My Brother

So where to start........He's my brother. I remember the day we went to go get him. I was playing kind of like a "star wars shoot'em up hide and go seek" outside with my nerdy friends in Japan when my friends mother yelled out of her house window and said "Patrick! Go Home! Your mother wants you to go with her to pick up your new brother!"............'What?" is what I thought to myself. My mother didn't mention any of this to me.I know why now, it was because I was ten and couldn't keep a secret to save my life and I probably would of annoyed the crap out of my mom.

I got home and we immediately took off for the train station. I remember asking my mom the normal "Who? What? Where? How old?" but I can't remember the answers. I also remember the train ride being short but I don't recall where we went to get him. Wierd,huh!

We arrived to the adoption agency that was like the top floor of a six floor building.I remember waiting in this dingy grey room talking to a Japanese lady who kept on asking me "Are you ready to meet your new brother"......I really was like "Lady, I just found out about this four hours ago...Give me a chance to catch up". Anyways, the lady disappeared and I remember her coming back into the room first and what was holding her hand I did not expect.
He walked in holding the hand of the Japanese social worker with this scared look on his pudgy face. I don't recall much after that but I have the image etched in the back of my mind of him being so scared and frightened, so I picked him up.I know he latched on to me and wouldn't let go because we sat down to talk to the social worker and I looked over and he was asleep with his head on my shoulder, still latched on. We road the whole way home with him asleep on my shoulder and I didn't let a soul touch him. As far as I was concerned he was my brother the moment I stepped in to help make him feel comfortable, That's what brothers do. I just knew on that ride on the subway home that I was supposed to take care of this little guy and that he needed me as much as I needed him ( It was weird how instantaneous it was).

We got home and got him to pass out on the bed, very carefully though because the kid was still clinging to me. When he finally got done napping and relaxed a little he opened door to his room and saw me standing there. Instead of freaking out like most kids would (especially with me, being this tall white gangly kid), he walked up to me and held my hand. It has now been sixteen years since that day and I remember those parts like they just happened.

Here is a pic of my brother:
(Gabriel Toepel)