Brian gets personal with Kevin
So Kev, what's your earliest memory of me?
I remember going to your house to play with you and your
brother Harold, who's the same age as me. Sometimes you
both used to come and play on our farm and you used to bring
all you toys with you. I can also really remember the time when
you were in hospital because of your heart problems, but I
wasn't allowed to visit because I was too small.
Do you remember our favourite game?
Sure! We always plays Star Wars. I was always Darth Vader
and Harold was Luke Skywalker, but we never wanted you to
play because you were still too young! But whenever we picked
on you, Harold and I used to get told off by our parents! We
also had a cassette player that we used to record songs onto-
actually I've still got those tapes. Sometimes we'd just talk into
it, or we acted as if we were in a pop group and tried to do it
professionally, like with harmonies and everything- man, that
brings back memories.
What was your favourite toy?
My BMX bike. They'd just come onto the market and I
thought I was so cool with this bike. I rode it
everywhere, and I thought everyone was so jealous of me on
my cool, new BMX!
Did we ever fight?
When you got a new toy Harold and I used
to take it away from you just to annoy you,
but we never really used to fight because there was such
a big age gap between us- it wouldn't really have
been fair, would it?
What do you like best about me?
I like the way you approach everything in
a relaxed way, although sometimes you're just too darn
relaxed! When I'm stressed I become totally serious, but when
you're stressed you just crack a couple of jokes and it
really relaxes the situation. Plus you have a fantastic voice.
Ok what makes you cross with me?
Hmmmm, I guess everything I've just said
can be reversed as well. I'm sometimes too serious and you're
sometimes too childish. Sometimes you don't
realise just serious things are at that moment.
Would you say we're more like brothers or friends?
Both, I think. Obviously, we do have our disagreements
and we tend to fall out more quickly 'cos we're
family. But I guess you always fall out with family
quicker than with friends, because at the end of the day,
you know you'll always love that person.
What really annoys you about me?
(laughing) it makes me furious when I say something
and you go totally ironically, "Wow, that sounds really grown up!
You must know a great deal about� - yes, you
must be really a grown up!" Grrr! That really
does my head in. I do know what you
mean but it makes me want to scream!
When did you realise you could really trust me?
Well, I've always known I can tell you absolutely
anything. But now, depending on what the problem is I
know I can go to the other guys as well- you're all
good for talking to about different things.
When we fall out, who normally makes the first move?
Usually we don't even have to talk about it, do
we? Especially 'cos we're constantly together-
I always know if you're having a bad day and vice
versa, which is when you tend to fall out more. If
it's a big problem we'll sit down and talk about it, but
normally it's easier to forget it and carry on.
Now Kevin interrogates Brian�
So what's your first memory of me?
I think it was when I was about five years old and I
was at your house. Your brother, Jerald, always took
part in horse displays and he used to have this sand
course where he trained his horses, and where they
used to run round in circles there was a really deep track.
One day it'd rained really hard and the course
was very muddy so we thought it'd be great fun to run
through the mud- which practically came up to our
knees- in our swimming trunks. We looked like total mucky pups!
Also I really remember a little pond
behind your house which we always used to play near.
What was your favourite game?
Well, I was never allowed to play Star Wars
with you because I was too little, but I always wanted to!
In the summer we played with our toy soldiers on the
volleyball court at your dad's. You had these little green
plastic soldiers which you'd bought yourself. I even
remember you got a pack of 100 for a quarter of a dollar!
We used to have great fights- I loved it when we'd set our
soldiers and all the armies attacked each
other, then I'd jump in the middle and 'bomb'
them- i.e. kick them everywhere! I also remember us going
crazy, jumping up and down on our beds like
lunatics. And you'd cut out the bottom from an old garbage
can and nailed it to your bedroom wall
so we could play basketball with it!
And what was your favourite toy?
I loved my bicycle more than anything! I got it
as a present on the day I was discharged from
the hospital when I was five. I still remember exactly
how I sat in front of our house, just admiring it for ages. It
was yellow and red and had a banana seat! I was soooo proud!
Ok then, what do you like best about me?
I like it when you play the piano. I always wish
I'd learnt to play like you did, when you were about nine.
But you always had your goals in sight, and in
contrast to me, you were already thinking about
your future even then. I reckon if I'd started to play the
piano as a child, I'd have done it for a couple of months
and then got bored! By 13 you were playing piano at
every opportunity, especially at family parties or christmas
time. I wish I'd been that committed, 'cos sometimes I
think I'm just too silly and childish. But when I look at you
and see your serious, strong personality, I know
you're happy with where you're at, and I really admire
that.
So, do you think we're more like brothers or friends?
I guess I'd say a bit of both as well- we grew
up almost like brothers, but I can talk to you
about things I might not talk about with my brother.
What makes your blood boil about me?
Sometimes I feel you begrudge us our fun.
Like, when me and nick fight and you break it up immediately-
and not in a soft tone, I might add! That can
make me annoyed! But on the other hand, I also understand
why you act like that.
When did you realise you could trust me completely?
I've always known I could, because you're both
my brother and my friend. Also I can feel it,
because we have an inner understanding.
Who do you reckon makes the first move when we fall out?
Hmmmm, sometimes it's you and sometimes it's
me, but mostly we get together and talk about it.
Even if we don't sort it out immediately, sooner
or later it'll be straightened out and things'll get back to
normal again!
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