Happy Birthday 'Shoo

Excerpt from my Diary, Dated 29th April, 2004

I'm listening to one of R's favorite song... It reminds me of this one time back home, one of those times that was super insignificant but will alway stick in my mind as just one of those nice days spent with my big brother... I remember waking up that cool morning in December and finding him sneaking into the house his pyjamas.... Sneaking into our house to steal some movies to watch while he bunked off from work...

"I'm supposed to be sick today..." he would say to me, smiling ... "and i'm also supposed to be too sick to come over for lunch.. so don't tell mom I was here" he smiles again, holding his fingers to his lips... I would laugh, he always made me laugh like that.... "What are you doing? do you want to come over and watch movies with me?" How funny he was! Why not?

Here he was, whom I always thought was the most responsible of us all - sneaking behind around to do something so silly: steal some movies to watch because he just didn't want to go to work and didn't want to have to explain... I knew it, he woke up, watched his wife get ready and take their daughter to her play group while he coughed and droned how tired he was... watched her leave the gates, turn the corner to the club and then he would run to the car to escape... didn't even have time to change out of his blue striped pyjama pants ...

And here I was, aiding his escape, finding the newest rentals in the house to watch and jumping into the car with him... driving in the early morning sun that still wasn't hot enough to cause discomfort, it was just right... As we drove away from the house he just about to explain why he was faking his illness when out of the blue, this song came on the radio...

"I love this song!" he shouts, raising the volume... are the villagers looking, I wonder? Who cares... I look straight ahead and sing right along with him...

You've gotta be cruel to be kind, in the right measures, cruel to be kind, it's a very good sign...
Cruel to be kind, it means that I love youu... baaabyyy... you gotta be cruel, you gotta be cruel to be kiiiiind...

It will always be one of my favourite memories, singing along in the car to some good old music we both loved... We got back to his house and he called his wife, admitting of his little escapade... I heard her laugh and tell him we might as well walk over to the club to pick them up... We walked over, found his wife and his daughter waiting and I watched him reunite with his family... Smiling together, pushing the little one's pram and just enjoying the simplest of times...

Truly one of my favourite days, favourite memories... Even the simplest of days are the best: spending time with my big brother... how cheesy but true... I miss him a lot, I hope he's still not bunking off work to watch stupid movies at home...

Happy Birthday, Love Lot's

Seroo x