Do you remember?

Herb Alpert- this has moved from it's site so please just search "The lonely bull"- my dad use to listen to all the songs on this 8 track tape

Junior,
Do you remember:
-how we use to love playing marbles under the carport and get the little rolly pollies involved and it was a big deal when we won the 'silver' marble
-all the fruit trees that dad had planted in the back yard, the pear tree, the pecan trees, the peach trees, the fig tree, the pomegranate tree, so when we went out to play and needed a snack, we literally just ate off the trees!
-Your best friend Fernando P. who lived just two houses away from us?
-our neighbor next door, Felicia, whom you called 'Flea' and her love for dancing?
-our other neighbor from up the street, Sandra?
-The Solis family that lived behind us across the ditch and their two sons that we attended Holy Rosary and Little Flower School with?
-our summer vacation in Houston when dad took us to see the Astrodome?
-our vacation to Galveston Island and mom wore a two piece bathing suit!
-our vacation to Mexico City and we visited the pyramids?
-our vacation to Acapulco and you found that gold ring in the sand?
-our unending summer swimming lessons at Woodlawn Park and San Pedro park?
-the concert at Hemisfair Park with Trini Lopez, Jose Feliciano, Johnny Rodriguez and Freddy Fender?
-the 8 track tape dad always played on his blue 8 track player by Herb Alpert titled The Lonely Bull?
-our cousins from Uncle Sam's and Aunt Rosie's kids, all 6 of them
-Uncle Albert and Tia Tencha's son Albert aka 'chinito' because of his curly hair
-Tio 'Mundo', Edmundo and Abuelita Julia dad's brother and mother
-Tio Cresencio 'chencho' and Tia Fanny's kids Henry, Diana, twins Helen and Fanny and Martha
-Tia Nancy and Uncle Tony and their kids, Tony, Cathy and Adam?
-Tia Beatrice 'Bee' and Tio 'Pilo' and their kids Rene and Vangie, and Vangie's son Stevie
-Uncle Jesse and Tia 'Mine' and cousins Jesse, of whom I learned was just never home (this is an update after attending our Tia's funeral reception Mon. Nov 12, 2012) and Eddie, the one who played the drums, and the photographer, as well. We visited their home often since they lived very close to us.
-Tio Manuel's and Tia Gloria's kids (all 6 of them, Manuel, Christopher, Anthony, Joshua, Mandy and Gina, not sure whom of them you got to actually know, probably all the boys, I believe the girls came after you visited Washington. You spent an entire summer with them and 'welito and 'welita and you fell in love with that state so much so that you did not want to come back home!)
-Tia 'Mine' Herminia and Uncle 'Ross' Rosendo in Washington State, also, and their kids, Ruby, Ross, Tammy and Rocky came after you became missing
-Tio Raul's and Tia Diana's boys Raul and Rene
-Tio Alfredo's and Tia Maria's kids, well you didn't get to meet them since you disappeared before they were born, but you did spend a lot of time with them and you were there for their wedding, the very day before you disappeared
-Tio Miguel's and Tia Alicia's kids Mikey, Margot, Veronica and Roxanne came after you became missing
-Tia Chita's kids Ismael, Richard, Robert, Michael and Nereida
-Tia Anita and how she lived with 'welito and 'welita until... just another something I will need to explain to you when you come home
-Tio Benjamin's and Tia Mine's kids in Allende, Coahuila, Mexico and Tio Kiko's and Tia Julia's 3 girls, Julieta, Norma and Antoñia. We were at their house that very day, June 29, 1975, celebrating a BBQ, for what, I do not recall, but everyone was there and when we got home, we came home to the biggest nightmare
Over the course of these years, these 36 years, and almost 5 months, memories do flash in my mind and I tell myself, "oh, yea, I need to mention that, too" but one thing for sure is that our childhood was filled with so many memories involving our family and friends. Since both mom and dad were from a family of 8 brothers and sisters, the cousins just multiplied and we thoroughly enjoyed that. If any of my cousins are reading this, I do welcome you to share your memories of my brother. The more comments, the better. Also, if I have mentioned anyone's names incorrectly, please send me a comment so I can correct it. It is greatly appreciated.

