Brother Tom

The older brother had to be around 13. The younger around 9. The sun was shining hot on them that afternoon as they took their spots on the lawn at Monroe Circle. The older brother was in charge and he should have been. Tall, muscular, and gifted in sports- one of those people that is just natural at sports- he was teaching some baseball moves to the younger, smaller brother. The older brother was not in the habit of teaching much to the younger brother. Their relationship was strained in the best of times, but, the younger was excited to finally have a connection with his brother, whom he secretly idolized. It started out very badly, the younger making many rookie errors, the older very critical. Soon, a familiar pattern set in and they started arguing. Bad feelings came aboard between them. It was, sadly, the core of their relationship.... My brother, Thomas Forrest Scoleri was born on January 21, 1962. He was the second child-- behind my sister Lisa-- but, he was the first male child. As such, he had the spotlight on him immediately. From what I have heard, he was a handsome , happy baby, who had a helluva temper. The crying fits he threw became somewhat legendary in the family. He loved to be rocked-- till the end of his life he always seemed to be rocking and in motion. Tom didn't talk much as an infant, in fact, he didn't say a word until he was around 3. My parents thought there might be a physical problem with him. Besides crying and rocking, he was a mute. The doctor said, no worry, he will talk soon. Sage words. Because once he started talking he never shut up!!! Throughout my childhood, I can remember everyone telling him to shut up, but, he kept going. Maybe, we were his first audience. Tom, even as a toddler, loved to be the center of attention. He was pretty magnetic and charming. In home movies, he always seemed to be sitting on someone's lap.... Tom was named after my Father's brother Tom, and, they always seemed to have a special bond. My brother in life grew closer to my Uncle Tom than his own father. But, Tom was my Mother's child. They had that bond. As I have written before, I think the reason my Mom had such a special place in her heart for my brother was because he reminded her so much of her own father. That is common. Very often a parent will see the past in the present when a child develops. And, as he developed, my brother was poised to be the center of all things in the family. That is until he got a younger brother... I was born almost 4 years later. I was the surprise baby. All fat and blond hair. I am named after my father, so, right away, my brother perceived a threat to his place in the family. While Lisa was 6 years older than Tom, she wasn't a worry to him. She was a girl, so, there was no need to start a rivalry with her. I, however, was the same sex, smaller, and, in need of the attention that all babies need. In short, he hated his new rival. More than sibling rivalry, he was filled with hate. Even at a young age, Tom was a very jealous person. I do not remember much as a baby, of course, but, my earliest memories of him are not flattering. Much picking on me from him. Much crying from me. This was the ongoing saga of my interaction with him. Tom would be punished, banished to his room- which we shared, so that didn't help me a fuck of a lot. The abuse continued there, sometimes physical towards me.... Mom and Dad knew this was a problem. They did their best. Lisa always stuck up for me with my brother. As I got older, I sort had gotten used to it. Occasionally, there would be peace, of which I was grateful, but, never to any long lasting truce. I was always on my guard with him, always awaiting the dark moments.... In school, Tom was the popular boy. Ok in the classroom, an absolute dynamo in sports!!! The raw ability he had was absolutely thrilling. His two best sports were baseball and basketball. I remember going to his games and being very proud to hear his name mentioned over the loudspeaker when he did something wonderful... All the girls loved him-- he kinda looked like the actor Robert Urich- so, girls calling the house became a common occurence. Despite my problems with him, he was a genuinely fun, witty, and loyal person to be around. People were constantly swarming to him, his friends were a mile long. As I looked up to him, he, along with my Dad, showed me what being a true friend is to be. I didn't feel inferior to him. I never felt in his shadow. We had different shadows we were in. He wanted baseball, I wanted acting. Since the two never intertwined, this was the one area we were carefree in with each other. But, I did take pride in him.....