The below stories were written by Jay's mother Teresa.  

This stories is entitled "Jay's story of wanting a baby brother".

Onlya few blocks away from the hospital in which a new baby lay sleeping, in a small brown brick house, the older brother to the baby was tossing fitfully in his twin bed. The covers on his bed truthfully told of the fitful night the seven-year-old had experienced.  His striped curtains formed from super heroes with their remarkable bulging muscles were matched to a now wrinkled bedspread lying in unorganized folds.  A pillow hid the face of the expectant new brother-to-be.  One big toe had made its way out of the folds and was reminding its owner that he had tossed enough to feel the morning chill.  Once again the boy’s eyelids searched for light to come stealing quietly in.  Around the room were displayed many books—mainly books about animals and how-things-work books.  A strange skinny cat with the red hat joined the boys search for light as this literary great peered from the cover of another of the boy’s favorite books.  Of course, he couldn’t read all the funny made-up words in the book, but that was o.k. because he had all the dialogue memorized anyway. 

Memory was fun to the boy in the bed, and came effortlessly to his very quick mind.   His eyes opened for just a brief second—once again trying to find that elusive and delayed speck of light for which he had searched.  His excitement was not only evident in the periodic blinking to find day, but also in his fidgeting arm movements all night due to the excitement of meeting his brand new baby brother.  The boy Jay loved playmates, but for some reason, unfathomable to the child, not many liked to play with him.  He had often wondered why this was, but his immaturity and his bright mind seemed destined to be often by themselves when it came to playmates.  In his lonely mind, Jay was thoroughly convinced that this baby brother was the answer to his loneliness.  “Just think,” his mind repeated for the hundredth time, “I am soon to have a playmate always around.  I’ll teach him all my games and we can be make-believe heroes—fighting the evil monsters.”  And his mind played our scenarios about monsters that lurk in sullen silence until the boys’ magical swords challenged them to a battle.  And what a battle it would be—he and his brother racing over wind-swept terrain that was covered in miry mud and plants that could suddenly reach out and strangle you before you could discover the gory monster with the claws hidden under them.  His eager, creative mind was truly hungry for this companion to be.    

“Would it never be daylight”, thought the excited seven-year-old Jay as he checked the green luminescent light on his clock in his room for the hundredth time.   So excited was he that he had hardly gotten any sleep.  His heart excitedly thumped a rhythm of joy when he looked again at the clock and saw the wonderful time of 7:00 a.m. 

 Racing out of bed, he ran through the house and turned the covers from his Daddy’s head with a deafening (seemingly to his still sleeping dad) shout of, “Daddy, Daddy, it’s time—it’s finally time.” 

Sleepily, the Dad peered out from his pillow which he had unconsciously covered over his head in response to the small voice’s urging to get up.  “Jay,” he said as he took his hand and placed it lovingly on his son’s small shoulder, “Can’t we wait just one more 10 minutes while I try to get my thoughts together?  Please?”

The smaller voice insistently echoed again the request with even more emphasis, “No, Daddy, today is the day and I want to see my baby brother at the hospital and momma and see if they are really alright.  Can I really hold him?  I’ve waited so long for him and momma got so worn out—she’s got to be better now—right?”

The daddy looked into his son’s persuasive blue-green eyes and read the joy there.  Actually, he was excited, too, but at this particular moment, after empathizing with his wife far too much as she had delivered his second son the day before, he felt emotionally drained, if not as physically drained as was his wife.  The smile and anticipation on Jay’s face was as catching as sunlight bringing smiles after a rain, and he finally smiled and said, “O.K., Jay, you’re right, I need to get up.” 

Then he finally opened his eyes fully, and saw a totally dressed and ready to go Jay.  “Wow” he said, “You really mean it, don’t, you.” 

“Of course, Daddy, and you need to hurry.  Can’t we skip breakfast and just go see them now, right now?”

“No”, Daddy responded, “We must at least have our cereal and piece of toast.  Your mother would not be happy if I had starved you.”

“Oh, Daddy, surely mom would let me get by with this one time.  P-l-e-a-s-e!!! “, begged the pleading Jay.

“No, as hard as it is to say the ‘no’ word today, I still want us to be ready to have an enjoyable long visit and we both need to last at least a good hour to see little David and your mom.  Momma is very tired and still healing from having your baby brother.  She will want us to be quiet and helpful—not too excited, as you tend to get when you haven’t eaten right.”

The small boy’s excitement turned into a frown and, then with a considerable pause (hard to do for an impatient seven-year-old), he finally acquiesced with an “Oh, Daddy, I guess.  But let’s really hurry.”

Then began the rush to get ready as Jay set the table, got out the toast, found the cereal and the milk and literally reminding his father to hurry in the shower hollering every 5 minutes, “Hurry, Daddy, it’s now almost ready—just 5 minutes.”  Then 1 minute later, would come another louder request, “Daddy now you’ve only 4 minutes.”  Then the 4 minutes were followed by “3 minutes”, and actually only about 1 minute later: “2 minutes—then a “Daddy, you’re late.” 

The water finally was cut off in the shower and the small voice said, “Daddy your cereal is getting cold and if you don’t hurry, I’ll pour the milk and it will get soggy.”  The Daddy thought to himself, “Where had Jay heard that before?--maybe a wife doing the same thing.  What comes around has just come around full turn, and the Dad laughed and hurried to the table. 

