Tuesday 28 October 2014

The day I almost killed my brother

Courtesy of Rawich at
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sometimes I find I get to thinking of the past. Reflecting on my boyhood, it is astounding that I, or my sibling, survived into our teenage years, yet alone middle age.

My infancy was littered with stupid deeds, too numerous to list in their entirety. But a few remain at the forefront of my memory, not least because each could have led to a fatality. Like the time I nearly killed my brother.

“I wonder if I could fit inside that suitcase,” said Tony, as we both lay on the floor in our parents’ bedroom one rainy afternoon, wrestling with boredom.

Tony is my older brother, five years my senior, and (on the evidence of this story) just as dumb as me – perhaps stupidity is in the genes! The “can we fit in a suitcase” game seemed appealing to my five-year-old mind, so I squealed with enthusiasm at the prospect and instantly rose to my feet.

“No, I’ll go first,” said my commanding big brother; I knew from previous experience that there was no point in arguing with him. I watched, admiringly, as Tony climbed inside the suitcase, adopted an extra-coiled version of the foetal position, and asked me to shut the lid. “But whatever you do, don’t lock it.”

Perhaps a child psychiatrist would today label my behaviour as indicative of “oppositional defiant disorder,” but I often found that a request not to carry out a specific action immediately induced an urge to do so. I dutifully closed the suitcase.

“Told you I could do it.” The muffled sound of my brother’s voice, seeping through the lid, was almost inaudible.

“What would happen if I pressed this metal thingy on here?” I asked.   

Fifty years on, I think my brother’s retort was, “Nooooooo…,” but I can’t be sure, as the sounds leaking from the case seemed distorted and breathy. Anyway, I pushed one of the two metal fasteners on the case and it clicked into place. I immediately tried to unlock it but by my five-year-old mind did not have the wherewithal to realize that, to achieve this aim, I would need to slide the catch outwards with my thumb. Instead, I tugged at the fastener, but to no avail.

The indistinct sounds from inside the case rose an octave, and were accompanied by repeated knocking noises. I think I recall hearing “I can’t breathe” and whimpers that seemed to originate from miles away but were, in retrospect, coming from the locked valise in front of me. I tried lifting the unlocked end of the lid, and wafting my hand under its lip while repeating, “Have some air,” but the panicky cries from inside suggested my actions were not having the desired effect.

When my brother could no longer be heard, I ran downstairs to find mum who was washing clothes in the kitchen.

“I think Tony’s dead,” I said, standing guiltily in the doorway. Mum sped upstairs, immediately recognized what had happened – as mum’s do – and flicked the suitcase catch to release my brother. As he gingerly got to his feet, I recall his ashen features. Copious amounts of sweat and tears rolled down his cheeks, and he was panting in a way that reminded me of how our dog behaved after a long walk on a sultry day.

But mum seemed unfazed, as if her heroics were all part of a typical day – perhaps they were. “Keep out of the suitcases,” she said, nonchalantly, as she returned to her dolly tub and mangle (wringer).

As for Tony, he continues to have a fear about confined spaces; strange that!    





22 comments:

  1. LOL! Keep out of the suitcase. Moms have a way with life's daily shenanigans.

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    1. Yes, it was all in a day's work for my (then) 32-year-old mum.

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  2. This speaks so well to the blitheness of children and could have had a tragic outcome. I'm glad you were spared the guilt of what might have been a family tragedy.

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    1. We had quite a few near misses - I'll share some of them in future posts.

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  3. On the bright side, that was one great suitcase. Won't see your skivvies come flying out as they load it on the airplane.

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    1. They made the cases sturdy in those days, not like the zip-up luggage nowadays.

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  4. Preventing the kids from killing themselves was just another chore like airing the linen. Your mother was as cool as Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds

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    1. Yes the comparison with Lady Penelope is a good one - apart for the posh accent, that is!

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  5. OMG, can I ever relate to the antics of siblings. My older brothers did horrific things to me. One put me in a shopping cart and let go of it on purpose...down a hill! The look of fear on his face was what terrified me most. Hahaha...great story.

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    1. All-in-all, it's a wonder anyone makes it into adulthood. I appreciate your interest and comment.

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  6. Oh yes the situations we get into with our brothers, reminds me of a time with my little brother and a car trunk at the wrecking yard, yes he survived and my mom wasn't near as calm as yours :)

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  7. Little brother and a car trunk? I can see the parallels to my own shenanigans.

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  8. I feel like EVERY brother has a story like this! For us it was a large dryer in my sister's apartment building. Yep, we both fit. Yep, he got stuck and I had to get someone to get him out. My son had this happen w/his little cousin IN THE TRUNK OF MY CAR! They figured out how to pull the seat down and crawled in the trunk, then pulled the seat back and somehow latched it! Same thing, they were in there for about a minute, but they were all freaked out and talked about it forever! Too funny!

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    1. It seems that there is an irresistible attraction between children and confined spaces. Seems kind of a death wish!

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  9. I was lucky enough to grow up next to a family of three boys and one girl - preparation for having my own two. If you were five, and your brother even older, your mom had already had lots of practice at keeping her cool.

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    1. Yes, in those days my mother was a cool Trojan; nothing seemed to ruffle her, despite toiling day-in, day-out, both at home and in a noisy textile factory. A remarkable woman.

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  10. I didn't realize I was claustrophobic up until reading this post and gauging my reaction to it. Your mom's a woman of incredible composure!

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    1. My mother is salt of the earth. In her younger days, she worked long shifts in a textile factory before cooking/cleaning for her family. Nothing used to phase her. Now 85 years old, she tends to worry more but is still gong strong in many respects.

      Thanks for your support.

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  11. I love this story and could just imagine you frantically trying to open the locks for your bother. Poor fellow----I'm sure he never looks at a suitcase quite the same way.

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  12. I think the experience has blighted every holiday since!

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  13. My daughter thought it was funny to climb into the dryer... and she was much older than 5! She didn't close the door, but still it was frightening to imagine what could happen. My other daughter and I tried to remain as calm as your Mom when we told her to get out and not to do it again.

    Parenthood!

    I knew where your story was headed, yet it was still creepy!

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    1. It's as if all children have some kind of death wish; it's surprising anyone ever makes it to adulthood!

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