when I was five years old we took off for my parents annual road trip to Florida, for part of the winter... always after the Christmas holiday... in January.
this was the year, though, that we had the accident, and never made it to Florida. I can remember spending a night or two in a big room in a hospital, with both my mother and father, and I cannot really remember, but I guess there was a roll-away cot of some kind for me to sleep on, or perhaps a sofa was placed in that room for me.
on one of the following days my brother showed up. he was my father's younger son, but was an adult, with a child of his own at home. I guess that this brother came for me because it had been decided that I would go home with him. perhaps they thought it best that I make the trip homeward with him, so that I would not be confused,...or something. Anyway, he was very kind and gentle with a frightened little girl who did not want to leave her mommy and daddy.
We first stopped at the local sheriff's office, where the belongings salvaged from our wrecked car had been locked up in a jail cell for safe keeping. I do not remember the drive homeward at all. It was about 260 miles, and at that time it probably took at least 5-1/2 hours to make that drive. We went directly to my house, unloaded the goods from the trunk of the car. There was a conversation between my father's two sons (I will not discuss that here).. and then I was taken to the home of the younger man. His wife embraced me, their daughter was present.... I know that I stayed there with them, and I know that they were very kind to me during that time. And that is all I remember of that time immediately after that accident.
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My next memory of this brother, my father's younger son, was a time when I had a loose tooth come out... I was perhaps 6 years old... he said to me, "give me that tooth. I will take it home and put it under my pillow for the tooth fairy." I looked to the older brother, who nodded at me,... and I handed over that tooth. "I will bring it back tomorrow." was the promise.
The next morning I hurried out to see what the tooth fairy had done about that.... and that brother of mine handed me a styrofoam coffee cup, with a smile. I looked in the cup, and there were a lot of coins in there with the tooth. More than a dollar. I hugged him and told him, "WOW, thank you!"
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Many years later, going through boxes of keepsake items my mother had held onto for decades I found a post card that brother had mailed home from his time in the service, in Japan.... it was a postcard made of wood. I put it in a bubble pack mailer and sent it to him. About a week later I had a phone call. That brother, he was surprised to see that wooden postcard, and wanted to thank me for thinking of him.
That brother, my father's younger son,... he was kind of shy, reserved. He took things to heart. He was a gentle person. Thoughtful.
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about 5 years later i called him and his wife one evening. we spent more than an hour 'visiting' on the telephone. it was a very nice time, chatting and reminiscing...with them.
i am so grateful to have known these gentle people.
Thank you, S. and J. your kind care was (and is) appreciated....
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some kindness you never ever forget
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