The heartbreak of sibling rivalry after the cohesive glue has transition into the heavenlies.

Let’s talk about it…

Grace Smith and Henry Brown meet in their early twenties. In the courtship of dating, they discussed the pros and cons of being the only child. Although their parents have siblings, neither has been introduced to their distance relatives to form a family bond. Two years after meeting, Grace and Henry joined together in holy matrimony. The couple vowed to raised their kids to value family. Grace and Henry started growing their family immediately after getting marry. They give birth to eight kids; five boys and three girls. Among the five oldest kids, their ages were spaced between 12 to 18 months apart. There is a three-year gap between the fifth and sixth child and 24-month gap between each of the last three kids. The family was very close. In the winter time during snow storms, the kids would play board games inside their home or listen to music on their record player. Grace and Henry raised their kids to communicate with each other and to always have each other’s back. It wasn’t unusual for the kids to play together outside during the summer. At least two of the siblings would socialize within the same circle of friends. If one sibling had a friend come over to the house, they all joined in the fun or conversation. They were known as a close-knit family in the neighborhood.

When Henry health begins to declined, Grace had to work outside the home to support the family. Grace depended on her kids to help more around the house. The girls would do the grocery shopping and washing of the clothes. The boys were responsible for going with the girls shopping and washing so that they could carry the bags or clothes. The youngest child often pulled his wagon to help the boys take turn resting their arms during the long-distance walk to and from the market and laundry mat. The boys also took turns taking out the trash as the girls cleaned and cooked. As the Brown family kids grew older, the boys begin to spend less time together. Working after school jobs and joining sport teams at school put a separation among them. At the time of Henry demise, four kids were in high school, one was in junior high school the remaining three were in elementary school. The Brown kids further drift apart as the oldest four graduated from high school and begin to date. Discovering their individuality, the oldest four soon moves out the home after graduating. The fifth child Rose was left with the responsibility of helping with the household as her mother works. At the end of 12^th grade, Rose buys a used car with the money she saved from working odd jobs after school. Once she graduated from high school, she becomes full-time caretaker for her younger three siblings. She took care of them like they were her own kids. She cooked, cleaned, helped the kids with their homework. She would take them to school in the morning and pick them up from after school programs. At times, she would take the youngest three to the movies on the weekends. The youngest child Curtis missed his older brother Junior a lot. He would often go to Junior apartment after school without letting Rose know his whereabouts. Curtis looked up to his older brother after their dad’s death; he clinked to Junior as a child would to their parent. He was the only one of the three youngest to give Rose problems. He did not like being treated like the baby of the family. He wanted to be looked up to like his oldest brother, Junior. Although he was only eleven years of age, he wanted Rose to treat him like a man. Rose tries to handle Curtis’s rebellion attitude without complaining to their mother. Each time she would punish Curtis bad behavior, he would run to Junior for refuge. Junior would always take Curtis side even though he knew Curtis was in the wrong. Rose begins to compromise with Curtis to bring peace into the home. She did not want her mother to come home and deal with family issues after working a ten hour shift each day.

Rose ran into an ex-classmate when she was running errands for her mom. Glen and Rose greeted each other with a hug and began to talk about life after high school. They exchanged phone numbers. One evening Glen calls Rose, when he asked what has she been doing with herself since graduation; she was embarrass to tell him that she has place her plans on hold to care for her youngest three siblings while her mom works. Glen picked up on the hesitation in Rose’s reply and decided to withdrawal his question by changing the subject. Glen always had a crush on Rose; he did not want to do or say anything that would run her away from him.  Glen would occasionally call Rose to say hi as he checked on her. Their conversation would always end positive.

