My brother

Good morning. It is Sunday, and the first day of Summer. I have changed the time on my one battery powered house clock. I don't need to change my watch because I didn't turn it back in the Autumn. I go through the whole of winter just deducting one hour when I check the time. Now the time on my watch is correct. The computer and car have corrected themselves. 

Today is my brothers birthday. Stephen died when he was 59. He was 18 months younger than me. Today I am reflecting on his life. My memory of him is rather sketchy. We shared adventures in the village where we lived in a Council house. We each had our own friends, but sometimes we were naughty together. I remember we were sent to bed because we had been very naughty. We got a slapped bum and had no dinner that day. 

We had a dog which we got from the RSPCA at Derby. We named him Nipper, after the picture of the little dog on music records.

Stephen was an animal lover. He had a pigeon loft in our back garden. Always out there looking after them. He also had a rabbit. We had two cockerels and some white mice as well. Later on after he moved to Derby he notice a house up the street had a greyhound which was always tied up in their back garden. He knocked the door and asked if he could have it. The woman said yes, then the man came home and was angry that his wife had given the dog away. He demanded money from Stephen. Stephen told him to get lost, and said he would report him to the police. The man went away. Flash the greyhound spent the last years of his life with Stephen, even though he himself had to go without food in order to feed the dog. 

When we both left school we went our separate ways regarding work. Stephen had joined the Army Cadets when he was able to. He later went on to join the regular army. I remember going to his passing out parade at Stafford Barracks. Mum came with me. It didn't register with me, our little boy was now a man. 

Then we lost touch for a while. Stephen moved around and so did I. I was back with mum again in her Council flat. Stephen was also back, it was a bit cramped with two bedrooms, but we managed. 

Stephen's downfall was alcohol. He was a sensitive and impressionable young man and it sent him off the rails. He seemed to be following in the footsteps of our father. I blame the army for that. They taught him how to drink. The police picked him up one night, found him in the gutter, took him to the hospital to get him cleaned up before they brought him home. I left home and got a flat, to give them more room. 

After that it becomes more vague. He went to live in Bah Rain, don't know why, think it might have been for work. He met a young lady there and they shared a flat together. I went for a holiday there. After not seeing him for a few years I was shocked by how much he had changed. Something had happened to his personality, and I saw first hand how volatile he was. Sad to say but I left early, got the first flight I could back to the UK.  

No point in sharing details, what's past is past. He went to live in Mumbai with his now wife. Fast forward 17 years, he chose to not get in touch with us. We got an email from Ap to say he was gravelly ill and wasn't expected to live much longer. A week or so later he passed away in hospital. 

Stephen what happened to you. I think of you today on your birthday. 

The weather doesn't look too good outside. 

Enjoy your Sunday, whatever you are doing. 

Toodle pip.   ilona