Thanksgiving with my parents and siblings was something special, something interesting always happened on thanksgiving. I come out of a family of six, four brothers and one sister. I am the youngest of my siblings, but I have a brother who was 5 years older than me. He is the youngest boy in our family. My brother Tyrone was very hard headed as a child. My mother stayed at his school, because he was constantly getting into trouble at the school and around the house. He never did anything my mom told him to do, always do what he wanted to do.
During this particular Thanksgiving my brother just turned 11 years old and he was playing football for a local kid’s league football team. The team was having an unofficial practice on Thanksgiving Day. My mom already told my brother he does not need to be at the practice. But Tyrone being his usual hard headed and wanted to attend practice anyway. My mother was old fashion. She would cook a huge Thanksgiving meal invite friends and family over. She really believes the whole family should spend the day together. However, my brother had other plans. He did not want to spend the day with the family and wanted to play football.
My mom use to make me and my sister help with preparing the food the night before, then Thanksgiving Day she would reheat everything she cook the following day. My mom was in the kitchen reheating thanksgiving dinner when Tyrone came into the kitchen. He came into the kitchen and told my mom there was an official practice going on park around the corner from our house. He did not know my mom already talk to the coach and knew there was no official practice for his team. My mom nodded her head, and then she said “Its Thanksgiving and the family suppose to be together, to give thanks and pray together.” Tyrone stormed off. Whenever, Tyrone did not get his way he would torture everyone around him.
He started in on my deaf older brother, he called him retarded and picked a fight with him. My mom already knew Tyrone was involved when they started arguing. She broke it up, but then Tyrone decided to pick on my oldest sister. He took all of her new clothes and threw them in the bathtub. My sister caught him when he was about to turn the water on in the bathtub. She called my mom and my mom was interrupted in the middle of preparing Thanksgiving dinner pushing the eating time even further back. This time she yelled at him and told he would never go to the practice acting like a “menace”.
My mom got tired of all the madness my brother was causing, such as starting fights and trying to destroy property. So, she made a deal with him. She decided to let him go to the practice, if he stays for dinner. My father said grace over the food, Tyrone said out loud “God I just want to play football today”, in a sarcastic manner. Tyrone fixed a small plate and rushed to eat the food. My mom told him “You know you eat more than that. Those people are still going to be on the park when you get there. There is no need to rush. When you rush, you always miss something and in football you get injured.” Tyrone in his usual “I don’t care attitude” just brushed my mother’s advice off. As soon as he was finish he left and went to the park.
Ten minutes after my brother left, there was a knock on the door. Tyrone and two teammates were at the door. They were helping my brother. My mom asked what was wrong because my brother was crying like he was in a lot of pain. The little boys said we was practicing, Tyrone took a hit and fall on his arm wrong. We think he may have broken his arm. She bought him in the house, and then she took him to the emergency room. Ruining the rest of the day for my mom and he had to have a cast on his arm for 13 weeks.
Something interesting always happen and the universe have its way of balancing itself. Even if it means a hard head disrespectful child breaks his arm on the football field, after being warned by his mother.