Day 217: Big Brother

     "Now, Maribel, I want you to listen to your brother and do your tarea while I am gone, okay?"

     "But, Mami, all I have left is math.  I hate math!"

     "But it helps you get smart and grow up to get a nice job someday."  She gave her daughter a kiss on the head.  "Javier, I'm leaving now!"

     The sixteen year old hopped off the couch and walked to the door.

     His mother grabbed her keys, shoved some papers in her purse, and slipped on her shoes.  "Henry should be up from his nap in another half hour, and your papi will home with Lucia by 6:00.  There's some leftovers on the second shelf in the fridge that you can eat for dinner."  She kissed him on the cheek.  "Te amo, hijo."

     "Te amo, Mami."

     Javier locked the door after she left.  He hoped that she didn't have to work too late that night.  He worried about her health.  She barely ate on days when she had to leave the house to work, and she always seemed to be on the go.  He couldn't imagine how much harder she'd have to work if he didn't start his part-time job a year ago.  If his parents hadn't insisted that he at least keep half of each paycheck for his own spending money, he'd give them all the money he earned.

     He walked into the living room where his chemistry book was sitting on the coffee table and crossed his arms in a slightly playful mood when he saw Maribel on the couch with the remote.

     "Maribel, what did Mami say?"

     "Oh just five minutes!" she pleaded.  "My head hurts from all the homework I had.  Mrs. Lincoln gave us homework in four subjects tonight!  And we had to write our spelling words out three times today instead of twice!  I think my finger has a blister!"  She held it out for him to inspect.

     "Then how can you use the remote?" he gently tugged it out of her hand.  "Come on, I'll help you with it to get it done faster."

     "OK."  She reluctantly rose and followed him into the kitchen where her books were on the table.

     Javier read aloud the problems and helped her think through her computations.  His presence helped her keep her focus, and they finished in less than twenty minutes.  By that time, Henry stumbled out of bed and wanted to help Javier practice his drums for church.

     "You know what, Henry?  That's a good idea.  I haven't practiced my drums yet.  Come on."

     "Can I come too?  I wanna crash the cymbal!"

     He couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.  "Sure, let's go."

     Javier sat at his stool in front of his drum set, with Henry on his lap holding one drumstick and Maribel standing nearby with the other one.  Javier guided his brother's chubby hand as he helped him play, but he has careful Henry didn't hit too hard.  It had taken his parents almost a year to save up enough money to be able to buy him his own set, and he didn't want them to ruin it.  After playing for all of five minutes, their attention was lost, and Maribel raced Henry to play with his block set.  Javier moved back to the living room to keep an eye on them.  Having younger siblings had given him much patience and sometimes cause him to lose his temper, but he couldn't imagine life without them.