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The brother: Billy (called bill now, Beep by grandaddy martin, haunsey by mum) Born February 28th in maybe 1957? He's like 43 or something now.
His story is mostly tragedy.
The father he had was a philanderer. The cruelest thing I remember is that my father never went to billy's baseball/football games, but later my mother found letters detailing that daddy went to his lover-at-the-time (leigh)'s sons games like a champ.
Billy turned out bitter.
He was in juvenile jail. Father had him get out of private school as the family couldn't afford it. Mother sees this as the beginning of his downfall.
Billy was the first child. Mother taught him to write at age three. He could read by the time he was five or so (potty trained very early). He was bored in kindergarten. He came home and told mother that they were learning colours and that no one knew how to read.
Mother did not make this mistake with meredith (who came along two years later). Billy was very jealous of Meri. He used to count the christmas presents to make sure meri didn't get more than him (which my mother to this day, will wrap up a used book to make it all equal even though it would be ludicrous for us to count now).
Billy was adored by Grandaddy Sutherland (as mentioned earlier) and grandmommy sutherland.
He ran with the bad crowd in public school.
My memories of him? I ADORED him. He once told mother that he wanted to run away from the family and burn the house down and take no one with him but me. He used to give me candy for babysitting myself while he would play with his ruffians. I loved him, and I have never minded being left alone. Billy was an artist. He would draw portraits of my mother and mushrooms (a lot of mushrooms). He once told me that he didn't know how to read when he was breaking out a book for me, and that I would have to read it for him. I believed him and was filled with pity. When billy took me to visit Ginger - an older woman - he took me. I smoked pot at age three, and they LAUGHED and laughed. I was funny.
In a last ditch effort to reform him, billy was shipped off to the navy at age 17? He was only allowed in because we have a General Carl Sutherland in the family (well he's dead now).
Billy got kicked out for dealing pot (and swears to this day that it was a friend of his).
He got a girl - becky - pregnant when she was fifteen. They married in grandaddy martin's living room. My father performed the ceremony.
This disastrous pregnancy became john (who if you'll recall is my favorite nephew - the only one I have ever written a letter to - while he was in juvie trying to detail the patterns he was falling into).
Jessica came along two years later (She is the one who is pregnant at age 18 with a mixed race baby and will likely keep it because 'i guess it's meant to be'). William came along ten years later. He is in 8th grade and fishes with billy and helps him in the shop.
My brother is a genius mechanic. Honestly.
Billy - like his father before him - is a huge alcoholic. He drinks and drives and has been in jail 10+ times. This last time, he was put in jail only on work release for six months. The judge said to my 42 year old brother "when will you learn?".
Billy divorced Becky when she left him to be young and crazy again. He loved her. The children say he still does. Becky had affairs and got on crack and is now a waitress at red lobster living in a trailer with a black man. I only mention black because billy is very racist (and a staunch bush supporter which is ironic as billy is poor and smokes pot like a fiend).
Billy married a crack dealer with a lot of pizzazz: Dulcie. She was an old family friend of theirs. My aunt married them (she is an ordained minister in the disciples of christ - first christians church). They had a freaky divorce - restraining orders - jail time for my brother...
It is my mother's hope that billy will embrace his alcoholism. She has even called Daddy in on the game. Daddy said that until billy accepts it, there is really nothing he can do. Billy still visits daddy in florida. The last time he was there, daddy asked if he cheated on his wife. Daddy says he has every time.
Billy now owns his own shop and is looking into buying a house for the first time in his life. He is living with a bizarre but very insecure and bless-her-heart woman - Theresa.
Although he never enrolled the older ones in any sports (money). William is now on the wrestling team. My mother takes an active interest in william... takes him to camp in the summers and he stays with her on say a weekend a month. They go to movies.
Billy cried ferociously at 'Bambi'.
Two of my oracles have said that I have to heal my brother. It is one of my karmic duties. I have no idea how, but for his birthday this year - I sent him a larry brown book. All of his wives say he loves to read (mostly that dude that does all the westerns.) billy loved indians.
I suppose Meri will have to wait until later. She is a success story (except in love).
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