CHAPTER 11

BROTHER FRED’S SETBACK

Brother Fred was over five years old by now, after he had recovered from his illness. unfortunately, by then it was the wrong time of the year for him to go to school. So it was decided he must wait until the following spring. so now he was found to be helpful with John in his third year, and regarded as a toddler not a baby any more. Baby’s were a thing of the past, although I still felt that it was Fred who needed minding not John. Fred had an energetic nature, looking around for a new interest. But John would just follow Mother around, no high spirits to work off, I suppose. On Sundays and Saturdays I was told if Fred joined Alice and I to play out of doors, after him being so ill we must take great care of him, so that I would remember. I was told by my oldest sister, if Fred had this dreaded pleurisy again, he might not get over it. This made me very nervous, and afraid especially as Fred wasn’t going to be the nervous kind, but daring, he would try anything once. he was the last one to realise it was too difficult for him. One thing he found such pleasure in doing was to walk the farmyard wall. it was not very high. Just about as tall as I was, and I used to struggle to keep hold of his hand to help him balance, and on the other side was a ditch, the chance was if I let go he would fall in the ditch. So I never let go. But two loose bricks came out, and that made him tumble, and the last brick hit him in the face, and hurt his eye, and cut his lip. That taught me a lesson, not to let him persuade me to do anything I couldn’t do myself. In any case, he decided for himself he didn’t want to walk the farmyard wall again, and it was too cold for even any games except skipping. So we spent a lot of time in the barn, doing that or spinning our home made tops, made from empty cotton reels. I suppose we were very lucky to have farm buildings to play in, when it came on to rain, or in the winter, and it seemed as if the winter was twice as long as the summer.

Easter 1917 did come, and the day came when Fred started school. I was so proud of my little brother, as we all had, Fred had all nice new clothes to start school and he wasn’t shy or he wasn’t going to cry I could tell that he was sure of himself. What a great relief it was to me to see no tears, or no embarrassments. He was as big as the rest even better than I could have hoped, all that worrying for nothing! The circumstance had been a help, just that extra year on his age, and in my age too made all the difference. And the advantage of all these brothers and sisters at school with him, three sisters and two brothers, I was almost cured of getting so anxious about Fred, or I thought I had, but I still am now that I’m 75 and he’s 73.  We are still as attached as we ever were. Although it doesn’t sound like it sometimes. But so far what ever goes wrong in brother Fred’s life sooner or later it rights itself miraculously in mind, body or soul. So why do I get so over-anxious as I do?