The Convertible Car Caper

When I was about 5 and Terry about 7 ½ we were living in a cinder block house in Palmdale, a place with acres of scrub and sand behind us. A place that when I visited years later as an adult, I felt very sad for my Mother, not an oasis by any means. Anyway, I don’t recall who I was with or how the situation evolved, as my brother was always the one with a sharp recollection of names and dates. I could always depend on him to supply the proper facts to whatever story I was regaling whatever captive audience with. Anyway, a classmate of mine had shown me the amazing properties of a household butter knife when held atop a gas stove flame for awhile, preferably until it shown cherry red hot. This amazing tool could then slice magically through materials like butter (really fast) and, importantly, even thin plastic (slower but still impressive to a 5 year old). I don’t recall where my Mom or brother was when I got the inspiration to gift my brother’s carefully built Revel model car collection by altering the hard tops to convertibles. I hope my friend had egged me on to do it, but, if I’m truthful, I most likely did this on my own, deluding myself that I was doing my big brother a favor. I also don’t recall the scene when the carnage was discovered (sorry) but I’ll always remember my brother’s reaction; instead of jumping on me and pounding some sense into me, which I deserved, he just looked at me sorrowfully and sad, just like those pictures of Christ looking at those idiots who had nailed him to the cross... “ye know not what ye have done”. My brother cleverly, if not intentionally, savaged me with a guilt that I still feel today. So, even then, he was really smart, as a dumb kid would have kicked my butt, and then gotten in trouble for pummeling a smaller brother. I’m not sure how many other ways my dear brother outsmarted me, but I’m sure there were many, tongue in cheek aside, Terry was never malicious or mean to me, even as a kid, even when I deserved a comeuppance. He was the best big brother anybody could ever hope to have. 

Joe B.