No Discipline In The Home

Because I want to protect the surviving family member's privacy, I will not use their real names.

Frank, the oldest, and Jerome, the youngest could be called naughty and brash young boys.  The middle brother, John, was the quiet one but I noticed he liked acting like a girl.  When we hung out together we did things I know would get me into trouble if my Parents ever found out but I have to say, it was fun.

We lived next to a canal that we all knew was polluted but there we all were, at low tide climbing down the wall and into the shallow water.  Because I did not know how to swim I did not venture into the middle or deep part but kept close to the wall.  We all knew how stupid it was to do this, my Parents telling me to never get into the water cause it was filled with all kinds of pollutants. Who knew what kind of chemicals were drifting in the water, also fecal matter, sewage and other nasty vile things.  

I went as far as knee deep in the water and when we all came out we were itching all over.  We washed ourselves off with a garden hose nearby and we went off to seek another adventure.  Oh the colorful language that came out of their mouths.  I swear it would make a Nun blush.  Frank and Jerome could be bullies at times, once picking on the new neighbor boy who was about six years younger.

One time we would go out in back and Frank pulled out a cigarette and would light it and started smoking.  He would offer it to me and  I gave in to peer pressure and took a drag and coughed my head off.  At 12 years of age that was my first and last cigarette I would ever smoke.  All three boys would stay outside hours after we were called in.  Not protesting my Dad's decision but I asked him one day, "how come I had to come in and Frank, John and Jerome can stay out and play?",  My Dad's reply really got me comparing my life to theirs.  My Dad said that "maybe their Parents don't care but I care about you".

I did not realize it then but my Dad knew what road Frank and his brothers were heading.  I envied them. They could stay out as late as they wanted, do anything they wanted and not face the consequences.   By the time the family moved out I never heard about them for awhile.  About 5 years later I heard Frank was charged with Robbery.  I did not know the circumstances but Frank was sentenced to Prison.  After that it was a revolving door for him.  Burglary, escape, auto theft and more escapes.  The shocking part of this story would come in 1983.

Frank's run ins with the law started around 1975.  I never heard anything about John and in fact to this very day I have no idea what has happened to him.  In 1983 I saw a story in the newspaper regarding a murder in Downtown Honolulu.

A US Marine stationed in Hawaii traveled to the Downtown area where at the time was a den for Prostitution at night.  According to the story, the Marine picked up a Transvestite and the Marine was stabbed to death.  The newspaper released the name of the person suspected of murder and I was shocked to find out it was my former neighbor Jerome, the youngest of the three brothers.

Jerome was charged with First degree murder which in Hawaii carries a sentence of 25 years to Life with the possibility of Parole.  A year later Jerome was convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 25 years before he is eligible for parole. .  Ever since this incident I never heard anything about the boys until 2011 when I spotted an obituary in the paper.

Frank passed away that year and he was employed at a local restaurant.  In 2014 I found out about Jerome.  i found a website where you can find if a Prisoner was released and I found out Jerome was released in 2009 so I assumed he must have served the minimum sentence and was on parole.

At this moment in time it is 2015 and I have not heard any news whatsoever about any family members.  Today I could walk past them on the street and they would not recognize me nor would I.  Yes, I am curious about them but they are a part of my past, a part of my childhood.  Looking back, I knew my Dad was right about them.  He said the boys would wind up in Prison or worse because there was just no discipline in the home.