SILENCE! EXAMINATIONS IN PROGRESS ! SHHHHH ! LOL!
Exam time. Where parents fear to tread. But little siblings, not so scared as it seems.!
"Danny! Danny! DANNY!" yelled Jamie from the bottom of the stairs.
"Jamie! Pack that in! Danny's studying. He's got his SATs starting next week," explained Erin as she came out of the kitchen to hush the little Reagan.
"But he promised to take me to the basketball court and teach me to shoot hoops this afternoon," Whined Jamie.
"Well, if Danny even wants to think about heading for the NYPD he's gotta get through school first. Mom and dad haven't been happy with his grades this semester," added Joe as he followed through from the kitchen also. "I'll take you to the court if you want, bud"
"But Danny promised," sulked Jamie.
"I know but maybe when he has time for a break he can take you, ok" offered Erin in exasperation. If Jamie did this to Danny what was he going to do to her this time next year when she would be preparing for her SATs.
"Like i'd bother you Erin. You're already smarter than the rest of us" sighed Jamie as he answered her thoughts and took Joe's hand, leaving Erin dumbfounded.
Danny was hard at the books. Well, staring at them anyway. He hated revision. If he didn't know it now how was he supposed to learn it all by Monday when the SATs started? "Damn!" he growled as he dropped his head down hard on the open book on his desk.
"Danny? Are you ok sweetie?" asked Mary as she popped into his room with fresh laundry.
"Yeah ma. I'm just having trouble getting the books to make sense right now," sighed Danny, forlornly.
"Why don't you start with your best subject and go from there?" suggested his mom.
"That's just it, ma. I don't really have a best subject do i?" he smiled weakly.
Mary pulled a chair up to the desk and sat beside her eldest. He was always so strong and confident but just lately it seems to have dissolved a little.
"What is it, Danny? What is it really that has you worried?"
"It's Linda. She went on a date on Friday night, with Mac Bright. He's supposed to be my best mate. He called last night to brag about how far he went..." he stopped and blushed, maybe he shouldn't be having this conversation with his mom.
"I'm sure Linda is a good and smart enough young woman not to cross such a line at this time. I know you two had your disagreements over silly things. And if i'm honest you did jump off the handle like a bull to a red cloth over that last argument," sighed Mary.
"I know i did, ma. And i've wanted to call Linda and tell her but i'm afraid she won't talk to me. Now i have Mac bragging lies about her, all i want to do is take his head and shove it down the toilet!" he smiled sheepishly.
"Daniel Reagan you are so like your grandfather it's frightening!" laughed Mary as she hugged her son. "It'll all come right in the end. You still trust Linda enough to know that she would never behave in that way. Be her friend right now and a gentleman and go defend her honour. Maybe then you'll get your head screwed on for your exams!"
"Yeah, ma. You're right. I love you, ma. Thanks." Beamed Danny, blushing again.
"You better go now while i'm still in a good mood. Be back by 4 mind" instructed Mary as she handed her son his jacket. Danny grabbed his coat, kissed his mom and ran out the door beaming with confidence.
"Try again Jamie. You nearly got it!" smiled Joe as he handed the ball to his little brother.
"Like THIS!" squealed Jamie as he launched himself at the same time as the ball. Joe was laughing loudly and ran after the ball once again!
"Want me to help you a bit more?" offered Joe.
"Please! I keep missing!" growled Jamie as he took the ball again.
"Ok. You ready?" asked Joe as he stood behind Jamie. "1,2,3, SHOOT!" as he called out he lifted Jamie high just as he [Jamie] shot the ball. It flew through the air and lobbed into the net.
"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" squealed Jamie and Joe together as the brothers bounced around in glee.
"You did it! You did it Jamer!" laughed Joe as he lifted his brother high in the air.
"I did Joe, I did it!" he shouted. "Let's do it again!" And so the two brothers spent the rest of the afternoon shooting baskets until it was time for dinner.
"...And Joe taught me to shoot baskets and i scored! Didn't i, Joe? I scored lots and lots!" said Jamie as he told everyone at the table that night.
"That's fantastic Jamie!" cooed Mary as she ruffled his hair as he filled his mouth with meatballs. "Slow down before you choke!"
"Sorry i couldn't help you today, kid," sighed Danny as he looked over to Jamie. Jamie looked back and smiled his tomato sauce smile. Danny had to laugh out loud, "How can you make eating meatballs so messy yet so cute?"
"Cos i'm me!" grinned Jamie, then added, "Did you get your study done?"
"Not quite but i'm gonna hit the books after dinner," replied Danny confidently. Mary looked at her eldest and smiled. All was well with him and Linda again, she could breathe that at least now, Danny would make the effort for his girl if not for himself.
Later that evening, Jamie went to see Danny before bed. "What you reading?" asked Jamie innocently as he climbed up onto Danny's bed.
"American Civil War and Civil Rights movement," replied Danny as he scratched his head.
"What's that about?" asked Jamie as he snuggled up with his favourite teddy bear that he'd brought with him.
"They're two big moments in our country's history. It's about freedom and treating people right and as equals," shrugged Danny as he tried to find the best way to explain it to this young mind.
"War is bad, isn't it?" asked Jamie.
"Yeah, some might think that and most people don't want it, that's for sure. Y'see kid, the north and south of the country had different views and wanted different things. The black people were treated badly by some folks and others wanted them to be treated just like you and me. So the country split for a while and there were these battles as north and south fought to be right," explained Danny.
"The President at the time was Abraham Lincoln and right at the end of the war someone shot him because they didn't believe he was fit to be the leader of our country..." added Danny.
Jamie lay listening to his brother for hours as he learned about history, science, maths, whatever Danny would be studying and he did this every night until the SATs were completed. Unbeknown to anyone including Danny, Jamie had been the teacher as well as the student. He had unwittingly helped Danny study for all his exams and when the results came in no-one was more surprised than Danny himself