Big Brother

The curmudgeon is blessed with some remarkable siblings.


But early on, it was older brother and the curmudgeon, mano-a-mano.  Our fights- yes, dear reader, roll around in the dirt, see who can gouge an eye out first, were neighborhood legends.  The curmudgeon's sainted mother would come shrieking out of the house to put a stop to things - as it turns out, not anything related to gouged eyes, but image in the neighborhood.


The curmudgeon and "older brother" shared a desk, a very clever one built by our father.  Elbow to elbow, doing our homework, inevitably elbows would clash, certain things would ensue.  But it was when one of our chairs went flying and crashed on the floor that our sainted father went into overdrive.  He came up and measuring first of course drew a line down the middle of the desk.  Let me be more specific - using a ballpoint pen (he always had weapons hidden about his attire).


Like the movie Madagascar, the fun side of the desk was finally defined and the "older brother" one as well.


Peace ensued.