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by mittfh
Copyright © 2010 Ben Norwood.
Otherwise known as the perils of listening to Desert Island Discs en-route into work, followed by a very quiet afternoon on the helpdesk...
Oh, and in my desire to always "do something different", I've tried writing this entirely in the present tense. On reflection, I'm not entirely convinced the concept works. Oh well.
Picture the scene:
About 20 years ago, two brothers playing on toy pedal-powered cars in their back garden on a hot summer's day. An older, stockier brother called Stuart and a younger, slimmer brother called Joe. As they are "driving" around the garden, a wheel comes off Joe's car and he tumbles off. Although not seriously hurt, the combination of the shock and devastation at the loss of his favourite toy causes him to burst into tears.
Stuart hears his brother crying, turns around his car, and "drives" over to Joe. He hugs Joe, brushes the grass stains off his jeans, then helps him into his own car. As Joe looks at him quizzically, Stuart explains that he couldn't bear to see his brother crying, and there was plenty of room in his car for a passenger. He even offered to take turns being "driver" and passenger.
Skip forward to the present day:
Stuart is now the managing director of a successful business, and just as ruthless on the squash court after work. He's driving along a country lane one icy morning, trying to avoid the chaos on the main road, which had allegedly been gritted the night before but hadn't stopped numerous crashes and a 10 mile tailback. Suddenly, he spots a car that had skidded and crashed into the verge, wrecking its bonnet. He's about to drive past, but something about the woman standing by the side looks vaguely familiar, so pulls over (safely), puts his hazard warning lights on, then walks over to the woman.
She appears to show a spark of recognition for Stuart, but then attempts to hide her face in her long hair. Stuart realises that, improbable as it may sound, that this woman is actually his younger brother.
"Err...hi...err...Joe?"
The woman sighs. "Yes Stu, it is me. Although I'm now Joanne, if you please."
"Wow! If I didn't know you before I'd never have guessed."
"Yeah, yeah, everyone says I look pretty, but I'm just a freak. Go away."
"Honestly, you do look pretty - as I said, if I didn't know you were Joe I'd never have guessed. Err...are you one of those trans-whatsits?"
"Yes, I am transgendered. OK, laugh at me - I know I'm just a freak in a dress."
"Aaargh! Look at me Joe...anne." He turns her face to look him in the eyes.
"You...are...NOT...a...freak. Look, I'm your brother - and now the MD of a respectable company. If I don't like something or someone, I tell them to their face. You've always had a fair complexion, and - dare I say it - looked prettier than me. I've always been the strong, tough one. You've always been more timid and emotional, and cared about your appearance. I know I always ribbed you about it, as it didn't seem very 'macho'. But now it all makes sense. And I have to admit, if you weren't my brother and we'd met in other circumstances, I would have considered dating you."
"Yeah, right."
"No, honest! Anyway, have you phoned your breakdown company? Told work?"
She sighs again. "I can't - there's hardly any signal here and my mobile's getting low on charge. I was just about to get back in and charge it up for 1/2 hr off the car battery when you turned up."
"Right, that settles it. You're coming in to work with me."
"What, so they can all laugh at your freaky brother?"
"NO! How many times do I have to tell you... Look, you're still shaken up - you probably wouldn't be able to concentrate at work anyway knowing your car was sitting out here. Once we arrive, you can phone your work and say you won't be in today because you've had an accident, then phone your insurers and breakdown company."
"But how will they know where the car is?"
"Sat-Navs are useful for more than telling you to turn left or right. You can give them the coordinates, and when they're ready to pick it up I'll drive you back here so you can hand over the keys and watch them load it up."
"OK. I suppose I can trust you - you are my brother after all."
"When have I ever lied to you or gone against you?"
"I suppose you have always looked out for me."
"And I didn't just do it out of a sense of duty. I enjoyed helping my little brother."
A few minutes later, in the comfort of Stuart's car, Joanne suddenly smiles.
"What?"
"Just thought back to that summer when we were about...8, wasn't it?"
Stuart thinks a minute then exclaims - "Crikey, funny how history repeats itself. You were distraught at the loss of your toy car, and I gallantly rode in rescued you. And now, twenty years later, I'm rescuing not only my brother, but a damsel in distress!"
