My Hero

He took me to get my learner’s permit, down the four lane road into Oswego, about 15 miles from home. My first time behind the wheel. He fell asleep in the backseat on the way home up the four lane highway. I drove at 10 mph the entire way home. I was terrified; he was asleep.

We were walking through the park at dusk on a snowy eve. A big plow came roaring down the sideway. He threw me into the huge pile of snow at the edge of the sidewalk; the plow never slowed. I was blown by and covered with the snow from the plow. A hand smacked me in the face then pulled me out of the mound. We continued walking home. I had a black eye and broken rib.

There were four of them that had encircled me pushing me from one to the other to the other back and forth while threatening my ten year old being. I did not scream but for some reason he came anyway. There was a fight, then we walked home. He had a black eye.

I was supposed to learn to swim. I did not want to put my face in the water, I did not want to blow bubbles, I did not want to get wet with that cold water, I did not want to go under the water. I complained. He took me for a walk to see the tadpoles on the high wall. He pushed me in the pond. We swam in the pond.

We went bowling, I beat him, again – he did not talk to me for weeks.

We went skeet shooting, I beat him, again – he did not talk to me for weeks.

We went ice skating, he won all the races – he did not talk to me for weeks.

I was very very sick, I was young and afraid. Dr. Cincotta came every day to my bedside. Father Hughes came to the house to bless me. One night he sat the entire black night with me, keeping me packed in ice. He missed his senior prom.

Thank you God for my hero, my brother.

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