This is my post for #freewriters 2481 prompt acid bath hosted by @mariannewest
I wrote about my Dad yesterday so I guess with this prompt, I am to write about my brother Tommy today. Tommy was born May 12th, 1946 he was 10 years older than me.
My Dad had three children from his first marriage, Shirley, Tommy, and Victor. After he divorced their mother, he married a woman named Gladis, they had no children together. This is when he lived in the Everglades. Dad was shrimping and would be away from home for weeks at a time. Sometimes Victor and Tommt would go with him.
One time when they did not go, Gladis put all three of them up for adoption. When the lady came to get them, Shirley got Tommy and hid in a closet, she could not get Victor in time to hide him, too. I do not know the complete story but Dad somehow found out about it and got back home before she could get the lady back to the house to get Shirley and Tommy. Dad got rid of Gladis but could never find Victor. About 15 years ago, Shirley was able to find Victor's adopted family. His adoptive mother wrote her a letter and told her he was killed in Vietnam.
This photo was taken 3 years after Dad married my Mom and moved to the Inlet. It is Tommy and Shirley.
Tommy loved anything that had to do with the water.
His first job was diving on this boat, he dove for Kip Wagner, he was the first to find the 1715 treasure on our coast, not Mel Fischer. Tommy found a small sword that belonged to a baby prince. He found a lot of other things, but I thought that was the coolest thing he found.
At 19 years old he married and was still married to her 57 years later when he passed away. They had 6 children.
This is Tommy and Butch, Butch was Tommy's half brother, from his mom's second marriage but my Dad pretty much raised him. In 1977 Tommy was driving and Butch was the passenger, Tommy lost control of the car, Butch was thrown out and passed away. Tommy broke his back and was told he would never walk again, two years later he was walking.
One day a neighbor needed her car jumped, she had a dead battery. Tommy said he would help her, the battery blew up giving him an acid bath the acid went into his right eye and blinded it. For a long time, he wore a patch but later quit wearing it. This is him and Dad, I liked to think that I was Dad's favorite but it was Tommy.
This was the last time I saw Tommy and was able to talk to him.
photos are mine
