Steady as a rock, that's my brother Peter. Dependable as the day is long. All the values you'd associate with someone typecasted as the elder brother, both in my nuclear family - and also in our much, much wider extended family diaspora.
From the day I was born as the younger sibling, he became the elder brother in our generation from that day onwards - the gēge 哥哥, the hyung형, the bhaiyaaभैया- and damn if he hasn't tried his best to live up to that name. Wild drunken party animal he never was. Don't think I've ever seen him closed to inebriated even!
Most probably due to our family circumstances back when we were impressionable schoolkids, a series of unfortunate events that forced my poor brother Peter to grow up a lot faster than he should have. So yes, he has been held up as a shining paragon of virtue for the rest of the younger rugrats to follow, much to their neverending consternation.
But it is something when a younger sibling holds you up to such enviably lofty standards - and quite another when even your mother doesn't disagree.
Paul : Where's my brother? He didn't come home last night?
Mother : Out for a night with his friends. Pretty late so Peter stayed over at their place.
Paul : Sure Peter wasn't so thoroughly pissed carousing drunk the whole night that they had to carry him home?
Mother : It's your brother. He's pretty responsible.
Paul : Ouch.
Mother : I have two ....
Paul : Don't say it!
Mother : ... responsible sons.
Paul : Double ouch!
Such dull dogs we are that even our mother can't possibly fathom us doing anything remotely wild. Now that has to sting a little! Well at least I know my stolid brother won't even blink an eye but doesn't she know I'm the wildly contrary sort who'd probably take that as a challenge?
From the day I was born as the younger sibling, he became the elder brother in our generation from that day onwards - the gēge 哥哥, the hyung형, the bhaiyaaभैया- and damn if he hasn't tried his best to live up to that name. Wild drunken party animal he never was. Don't think I've ever seen him closed to inebriated even!
Most probably due to our family circumstances back when we were impressionable schoolkids, a series of unfortunate events that forced my poor brother Peter to grow up a lot faster than he should have. So yes, he has been held up as a shining paragon of virtue for the rest of the younger rugrats to follow, much to their neverending consternation.
 |
| What? Us straight-laced? |
Paul : Where's my brother? He didn't come home last night?
Mother : Out for a night with his friends. Pretty late so Peter stayed over at their place.
Paul : Sure Peter wasn't so thoroughly pissed carousing drunk the whole night that they had to carry him home?
Mother : It's your brother. He's pretty responsible.
Paul : Ouch.
Mother : I have two ....
Paul : Don't say it!
Mother : ... responsible sons.
Paul : Double ouch!
Such dull dogs we are that even our mother can't possibly fathom us doing anything remotely wild. Now that has to sting a little! Well at least I know my stolid brother won't even blink an eye but doesn't she know I'm the wildly contrary sort who'd probably take that as a challenge?
4 comments:
Interesting. So he's the Stoic, ram-rod straight guy, and you're the 'secretly, not so straight-laced' one?
I can totally relate to your elder brother. Got facebook ar?
Well he certainly doesn't think I'm responsible :)
go to the picture on the last post! Fb right there XD
Post a Comment