Brother & Brother

   by Romanis Isaac

(Playing catch) teaser

Stephen: Alright Jimmy, are you ready to go?

Jimmy:  Okay

S: On the count of three�One, two, three.  Okay okay!  Good catch, man.

Tell you what, this time,  I�ll want you to catch it in the glove..

J:  Okay

S: Not in the hat -In the glove, okay?  One two three! (throws.  Jimmy catches it in his hat.) Okay, Jimmy come here.  What�s the deal with the hat, man.  Why aren�t you using the glove?  You and me, playing out here with the glove together-

J:  Nope!  I�m going to color, okay.  It�s more fun.

S:  Grab that color right there �favorite color � green.  Right Jim?

J: Yep

S: Look at that

J:  Yep.

S: That�s nice!

J: Uh-huh

S: (to audience) This here is Jimmy.  My older brother. At 17, Jimmy contracted a rare and incurable brain disease that has slowly eaten away at his motor skills, his ability to reason, and his self-control.  This is our final summer together Romanis Isak�s Brother and Brother.

J:  Brother and brother, stephen

S: That�s right jimmy.  Brother, Brother.  I got a list for you, Jim.  Look at this. Number 1, you know how to make spaghetti-o�s right?

J:  Yeah.

S: Okay, number 2, wash your hands.  Okay? no more eating spaghetti-o�s with crayon all over your fingers.

J:  Okay.

S: Okay number 3, feed the dog.  We all know how the dog is when he�s hungry.

Jimmy imitates dog

S: Okay, I�m late.  I�ll be back.  Alright Jimmy?

J:  NO no no no � Stephen �

S: I�m late.

J: you promised. You said you�d stay.

S:  What�s the matter Jimmy?

J:  I don�t know how to make spaghettio�s

S:  What�s the matter?  Oh, come on you know how to make spaghetio�s.  Remember the song �red button green button start, you know what you�re doing?�  I�ll be back soon, you know what you�re doing.  Just give me an hour.

J: NOOOO!  You promised.

S: What are you doing. 

Jimmy starts spazing.

S:  How many ridges on a dime?  How many ridges on a dime?

J:  I don�t know!!  110.

S: Good.  How many dimples on a golfball?

J: 336.

S:  Change for a dollar?

J:  293

S: Hey look at you huh.  I�ll be back. Okay?

J: Okay.

S: That�s the game we used to play.  We used to memorized crazy and unusual facts a quiz each other. The more bizarre, the better. We played this game until�.  I never won.  Ever.  It�s okay.  I learned some useful information.  For example, uh� an ostrich�s eye is bigger than its brain, there are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.  Stewardess is the longest word you can type with you left hand only.  Ah.  These are the things I know, these are the things he taught me.  And yet, for some reason, I don�t know how to tell my older brother that he�s going to die.  I mean I�ve tried, but he�s just so�

J: 336.

S: Jimmy I�m home.  Karin says hi.  Hey Jimmy, what are you doing where are you at?

J: 336, 336 336.

S: What are you still doing up here?  What did you do tonight?

J: Dimples on a regulation golf ball Stephen.

S:  You�re still mad at me aren�t you?

J: Nooo.

S:  I�ve gotta leave the house some times, start acting like my older brother a little more.

J:  I am your�I am your older brother.  Stupid brother.

S:  You did it again didn�t you?

J: Nooo!

S: I�ve been gone what four hours, and you didn�t even move a muscle.  You didn�t even eat your spaghettio�s.  The can�s not even open.

J: No, no, no!  Shut up, Stephen.

S:  Go pick that up!  Look, we�re not throwing things around here.  Okay, brother, brother. It�s okay.

J: (crying and fidgeting in stephen�s arms)

S: Okay. Okay. Okay.

J: Brother, Brother.

S:  Sometimes, I have a dream.  I wake up in the morning and�

J: (pushes Stephen away and they begin to play catch) Wait a sec!  You get home from Karin�s house at 12:30 last night and that�s a so-so night.  No not in this house it�s not.

S: What are you talking about?

J: (mimics) What are you talking about? Hey, It�s cool, don�t worry about it man, I�m proud of you little brother.  Alright, let�s get started.  How many ridges on a dime Stephen.

S: 110,  come on.

J:  Alright, John Lehnen�s first girlfriend?

S: Thelma pickles.

J: Orginal color of Coca-Cola?

S: Green.

J: How many ridges on a nickel?

S: 152

J: Ah, jeese.  That�s the pain I get when you�re wrong. (Grabbing his arm) Hey, Steph come here.  Come take a look at this.

S: Ah, let me see.

J:  (Slaps Stephen) Ahhh!  What do you know? It got better.  Thankyou.  Hey, let�s talk about this.  Ridges on a nickel, ridges on a nickel. 

S: Oh yeah, nickels are smooth�

J: unlike, you remember?  You know what that means right?

S: Of course.

J: What�s that mean?

S: You win.

J: What?

S: you win.

J: Louder.

S: you win!!

J: Louder.

S: You win!!!!

J: yes I win. What,That�s right. And I�ll always win because I�m your older brother. And I�m always going to beat you.  Lady�s and gentlemen I present to you�

S: (Pushes Jimmy and he returns to normal)  Howwabout a movie Jimmy.  How about The Natural.  Remember The Natural.

J: Okay.

S: Go set it up for me all right?

J: Okay

S: I�ll go get us something to drink.

J: Okay.  Kool aid please.

S: All right, Kool Aid.  The Natural man, how many times have we watched this?  What, 50, 55�

J: 62. (under his breathe) This is my favorite movie.

S: You know this movie�Jimmy, you know this movie at the end when the games over.

J: Stop it! This is my favorite part.

S:  Do you ever wonder what happens when the game�s over, when our game�s over.  Our game?

J:  In baseball?

S: Here give it to me for a second. ( turns off T.V.)

J: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

S: Jimmy please.  How many ridges are on a dime?

J: 110.  I know.  I know how many ridges are on a dime.  I know, the state bird of New Mexico, I know.  I know, I know, I know I�m going to die.  Yeah, yep, I know.  Stephen, it�s okay, it�s okay. Yeah. (takes remote and turns on movie, he enjoys it)  Stephen, Stephen, Stephen!  This is my favorite part, this is my favorite part.  This is where he hits a home run, Stephen.  Kabloooey!!!

S: Me too, Jimmy.  This is my favorite part, too.

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