Annoying big brothers...

I got an email from a kid from grade school who’d happened across this blog.
It so amazes me to make a connection through the invisible magic of the internet.

I conjured up some memories from grade school then phoned my brother to see what he remembered about David’s family. Michael is two years older than me so presumably has more childhood details stored in his brain. Or not.

I gave him a quick rundown, then say, “So you remember the grandparents, right? He was named Ivan. They lived in that lovely house with eyebrow dormers. I loved the interior.”

“Sure I remember that house but I was never inside.”

“Maybe you were at school because I’ve been in that house.” Then I say, “David’s uncle lived at the dairy farm next to us. What was his name?”

“Oh, that’s Kenneth. He and Ivan were brothers.”

I say, “Ivan was the father. Kenneth had children our ages.”

“No, I think you’re wrong.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

I say, “I think David was in my grade. Or was that Steven? They lived on a ranch on the left side of the road on the way to school.”

“No, I was never there.”

I say, “Sure you were. Don’t you remember their player piano?”

“No. I never saw a player piano.”

“Sure you did. We got to watch it play.”

“Nope, never did”

“Did too”

This from my brother, a musician intrigued with all things mechanical, and he doesn’t remember the player piano? I remember the placement of the piano in the room.

I say, “Do you remember the time, right before school let out for the summer, you and I each wrote a love letter to a kid in our respective classes. I think mine was to David.”

“I never wrote a love letter.”

“Sure you did. We sat writing out in Mom’s sunny garden. I think we forgot the letters at home on the last day of school.”

“Nope.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

At this point of the conversation I know that if I could see my brother’s face, there would be a quotation caption hovering above his head, “Where does she come up with this stuff?”

We are six and eight again. Not as contentious these days. Back then I’d of popped him a good one.