After Curtis, the youngest child graduated from high school, Rose shifted her attention from the kids to herself. She finds a job working at the local cleaners. She goes to night school to become a Register Nurse. Rose moves out her mom’s home one year after working and attending night school. She finds a small one-bedroom apartment near her school. Her and Glen continue to communicate and occasionally goes on dates. After Rose completes her internship, she gets a job at the community hospital. As a register nurse, on many days, Rose works a double ship. Curtis went to an automotive trade school after graduating high school to become a mechanic. One evening Rose receives a call from one of her siblings stating that her mother was ill and due to have surgery soon. Rose immediately goes to the hospital to see her mother. Curtis was there when she arrives and proceed to tell Rose she did not have to come because he has it under control. “Curtis!”, shouts Rose, “this is not about you having it under control. I am here to see my mother and check on her health condition.” Curtis frowns at Rose before walking out the room. Rose took the day of her mother’s surgery off work. She also came to the hospital daily to check on her mother. When Grace was released from the hospital, Rose arranged for a nurse to come to the home daily to care for her mother.  One week after Rose’s mother was released from the hospital, she passed away due to heart failure. Curtis calls his siblings to come to the house. He informed them that their mother has died. When everyone arrives to the house, they asked where is Rose. Curtis states, he forgot to call her. Rose older sister gives her a call.  When Rose arrives at the home, the paramedic was leaving after dispatching the coroner. Rose asked the family, what happen? They all stated the same; Curtis called us saying mom was dead. Curtis refused to answer Rose questions; so, Rose decided to contact the nurse to get the details of care given to her mother in her last hours. Rose was informed, her brother Curtis had fired the nurse and that her mother was alone at home when she went into cardiac arrest. Rose was very upset but held her anger to take care of her mom’s body. She was also informed, by the family, that Curtis has arranged for a hole in the wall funeral home to pick up their mother’s body. Rose could not understand how this was possible. Their mom had just passed. Rose asked her family; do you not find this strange. The family did not want to dispute anything at this time; so, Rose went along with the family. Curtis told the family that he was beneficiary over their mom’s life insurance and that she only has a $5000 policy, but he would take care of everything. He only needed them to take care of her clothing and hair for burial as well as someone putting together the obituary.

The next day, Rose receives a call from the mortuary. The mortician informed her that she was on speaker and that her brother Curtis was in his office and that they all were on a conference call with the insurance company. The mortician tells Rose the insurance company needs her permission for her brother and him to talk with the insurance company. When Rose asked why, the insurance lady introduce herself then stated that Rose was the beneficiary of their mom’s insurance policy. Rose was frozen with disbelief. She did not want to turn her mother’s burial into a battle field so she gave permission. The mortician thanks Rose and thought he had hung up with her. Rose listens as her brother Curtis spoke in an arrogant tone to the insurance lady; telling her “I told you I have permission to handle my mother’s burial arrangements.” Then he begins to argue with the lady about not paying him all the money on the policy he took out on his mother. The insurance lady explains that policy was too new and did not reach it maturity date but he could collect the $5000 rider insurance once the coroner’s report is submitted showing that his mom died of a heart attacked. Rose wanted to interject in the conversation by asking questions but she could not bring herself to argue with her brother at this time of grief she was feeling.

Grace’s funeral was scheduled almost two weeks after the phone call with the insurance lady. Rose had to go to the mortuary to sign documents stating that it was okay for the insurance company to pay the mortuary directly. Two weeks after the funeral, Rose’s brother Curtis gave her a call and wanted to come talk with her in person. Rose agreed for him to come the next day. Rose did not feel right after hanging up the phone. She called Curtis back and demand to know why he needed to talk with her in person. Curtis claims he just found another life insurance policy for their mother and that she was the beneficiary. He proceeded to say that he drew up a contract for her to sign. What type of contract Rose asked? It’s a contract stating you agree to split the money from the life insurance with me and Junior. Rose declined to split the money and stated that she would use the money to put a head stone on her mother’s burial site then split the remaining money among their mom’s grandkids. Curtis did not agree and therefore refused to give Rose the life insurance policy or any information about the insurance company or the policy number. Rose contacted a lawyer who stated that Rose would have to take her brother to family court but it would be her word against his because she has no way of proving another policy exist without the insurance company name or the policy number. Also, she has no way of proving her brother has, in hand, another policy. Rose decided to pray and to let go for the sake of peace. She accepts the reality that her relationship with Curtis has been tarnished beyond repair.   A Thirst That Never Ceases   https://a.co/d5au6GYA