Peace from the past

My brother was never really happy to have a sister show up and ruin his 3 years of onliness. Most kids have 9 months to prepare for a new sibling he had 3 days I think.

He went with our parents looked at me and next he knew I was in his house crying and life was never the same.

I had very few gifts from my Mom that were just because I love you gifts. There was one that stands out in my mind. It was a clock it had Raggedy Ann and Andy on it and they talk to annoy you awake. I loved that clock.

When it came time to put that clock away Mom and I did it together. We talked about how some day when I had a daughter it would be there for her room. The clock was wrapped in a towel and place on the second shelf of the closet in the basement. Away from all our toys in the "Parents only section". We thought it was safe. We were wrong.

My brother went through a phase of blowing or shooting things up. He destroyed most of my old toys. Things that they don't make now. Most of which I really didn't care too much about. When I found out he had blown my stuff to bits (funny how he didn't blow up his stuff) I was mad but not so mad that I wouldn't get over it in time. Until the day I was visiting my parents house and was playing with the dog outside. (Yes this all happened when I was old enough to be out of my parents house)

The dog and I went into the back yard and what I saw nearly broke my heart. My clock my beloved and cherished memory shot to bits. I picked up the pieces that I could and brought them inside to show my Mom. We were both so angry. We had put it away so carefully. How could he be so cruel.

Mom and I went into the basement to see what else was missing. That was when we realized that he destroyed pretty much everything of mine that he could.

In the end Mom gave me his Star Wars toys. I told him that they are still his and that if he was going to do something with them other then keep them in a box in the basement he could have them back. More generous then most sisters would be I think. Mom gave them to me because he destroyed so much of my stuff. She thought it was fair. Over the years he has mentioned more then once how I have his toys. I snapped back you destroyed mine deal with it more then once. When he said it I always brought up the clock. I would repeat what the alarm said to wake you me up. At least I am not destroying your toys.

That clock meant a lot to me. More then a brother could understand. Today I found a working clock on eBay. First I called Mom and said I found it I found it. She understood my desire to have it but said it was to much money. I understood that it is after all just a clock, not even my clock but, it sure looks like it.

I called my brother and said do you remember the clock you shot to bits. He said "Oh God how much is this going to cost me?" We talked about what other working ones have gone for. I think for the first time he realized that he blew up something of value, at least a value he could understand. He said buy it he would pay for it. My hope is that this time tomorrow I will have won that auction and my clock will soon be on its way.

It is not so much that he is buying me the clock. It is that he realizes that he hurt me by destroying the clock and is willing to try to make it right. This is as close to an I am sorry as I will ever get out of my brother. He is a big tough guy he doesn't say things like that. By being willing to replace my clock he is saying he is sorry and I love you all rolled into one.

This new clock if I get it will mean as much to me as the old one. To look at it I will remember a special moment between me and my Mom and I will remember that my brother said the only way he knows how the things that matter.