"Cheeky!"
Over the next half hour they compare notes on what they'd been up to in the intervening years. Stuart had really excelled in English, Mathematics and Business Studies, and after taking a degree in Mathematics, had completed an MBA and was now managing a large business consultancy. Joe had excelled in the sciences, but after completing his biology degree had transitioned while working as a school science technician before taking a PGCE, and was now the head of science at a primary school.
Just as they reached a traffic jam in town, stuck at a red light, Kirsty Young played the second track on her guest's Desert Island Discs playlist - Rolf Harris' rendition of "Two Little Boys".
Stuart and Joanne look at each other, grin and roll their eyes simultaneously.
"Is that serendipity or is that serendipity?!"
They both stifle a laugh as the lights change to green and the car steadily rolls forward.
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Comments
Okay, I don't know what to
Okay, I don't know what to say, except I liked this little story. Jan
That was sweet, and very
That was sweet, and very sentimental too. I too heard Prof Jim Al Khalili on Desert Island Discs this morning, and remembering Rolf Harris's lovely rendering of that song, years ago, when he sang the last verse (which the Beeb did NOT include) I remember breaking down and weeping uncontrollably for several minutes at the thought of it - two brothers, on opposing sides in a battle in the US (Civil) War betwen the United and the Confederated States... Remembering it made my eyes run again today.
Obviously we both spend our days doing similar things, Mittfh
Briar
Briar
I wish
you had included the lyrics. I am not familiar with the song. Otherwise, very sweet.
The Lyrics and the story behind it
Each had a wooden horse
Gaily they played each summer's day
Warriors both of course
One little chap then had a mishap
Broke off his horse's head
Wept for his toy then cried with joy
As his young playmate said
Did you think I would leave you crying
When there's room on my horse for two
Climb up here Jack and don't be crying
I can go just as fast with two
When we grow up we'll both be soldiers
And our horses will not be toys
And I wonder if we'll remember
When we were two little boys
Long years had passed, war came so fast
Bravely they marched away
Cannon roared loud, and in the mad crowd
Wounded and dying lay
Up goes a shout, a horse dashes out
Out from the ranks so blue
Gallops away to where Joe lay
Then came a voice he knew
Did you think I would leave you dying
When there's room on my horse for two
Climb up here Joe, we'll soon be flying
I can go just as fast with two
Did you say Joe I'm all a-tremble
Perhaps it's the battle's noise
But I think it's that I remember
When we were two little boys
Do you think I would leave you dying
There's room on my horse for two
Climb up here Joe, we'll soon by flying
Back to the ranks so blue
Can you feel Joe I'm all a tremble
Perhaps it's the battle's noise
But I think it's that I remember
When we were two little boys
Rolf didn't write the song himself, he was given it by a Canberra, Australia, man called Ted Egan, who sung it for Rolf to record on tape. When Rolf returned to the UK he wanted to use it on his show but discovered he had lost the tape. He ’phoned Ted in Oz and recorded it again—over the ’phone. Alan Braden arranged it for the TV show and the audience liked it so much that RH decided to record it, which he did. The song was top of the charts for seven weeks, all over Christmas in 1969—50 years ago.
Gabi.
Gabi.
Gosh! that bought back some
memories, I actually bought the record when Rolf was making an appearance in our local record store...Lovely fella Rolf, He had a kind word for everyone as he signed their record....But PLEASE Gabi don't make me any older than i am, 1969 was 40 years ago...When you get to my age 10 years gets kinda precious ...Anyway Gabi thanks for printing the words, Lovely song sung by one of the best entertainers in the business.
Kirri
Sums…
…were never my strong point.
Soz Kirri, :(
Gabi.
Gabi.
Sweet sweet story, thanks
Sweet sweet story, thanks for sharing this lovely story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmL3m2zcoOI Two Little boys is best heard rather than reading the lyrics as it helps in understanding the tempo, one of Rolfe's best songs
Megumi :)
Bailey's Angel
The Godmother :p
Cute
RAMI
A very nice story. Thanks for those who added background, lyric and a lnk for sound.
RAMI
P. S. I just listened and hearing it sung, along with the pictures made it even better. It also compliments the story very well.