Finally at the hospital, Jay pressed his nose into the glass of the nursery and searched for His Baby Brother among the cribs with the tiny infants.  The light was hitting just at the wrong angle for him to see the gift that he knew had come straight from God—like Daddy and Momma had tried to tell him.  In his small mind God had given this precious gift more for him than even for his mom and dad.  He was an overly bright little boy and sometimes found it difficult to make friends who shied away from his already quick mind and larger-than-should be vocabulary.  He often also, without realizing it, would persuade his playmates to always just do what he wanted to do.  Later his friends would realize that Jay was too compelling and too persuasive and would simply go play with someone else.  Jay had begged his mom now for about a year, or maybe, two to let God give him a baby brother to be his forever playmate and friend.  Jay rightly reasoned that here was a true friend that he could love and help become his very best friend in the entire world.  This brother would share all the things he enjoyed and be someone he could always talk to and care about.  Of course, his new brother, D.G., would also play and play all the games he wanted to –of course Jay would win, since Jay really liked to win.  Oh, he’d still really love and care for his tiny brother, but Jay would only “let him win” every once in awhile. 

Now, finally the sun shifted its rays just enough that he caught the name above the small cradle and it read “Hollums.”  Jays diminutive face glowed with true wonder and joy at the tiny jewel wrapped tightly in the white blanket.  Finally, the nurse saw Jay peering into the glass, and picked up the baby named “Hollums” and gingerly held it up just a bit for Jay to see better. 

Jay’s hand, a larger version of the infant’s, found its way to the glass and lovingly placed a kiss through the glass.  Tiny D.G. only yawned and kept his eyes closed against the harsh sunlight as an acknowledgment of the love blown his way.  Jay sighed and could hardly wait to really hold this smaller version of himself to his heart and to care for him as only a big brother could.

Jay and the babysitter  

This is the infamous story of the mischief Jay Hollums was capable of.

Mother was standing in front of her bathroom mirror, trying to refresh her make up after the day of work that Friday.  Friday was date-night with her husband, and always had been ever since they had married.  She loved going to a larger town and finding a nice restaurant, and, tonight, also taking in a show.  She loved her sons, but time with her precious and kind husband was vital to her marriage; this nice night out had necessitated getting a baby sitter.  She knew this was the first time to be gone as long as they must, since the nearest town with even a theater was an hour away.  Already she had called Jana, one of her seventh grade, very dependable students and arranged for her to come. 

“But, Mom---Why?  Why?  Why?  You know that I’m big enough and I love my brother so much.  You know I’d never let anything ever, ever happen to him.  Why must we have a babysitter while you and Daddy are gone tonight?  You’ll be back in about 4 hours and by that time I’ll even have him in bed.   P-l-e-a-s-e!! “whined the ten-year-old child. 

“Because you are still too young to be here by yourself, Jay.  I know you’d take good—very good care of your brother, but I have already asked Jana to come over and baby sit you.  She is about 12 years old and is very, very mature for her age”, replied Steven’s mom.

“Mom, think mom, Jana is only 2 years older than me.  Does two years make that much difference?” 

“Yes, it does, Jay, and just put up with a babysitter for just a few more years.  That is not too much to ask.  Daddy and I hardly ever go anywhere without both of you, but this occasion demands no children.  Please, Jay just do as I ask.”

“We-l-l, I guess”, said Jay, with extreme reluctancewritten all over his down turned head.  “I really don’t have a choice—do I? “

“Not really.  Just be very grown up this time and maybe we’ll see about you babysitting your own brother next time.” Cajoled mom. 

Later that same night:

“Oh, D.G., where did your big brother go?” franticallyqueried Jana, the babysitter.  I’ve hunted and hunted everywhere for him in the house and he just isn’t anywhere!!, she declared. 

Before the small boy could answer, Jana happened to look up at the window in Jay’s room where she had told him to go when he had been such a problem in behaving for her. 

Finally it dawned on her—the window and screen were open—just the size for Jay to wriggle himself out of the room and out of punishment. 

“Oh, no, it’s only about 1 hour before your mom and dad get back and I sure better find him!  Come on, D.G., let’s find your big brother—o.k.!!?”

“Let’s do!!   I know lots of places where we’ve played.  Let’s go there now!! “, little D.G. said, happily bouncing around.

Both Jana and D.G. turned quickly and made their way down the hallway and almost out the door, when a voice came from under the bed—“Are you by any chance hunting for me?”  Queried Jay as he came from under the bed to reveal where he’d been hiding.  “Where did you think I was?” 

“Jay, Jay, you know you were supposed to just stay in your room because you had behaved so badly for me.  Why did you do that?”

Jay, after a minute, slumped his shoulders in admission to his being purposefully deceitful.  “I guess because I wanted mom and dad to let me baby sit my brother and get paid what you will be paid.  I need the money for a bike I want really, really bad.

“O. K., said Jana, and, after a pause as she considered the request, she began her arbitration to encourage cooperation from the recalcitrant Jay.   “I’ll make you a deal—you don’t tell your mom and dad about all this, and I won’t.  That way I might get some other babysitting jobs and I’ll give you just a little of my babysitting money—o.k.?”

Jay considered for a moment, saw the reasonableness of the request (and the money offered) and finally consented with. “Deal—it’s a deal.”

D.G. eyed both of the conspirators and finally laughed and laughed—with both Jay and Jana joining in the merriment.