospital later, it was only eight weeks. We trusted, we cut the cards.
December 2015
Another bill from the hospital, my brother changed phone numbers again. 8 weeks is now almost two years.
Trust no one. Light the cards on fire.
"I have something to tell you," he whispered.
"So tell me."
"I can't, you'll tell mom and dad."
"Whatever dude, like we can tell them anything, ever."
"I know, that's why it's just you and me. I'm your big brother, I will look out for you because they can't."
"Ok now you're being weird."
******
"Hey, ok I have to tell you something but you can't tell anyone."
"This again?"
"I'm on drugs."
"WHAT ARE YOU KIDDING ME THAT IS SO BAD WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU I CAN'T LOSE YOU WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?"
"Psych"
"No! Don't pull that on me again, you have a problem and you need help."
"Calm down, you're only ten, I'm just messing with you."
"Just promise me you're kidding."
"Duh."
******
"Hey, you still have that $100 from grandma?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I need to borrow it for a week, I'll pay you back, but don't tell mom or dad."
"Ok."
*********
"Let's go, we're running late."
"I don't want to."
"We have to, family week is an important part of your brothers recovery."
"We're a family now? Where's dad?"
"He'll meet us."
"Whatever, I'm bringing my book."
1990
"Hey, you got that envelope of cash still?"
"Yeah"
"Loan me $40".
"Fine, there's $111 in there, and I need it back to buy mom a mother's day present."
"Yeah, it will be back in there long before that."
"Ok. I love you."
"I love you too, thanks sis."
******
"IT'S GONE!!!!!"
"Stop being hysterical, what's gone?"
"Themoneyallofithestoleit"
"SLOW DOWN, talk at a speed that I can hear."
"The money, I was saving money and going to buy you a gift and he stole all of it and I had $111 and it's all gone and now your mother's day is ruined even more so because I can't get you anything.
"Your brother took it?"
"He's the only one who knew where it was besides me."
******
My mother kicked him out that day. He would never live with us again. He was 18 and I was 11.
1993
Three years and multiple rehab trips later, I never admitted I'd loaned him part of it, he apologized for stealing, and he moved away to another state, away from his contacts. He got a fresh start.
March 2014
I need to ask you a favor, I need a place to live. Do you have $1000 I can borrow for 8 weeks?
I look at my fiance, who trusts everyone. We had just gotten flex spending money to cover the birth of our son. I tell my brother I'll call back with an answer.
We talk about it. He hasn't asked for money since I was 11, he was going through a tough divorce, he'd been clean since 1993....we had it in the bank, we could pay the hospital later, it was only eight weeks. We trusted, we cut the cards.
December 2015
Another bill from the hospital, my brother changed phone numbers again. 8 weeks is now almost two years.
Trust no one. Light the cards on fire.