RAMI
RAMI
Great story, Joanne is lucky
Great story, Joanne is lucky to have such a great brother.
Very well transcribed
into a modern setting. Showing my age now; I remember when that song was a hit.
Susie
YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN, BEN !!
ALISON
Another beautiful story and made even more so by Gabi posting the words.Ted Egan
is the typical Top End Aussie and one of his songs,"The Drover's Boy" is being made inta movie .Thanks again ,Ben,your ability is more than you think!!
ALISON
What a delightful
story Ben, Short,Sweet, And a joy to read, Thank you!
Kirri
Skip Forward
Ben
I enjoyed this story. However there's one thing I want to comment on.
I understand that when reading stories, sometimes there's a need to suspend belief. In using the literary device of a flashback and then present-day events, there was too much of a jump for me.
In the flashback, the brothers are obviously close. Twenty years later, they're little more than friends who haven't seen each other for a long time. I'm left wondering what happened in the intervening period. Stuart doesn't know about Joanne, nor she about him—why? What has happened that Stuart was seemingly unaware of Joanne's transgendered status, while neither knows about the other's career?
For me, a brief explanation would have been helpful. Of course, you may have wanted to leave us
wanderingwondering.Anyhow, please keep writing.
Perverse Scrutineer
Bike Archive
Bike Resources
A lot can happen in 20 years!
Just because siblings are close pre-teen, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll remain close for the rest of their lives - especially as many will attend different universities, settle in different parts of the country, and engage in different careers.
In reality, the two probably knew what each other was studying at university, but quite probably they didn't know any details of what each other had done since. And it was easier to explain how they'd got to where they are through the reminiscing than adding a clunky extra section.
Meanwhile, Petra 2 is making slow progress, I've started another story which has stalled, I've got a vague idea for a third - as well as other potential additions to the Petra storyline (including a prequel from Lydia's POV). So you can expect more from me at random intervals :)
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Never heard of Rolf Egan
But I tied it to the song by the second paragraph. The version I know was by the Deighton Family Band in the '80s.
I'd always assumed this was a US Civil War era song, what with the refference to the "ranks so blue."
Nice story.
US "civil" War Song
It was. I remember Rolf Harris explaining the background when he sang it.
He wasn't a bad painter, either.
IMHO the war between the States was not really a Civil War at all. A Civil War is one where the people within a country disagree and use armed force to decide their differences. As in the Wars of the Roses and the one berween the Cavaliers and Roundheads. In the war between the states, America had split into two countries, the Union and the Confederation, and they then declared war on each other.
But of course, as in so many other examples, historians who write history generally come from the side that "Won", and tell it the way they want to.
Briar
Briar
Disagreement
The Civil War was over the disagreement as to whether the USA had split into two countries or not. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Misnamed Wars
RAMI
If we are being accurate, the the American Revoloution, was NOT a revoloution such as the French and Russian Revolutions, where the entire system of government, the social order and the basic economic structure was changed.
The American Revolution was "The War for American Independence".
It was not a Revolution in that the Social Order and the economic order was not changed. As for the form of government, England at that time had a fairly strong and independent parliment and the monarchy was starting or perhaps better continuing the process of change from the "ruler" to more of the figurehead it is today. The system of government changed into our present Federaal/State system which is not hugely different.
The American "Civil War" has many different names depending on whose perspective is used. But while your remark about historians writing from the winning side may apply in most cases, I do not think the same applies to the Civil War, because of the number of books that speak from the Southern side.
RAMI
RAMI
I Believe The Biggest Argument At The Time....
I believe the biggest argument at the time was "taxation without representation" England imposed taxes on tea, sugar and stamps and the colonists were increasingly angry about not having a voice in Parliament and the whims of King George. It was a revolution in the sense that no colony up to that time had ever dared to stand up to the power of a Monarchy. The biggest reason so many came here was that minority religious followers were being oppressed by whatever church faction happened to be in power at the time. Our concept in theory was was a huge change in the way they expressed the rights of individuals. (Notice I said theory) They didn't see fit to include slaves, Native Americans and women. Civil War was a misnomer because there was nothing "civil" about it. The North hated the South and brothers fought against each other. It was really sad!
Two Little...Boys?
Is a swet story of love and family. If only more families were as loving.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine