Memories Of My Big Brother Sergio by Mia Lowry

For as long as I can remember Sergio was a joker in the family. When we were little girls he was the one who played with us the most. I can still remember some of the games we played. One game that sticks out the most is when we played 'Animals'. Suzie, Tonie and I would always pick cutesy furry animals (of course, we are girls, what do you expect?) such as a bunny, kitty, deer, etc..Sergio, however, would choose a lion, tiger or bear (no pun intended here).

We would pretend to be these gentle creatures in the forest and suddenly, the ferocious beast Sergio was emulating would come upon us to devour us. Sometimes he would not know when to stop and freak us out (on purpose, I am sure) until we would say, "OK, OK, you ate us! You ate us! Game over!" Well, he wouldn't stop the first time, but more like the seventh or eighth time we would say these words.

I remember once how we were wrestling and he knocked out my tooth. There was blood all over our green blanket. Why I ever thought that playing with an older brother was OK is beyond me?

Another moment of trickery was when we, girls, were folding our laundry. It was a cool evening and we had the window open. The light from the street streaming into our room. When suddenly we heard a mysterious heavy breathing coming from the window and an evil laugh. Somehow he managed to cast his shadow (intentional or not, I don't know) into our room and all we knew was that a man was laughing at our window. Tonie, who was quick on her feet (it's no wonder she works for 911) got the closest thing she could to defend us and began to whack the window mercilessly. What did she get? A pair of panties. I am sure she was going to bludgeon him to death with those underwear if not die trying. :)

Then there was the time I had to go out and hang my towel in the backyard to dry. He came and kicked the aluminum (from the shed, the door of it) fence meant to keep the dog in the yard. Some protector that dog turned out to be! It yelped all the way behind the dryer and left me alone to fend for myself against this unseen villain. After I gained control over my hysterical screaming, and froze in fear, he came out to let me see it was him.

He did this to me another time when I was taking the trash out at night, but this time he was in a tree. He was hooting like an owl. Now let it be known (even if she does deny it now, she did in fact tell me this) Mom had put a fear in me of owls. She told us owls will come down and pluck out your eyes to eat them. So, when I went to take out the trash at night as a routine before bedtime up above in a tree I heard the hooting of an owl. I froze and closed my eyes tightly. I did not want my eyes to be plucked from my head. Then after a few hoots I heard a laughter to what sounded to me like the cackling of the devil himself. I screamed and started to cry. He jumped down from the tree, and I wish I could say this did not scare me more, but it did. I know he felt bad about it, but in bouts of laughter he asked if I was OK. I guess I looked pretty scared.

There was never a dull moment with Sergio in the house. He was always up to something. Trying to trick Mom or Dad and us girls. You always knew when he was home or coming home because he made himself known that is, unless he was about to get you with one of his practical jokes. I wish I could remember all of the pranks he did to us, but they are so many to recall and my memory is fading.

I do, however, remember how one time we started a fire in the front yard. It was fun, but it got out of hand. If I remember correctly we put lighter fluid onto it and it jumped higher than I was tall at the time. It's a wonder how Mom ever survived his childhood (well, all of us for that matter).

The one thing I remember that freaked me out more than any of his pranks was when we, Mom and I, drove to Phoenix to see him in the hospital when he was 19. He had surgery on his nose and he looked like he was beat up. I could still picture him lying there in bed. Suddenly, his eyes popped open, he jumped up and ran towards the bathroom mirror. I had to run behind him to push his IV as Mom was worried it would come out of his hand. Later, Mom told me how hard it was for her to see him like that and how scared he made her when he jumped out of bed.

One thing about Sergio you should always remember that beneath his gruff exterior (the persona he puts out there) he has a soft heart under it all. I am grateful to have him as a brother. I remember the times we had at the First Phoenix Apostolic Church and Glendale Church and how people would either ask me: "Are you twins?" Twins! He is way older than me. Ugh! Do I look that old? I would wonder. "Where's your boyfriend?" What boyfriend? "The one you come to church with?" Ugh! That is my brother! Sick! "Oh, I am sorry."

I remember when he was choir director at Glendale and Kelli May and I would be cutting up. He was such a tough director. He would get so mad at me and expected me to be an example because I was his sister, but I couldn't be anything more than his bratty kid sister. I can still remember the look he would give us. It was much like the look Dad use to give us at church during the sermons in Yuma.

I am grateful I am blessed with my brother Sergio. He was and always will be not only my brother, but a friend. I love him dearly as I love all of my family and miss them so much.