Mom and Joe

Joey was my brother. He let me become a tom boy by always including me in the boys baseball games, basketball, hiking while looking for soda bottles to return.etc.. He was always there and as he grew he protected me from the harm that had penetrated our lives. As well as being brother and sister, Joe was my best friend... ..... As we grew older we both married and had children. I never saw him as happy as he was the day his daughter was born...Dawn he called her for he loved the song by 4 seasons...then came Lisa...and then his son Joe. Linda his beautiful wife and Joe who loved his family...but could not ignore the PTSD that was creeping up on him. One morning he just left his family and was going to places unknown What he was looking for he did not know all he knew he told me was that he needed to be out in the open space, Joe would come back and we all waited to see him and the infectious smile on his face..I could not wait for the big bear hug..we would sit and talk..he said this time he would try..,but one morning we got up and he was gone again. On Thursday April 8 1982, Holy Thursday, he called me at approximatley 9; 45 AM and said he was on the road again and was heading home to his family, his wife and children. He promised he would be home by Easter morning. He wanted his children, he wanted his wife, if they would have him. I was so happy I starting crying 'Anna why are you crying ' i told I was so so happy he was coming home. I hung up the phone and got ready to go to Exercise class, I felt great to tell ever couldn't wait to tell everyone Joe was coming home......As was driving down 64th street on my way back, the oddist thing happened. A pigeon had landed on my windshield and started pecking on the glass in front of me. I put the brake on and continued to watch him. and this feeling of dread came over me. It envelope me from top to bottom. I watched as heb flew up on the phone wire and just looked down. I went home, told my boyfriend and called my sister. It's nothing thet both said. As the day went on I started to let go of what happened. That night my boyfriend was getting for work he was a police officer was working 11pm-7am shift that week. As I was getting ready for bed, the phone rang , it was my sister.'"" why you calling so late"? " why you calling so late" Anna it's about Joe'I knew immediatly..... Snook and I went down my sister's Waiting on a phone call. ffrom Fort Worth Texas......A man that they believe was my brother was hit by a 18 wheeler... he was thrown 25 feet...and died of cranal trauma..Was it Joe. WE waited and waited, finally a call...ii had m hand on the door knob ready to run. my sister picked up the phone, one look on her face I knew....................................My brother, my brother was gone......where can i run, where, what am i going to do. Joey, where are you.... April 8, 1982 IEach who love him have our own story... my heart is buried with the boy, the man who protected me from further abuse who let me deep into his life and shared it with me. All who love him have their own memories of him, this is my story ...................................................Love Anna