Status: Finished
Comfort
Brother
I did most of my homework between the end of school and 4:00, which is when my brother gets home. I get him off the bus every day. He’s in second grade. “Hey there Shane. How was your day?” “Good.” He smiled crookedly up at me. Shane has Down Syndrome. It’s something that vaguely horrifies my parents, or at least I think so. They don’t really take care of him, as far as the little details that really help go. I was nine when he was born, and before then I was just a normal child. But when Shane came out, blinking those soft blue eyes, I became a caretaker. I found all the facts on Down Syndrome I could, used my mother’s name to join chat sites that helped parents of children with Down Syndrome.
I fed him, clothed him, changed diapers, woke up to comfort him in the middle of the night. When Shane has nightmares he still comes to my room and sleeps with me. I help him with his homework, and even go to Parent/Teacher meetings. The teachers used to have me, and they understand how my life works. Shane calls me ‘Mama’ but he calls our mom ‘Mother’. That’s caused a lot of problems in my family. My parents aren’t bad, honestly.
They just don’t know how to deal with a child as ‘unusual’ as Shane is. I love him more than anything. I half consider him my child sometimes. “What did you do in school today, love?” He smiled up at me again, showing the gap where his front tooth used to be. “ I got...a check plus. In Math.” Squealing, I hugged him to me. “Good job, Shane! I’ll get you ice cream tonight, okay?” “Okay Mama.” “Bree.” Shane just smiled and went to the kitchen to get a snack.
I finished homework after helping Shane with his. His aide, Ms. Kane, is a lovely, gentle woman who’s been helping him since kindergarten. She really loves the children she works with, and it shows. Ms. Kane is Shane’s second favorite person, besides me. We had dinner alone-our parents weren’t home yet. “Ice cream, Mama?” he asked. I sighed, mentally counting up the money it would cost me. I have a job at a book store in town, just one day a week, and my parents give me eight dollars for allowance. It’s not a lot though....However, Shane had earned his ice cream, so I smiled at him and kissed his baby cheek. “Sure love.” He took my hand and dragged me out the door.
Shane’s favorite ice cream place is ‘Iceepalooza’ a small family run store with perfect, creamy ice cream. I know the family by name and I’m actually friends with their daughter, Lisa. “Hi Shane. Hi Bree.” Mr. Yatik grinned at me from his place behind the counter. “And would be the occasion today?” “I got a check plus....on my Math test!” Shane crowed. He looked over at me. “Right Mama?” I nodded. “One triple chocolate brownie please.” I couldn’t afford anything for myself, and I knew Mr. Yatik was aware of that. In a few minutes Shane was devouring his treat, and Mr. Yatik leaned out the window.
“Look, Bree, have a cone. It’s on the family.” I tried to refuse, but he stubbornly offered it to me, so I thanked him and took it. When I sat down I saw Navy, sitting with what I assumed to be her family. Taking Shane’s hand I walked over. “Navy!” She jumped at my voice and turned around. “Bree.” Navy’s family looked on with poorly concealed interest. I’m not sure why, but I immediately disliked her mother, a small plump woman who looked nothing like Navy. Her father seemed bland. “This is my brother, Shane. Say hi love.” “Hi,” he peeped.
I was thankful that Navy showed none of the awkwardness some people do, she just smiled and greeted him. “I’m Bree. I led Navy around school today. It’s nice to meet you.” Smiling, I shook her parent’s hands. She had a little sister, maybe three with big eyes. I made small talk until Shane started tugging on my arm, clearly ready to go. “I’ve got to go then. See you tomorrow, Navy.” “Bye.” I took Shane back home and put him to bed, singing him a lullaby and reading a story. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.
I fed him, clothed him, changed diapers, woke up to comfort him in the middle of the night. When Shane has nightmares he still comes to my room and sleeps with me. I help him with his homework, and even go to Parent/Teacher meetings. The teachers used to have me, and they understand how my life works. Shane calls me ‘Mama’ but he calls our mom ‘Mother’. That’s caused a lot of problems in my family. My parents aren’t bad, honestly.
They just don’t know how to deal with a child as ‘unusual’ as Shane is. I love him more than anything. I half consider him my child sometimes. “What did you do in school today, love?” He smiled up at me again, showing the gap where his front tooth used to be. “ I got...a check plus. In Math.” Squealing, I hugged him to me. “Good job, Shane! I’ll get you ice cream tonight, okay?” “Okay Mama.” “Bree.” Shane just smiled and went to the kitchen to get a snack.
I finished homework after helping Shane with his. His aide, Ms. Kane, is a lovely, gentle woman who’s been helping him since kindergarten. She really loves the children she works with, and it shows. Ms. Kane is Shane’s second favorite person, besides me. We had dinner alone-our parents weren’t home yet. “Ice cream, Mama?” he asked. I sighed, mentally counting up the money it would cost me. I have a job at a book store in town, just one day a week, and my parents give me eight dollars for allowance. It’s not a lot though....However, Shane had earned his ice cream, so I smiled at him and kissed his baby cheek. “Sure love.” He took my hand and dragged me out the door.
Shane’s favorite ice cream place is ‘Iceepalooza’ a small family run store with perfect, creamy ice cream. I know the family by name and I’m actually friends with their daughter, Lisa. “Hi Shane. Hi Bree.” Mr. Yatik grinned at me from his place behind the counter. “And would be the occasion today?” “I got a check plus....on my Math test!” Shane crowed. He looked over at me. “Right Mama?” I nodded. “One triple chocolate brownie please.” I couldn’t afford anything for myself, and I knew Mr. Yatik was aware of that. In a few minutes Shane was devouring his treat, and Mr. Yatik leaned out the window.
“Look, Bree, have a cone. It’s on the family.” I tried to refuse, but he stubbornly offered it to me, so I thanked him and took it. When I sat down I saw Navy, sitting with what I assumed to be her family. Taking Shane’s hand I walked over. “Navy!” She jumped at my voice and turned around. “Bree.” Navy’s family looked on with poorly concealed interest. I’m not sure why, but I immediately disliked her mother, a small plump woman who looked nothing like Navy. Her father seemed bland. “This is my brother, Shane. Say hi love.” “Hi,” he peeped.
I was thankful that Navy showed none of the awkwardness some people do, she just smiled and greeted him. “I’m Bree. I led Navy around school today. It’s nice to meet you.” Smiling, I shook her parent’s hands. She had a little sister, maybe three with big eyes. I made small talk until Shane started tugging on my arm, clearly ready to go. “I’ve got to go then. See you tomorrow, Navy.” “Bye.” I took Shane back home and put him to bed, singing him a lullaby and reading a story. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.