Only Brother

He was the eldest, tall, handsome, all knowing (by his own assessment). He could roll a ‘guide and wheel’ all the way to school without a stop. That wheel kept rolling as if by magic. He could shimmy up a tree in search of wild grapes. He could swim in deep water, catch snakes for pets. He could hunt squirrels with Dad, shoot a 22 rifle. He could milk a cow, hitch a horse to the wagon. He could zing you, square on, with a dry corn cob. He could run barefoot through woods, creeks, fields, and over dirt roads. But he missed the rafter, fell through to the floor below, knocked himself out cold, chasing his cat through the attic.