Eleven years, seven months and fourteen days

The human race is so on the second you wake up. I know that we go through the motions of living and trying to get everything done that we have to but at times I find myself thinking of more recollections of our childhood spent together, of those 11 years 7 months and 14 days. I have thought of those fishing trips, of that one time when we fished off the Medina river with bamboo sticks and I got the hook stuck in my right eyebrow. Dad had to cut the hook and pull it out but if it weren't for one of our cousins calling me, I wouldn't have turned his way. Our cousins, Tia Chita's kids, were our closest friends and playmates. Since we were all the same age or about, we were very close. The hard part to have to tell you is that 2 of them have since passed away.
The overwhelming task of having to tell you every detail is what is holding up my writing because I have to do some research and get the facts straight. My recollections may not be the same as what others remember them as but they are mine, anyhow but I do want to write the facts.
This week especially is a tough one since I do plan on cooking for this Thanksgiving just like I have since I got married. Yes, don't be shocked, I got married to a childhood sweetheart as a matter of fact, one that I knew since we attended Little Flower School. My daughters will be helping me cook. My son will probably do what he does best and eat it all up with the rest of us (by the way, your nephew resembles you so much it's almost unbelievable at times but so why shouldn't he? he is your blood relative and I feel that mom somehow stayed connected with you by seeing him grow up. Seeing him now makes me wonder if you were not the same at his age). Mom comes over and she makes her fruit salad that we always look forward to on this day. Do you remember those awesome cakes and pies she use to make homemade for your birthday party and Christmas combined? We had so much fun. I recall eating up the leftovers from the batter and I got sick. Dad told me that I got 'empachada' from all the raw ingredients in the batters I licked up from the bowls, literally. Boy did it hurt when he had to massage my back and stomach to relieve me from the pain. I had to always keep up with you too as far as what you ate, I had to eat, for instance, the two bowls of fideo or the 2 bowls of ice cream- Mellorine- as a matter of fact and mom would just tell me that is what I get for trying to eat like you. Well more eating is coming our way so I do need to make time for all that work in preparing and I just wonder...what are you doing to celebrate what you are thankful for? I do have to admit that as much as we have suffered over you missing from our lives, I am thankful that I had you for those 11 years 7 months and 14 days.

