What could possibly go wrong!

[Bob Williams]

Steve you would have been in the same position as my two older brothers, with a brat 17 and 15 years younger than them at home. I don’t know how your kid brother felt about you, but my big bro was my absolute hero as a kid. He joined the RN at 17, only had a couple of years and came out in a sulk because they scrapped HMS Nelson, his Battleship, he loved that ship and would not go to minesweepers. Our mam bought him out. The other bro is a complete indifference to me, although he is quite ill now there was too much bad blood between us, caused by the many dirty tricks he played on myself and big bro over the years. There is about 70 miles between us and that is OK with me.

My big bro taught me a lot, started me reading and writing at 3 (he got bored when he came home from the pit) and protected me a lot from the mental rages mam flew into. He also taught me how to strip down engines from about 8: I was on the pillion of his various motorbikes from about 4 years old. Whilst he was courting my lovely SIL, they would take me out on a tandem, a small seat bolted to the crossbars. (He sold his motorbikes to fund the wedding). When they found a house, I spent more time up there than at home: I grew up with two nephews only 5 and 7 years younger than me, so they were more like kid brothers. My happiest childhood days were at my brother’s house, not at home. But I occasionally took the P**s out of him for only managing 2 years in the Andrew, when I did 12 in the Army. From a safe distance that is, he was a real hard nut. One night he took on 3 brothers who kicked 7 bells out of me, knocked all 3 spark out.

That episode with the poor deluded woman, must have been weird. It would have setup all kinds of worry in your mum’s mind: “What if-?” as you say.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Tbh I don’t really know my kid brother, it’s a long story but basically I moved away not long I came out of service, I spent two years give or take, back home and would visit, but I moved away,  done the uni thing and never returned.

I visit once a year out of formality, but I don’t really know him or my mother properly now, seen them about 10 times in 15 years. I have my own family and not a fan of looking back, as Ive mentioned before. Like death, once their gone their gone, not worth worrying about.

Regarding the women thing,  yes strange indeed. I somthing I forget for years at a time, the post before brought it back. Tbh I recall seeing her in the cloakroom, but the rest I only know from it being told back to me as an adult.

Another strange occurrence  at home today, my youngest son was brought home from school at 15:00h by a teacher, he has apparently pee’d off the school lunitic and was escorted home for his safty. The school said it was nothing he did, but I know his smart gob.

This kid is apparently the school bully and is a bit on the psychotic side, plus a year older.  he has been suspended for the rest of the week, next week is half term! So new worries for the wife for the next 2 weeks.  Great!

The kid doesn’t have a father, so one can’t go and “have a quiet word” . However the school said he is known to the police and they have to report his behaviour to them. So best I can’t go round.

So God know who or what my lad had landed himself in. Just Maybe it may be a lesson in holding his tongue my kid might  learn. Knowing him though,   I doubt it.

One to watch one thinks. Never a quite hour in my place.

[Bob Williams]

I left my old home in the old village where I grew up when I moved into a flat after leaving the Army, but always had a picture of it in my head. With my dad, over the years we planted 3 apple trees in a triangle at the top end, with eldeberry along the top and a fence next to neighbours, along which we trained blackberry vines. The apple trees grew as did the blackberries and the rest of the garden was packed full of vegetables. I was the only one of 3 brothers who would garden with my old man, who was just the best dad and made up for a psychotic mother.

After I married, mam and dad had both passed away and we moved into a house further up the village. I had not been round the back of the old place for many years, kept talking about it to SWMBO and one day I stopped the car outside the house, took her up to see it. Went round the back: no apple trees, no blackberries, no veg. Just lawn, no trees at the back, a new fence all round. Then it hit me – I don’t live here anymore, it’s nothing to do with me and hasn’t been for years! It was like being set free somehow, can’t really explain it. But as I walked down the path, I looked at the house wall; all along the brickwork, were our names, scratched in by me, my brothers, nephews and nieces. So until that old house falls down, it’s still got some Williams in it!

Steve that story about your lad is familiar to me in more than one way. I was always short as a kid, not got much taller now, but having 2 older brothers I was always looking up to, I had to be like them. There is always at least one resident bully and mine lived a few doors down, one day gave me a slap at school and I went for him, using the instruction from Big Bro “punch right in the middle of his face” which I did and he ran off crying. Dad was sent for next day and was not best pleased, but considered the relative sizes of me and the bully, then asked why the school could not stop him. This episode stayed with me and I became cocky, punching well above my weight until I hit thewrong lad and got a real kicking.

Fast forward 2 generations to my No.2 gson at school, being tormented by the bigger lad down the street. I taught him what my Big Bro taught me and he broke the lad’s nose, both suspended until gson’s mates stood up for him and told the Head that the bully was in the wrong. 5 years later, my gson is massive, towers over the one-time bully, who will cross the street to avoid gson just looking down at him and smiling, with no intention of ever hitting him again. “That’s Karma in action, granddad!” he says…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Well things have now sorted them selves out. The mother had enough of him and packed him off to his dad’s In Manchester, typical mancs lol.

My lad and this guy had no previous, he just said somthing to my lad and his mates, and my lad is on the lower end of the autism scale. It’s not offical, but we take thought it for years. We was called in to school a few months back and asked had we had him tested, we said no so they asked could they proceed. So we will se what comes over it.

Anyway my lad cant hold his tongue, he takes everything very literal, the lad called them a bunch of F-ing bustard’s, and my lad blerted out, but I have a dad. Which given the lad doesn’t live with his, must of hit a nerve.

So for now at least the kid has gone. The stew that broke the camels back it seems.

He is a year older than my lad, but my lad does maths with his year, good with numbers, but very dyslexic, and doesn’t have a filter between this brain and mouth. It’s a shame as the most common phase the lad know is “shut up George” doent matter if it’s at home, his grandparents or at school. 5 mins in a room with him and you’ll say it.

Sadly his younger sister, seems to be following in his footsteps this the litteral stuff! Though she is verygood at English, and ok(ish) with numbers, the total opppersite of him. Well not total, as her maths is average for her age, but excellent at reading and writing.

The boy takes after me, not sure who the girl takes after! May have to raise thst at the next family meeting ?

When I go home to see old school friend, another 3 times a year, I always go my best friends first, he still live with his mum, in the same house opposite my first family home until I was 16 we moved out of it about 3 weeks before I joined up.

I still had a key, and on leave I’d go out with my mates and sleep in the old house for about 18monts. Anyway still mow 25 and years on, I still see the house and the nostalgia comes back. Funny we planted a tree in the front garden, thst went about 10 years ago, which made me sad for a second, as does the unkept grass everytime I go.

Its really strange for me, as I’m not sentimental or nostalgic, I’ve may of mentioned before my wife says I have a heart of stone. Party ad I didn’t cry at my dad’s funeral, but I never liked him much, being older now, and approaching his death age, makes me think I was a bit harsh, but all his own doing.

Also i never shed tears over my grandparents, and I loved them. But I think it’s a military thing, I thrill think they break you a bit inside, or I’ve just got one hell of a stiff upper lip. Or a heart of stone.

Cool side srort- I’m currently growing a full scale beard just to annoy the wife. Started on NYD and its coming on a treat. I’ve done 6 months before, but never kept it tidy. I’m doing it right this time. I like it, she hates it. Though I’ve never been clean shaven since I left the marines, I have beard clippers and usually give it a number zero ever few days but now Im going all out cave man.

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