Flashback to you

So after looking at these first two entries, I asked myself "where am I going with this?" So, to be fair to the readers, they need to know a little background of who I am and who this missing brother is. I will also eventually transition this to a very personal message using second person singular 'you' because that is the whole point here; what I will need to or have to tell you to update you, my missing brother, over the course of so many years and after one day returning back home to us.
Born December 24,1959, Jesus Rogelio Realme Cerda was the first and only son of Rogelio Escamilla Cerda and Marina Felan Realme. Our father, being a first generation US citizen and our mom, from Allende, Coahuila, México and now a US citizen, were two struggling parents too proud to ask for a handout but were very happy to be together. Neither had a job yet and honestly dad wasn't very thrilled about mom working, anyway. Dad, also a 1950 Lanier HS graduate, and during the draft he served as a Coast Guard man and served during the Korean war. I remember mom telling me that dad actually got to spend New Year's Eve at Madison Square Garden 1951.
Four years later, and with dad now working for the civil service over at Fort Sam, you welcomed a little sister, Cynthia Realme Cerda, on November 15, 1963. I was just eight days old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was an emotional time for everyone. Mom tells me you really enjoyed having a little playmate around and that would be the reason why you would reach into the crib, take me out and place, put, throw me in the dirty clothes basket and push me around the house. Honestly? I guess you had fun.
Our parents purchased their first home, a new one, over on West Woodlawn street in 1963 right before I was born and that would be where our childhood memories would begin as brother and sister.
Dad totally supported us with the pets thing, having Bozo, the white German Shepherd, Spotty, the Beagle mix and Snoopy, our little 'wiener' Dachshund. I'm not sure if you remember when Bozo chewed up my brand new Mrs. Beasley doll that Christmas morning in 1970 or when my little white rabbit, Pebbles, died from the sudden cold temperatures over night in the little cuartito we had in the porch or the gerbil I accidentally placed to rest because, after washing its little maze of a house and attempting to snap it back together, well, you get the picture, I should have put my gerbil back in after snapping the maze back together, or the countless gold fish that we had to politely flush due to either of us overfeeding or washing the bowl out with soap. I never knew that would kill the little fish. We also enjoyed feeding the big rabbits dad had in a homemade cage in the back yard because he would use their you know what for fertilizer for his plants of tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, onions, etc. Mom use to like to send you outside to pick those pequin peppers just to see you take your time with the little bush and pick them carefully.
To this day I still have your birthday cake topper of The Beatles. I have it saved because it's just so historical, like wow, The Beatles. I don't think anyone has saved one of these before. My birthday cake toppers consisted of ballerinas since mom had me in so many dance classes.
The times we got bored, we use to just throw a ball over the house and play catch. Our house was small enough to do that but it didn't matter what we did, what mattered was that we did it together. Like the time that, right before we went on Easter break from Holy Rosary school, and you were in 6th grade helping out with an Easter egg hunt, you hid a whole bunch just for me and when I ran outside with my class, there you were, standing there trying to look inconspicuous, and I knew that you had something for me. You know I eventually did get into trouble with Sister Maria Elena for cheating in that Easter Egg hunt and I cried uncontrollably. I didn't get to pin the tail on the donkey during our class party because of that incident.
Mom was really into getting us involved during our summer breaks and that is when she enrolled us in a summer program at the Instituto Cultural de México to take reading, history, theater, dance, art, typing and shorthand all in Spanish. This was back in 1972 and 1973. At first we dreaded those early mornings and long days but one of those professors made it fun for us, especially when he would buy us pizza at their food court on the Hemisphere Plaza. We had so much fun there, riding the mono-rail and the different carnival rides they had there. I recall seeing those Indigenous people on a swing riding upside down by their foot. I was totally amazed. We even came out in a theater production where you dressed up as an Indigenous person and we acted out a play called "Aventuras en el tiempo". It was televised on KLRN August 11, 1973.
The snow day was one of my favorite childhood memories because we got a lot of it and we built one big snowman and engaged in many snow ball fights with our neighbors across the street, the kids from the Mireles family and the Martinez family. These kids made our lives very exciting because we played with them a lot. I don't know what became of the Mireles family although I do recall seeing one of their sons, Nick, who now has a business trimming trees. The Maritnezes have kept in touch and mom did attend a wedding anniversary for Mr. and Mrs. Martinez. If you recall, mom and dad are the Godparents of Christopher, their youngest son.
You really enjoyed going to the baseball games at VJ Keefe field at St. Mary's University, either the Brewers or the Rangers, not sure due to so many name changes and you were really into the Globetrotters. too. I remember we drove you over to the Convention center and dropped you off when they came to town in 1974 and you were very excited with the commemorative items you came out with.
I remember to this day your posters, your black light in your room and how this black light made one particular poster stand out, the one with the picture of the earth taken from outer space with the title 'Let it be'. My other favorite poster was the one with the guy with the very large nose and bald and it said "'Keep on truckin'". I regret not saving those, actually I am not sure if mom has them in her cedar chest, the one dad bought her when they got engaged.
My latest memory of you before you disappeared was that of you driving dad's car without his permission. I knew you had your beginner's permit and you were starting to drive and it just really scared me that you were growing up, driving, working at Amigos Food Co. and had a girlfriend. The day you asked mom and dad to go to the coast with Betty, her best friend Ana and her family, was one day I will never forget because I remember mom and dad not wanting you to go, but you insisted so much. Why?

Fifteen

So my brother had this girlfriend, Betty W., since he attended Little Flower School. Her best friend was Ana A. Ana had a boyfriend named Nick D. They were teenagers just wanting to be couples and dating and meeting every chance they could just to be together. It was cute to see my brother had a crush and really liked this girl. I just noticed that my brother was all about Betty now and he began to change a little bit by just giving more of his attention to her, but even with all this attention he gave her, he did manage to still give me that big birthday hug on November 15, 1974. I knew he was all into her but when I got that hug from him I felt it was all about me and I was so happy to get that hug from my brother. Had I only known that it would be the last birthday hug, I would have held on to him and never let go.
Betty was okay. I liked her. She was very pretty. Had long, straight, jet-black hair and big, beautiful dark eyes. With her white complexion, her eyes stood out more. She reminded me of Betty Boop because she just did. I also went to school at Little Flower with her little sister, Linda W. We were very good friends, Linda and I, until that day.

My intention

Miracles (click on this if  you would like to hear a song)
My mother's trip back from Holy Land has inspired me to finally do this. With that half century mark nearer than it appears makes it the reality of time slipping by and the hope invested in my only brother's return.
Return from where?
If I knew I would tell you.
What I do know is that when I was eleven years old, I lost my best friend, the tall skinny guy I use to fight with when he would hide his Snicker bar in his sock. The guy that I use to run around the Pear tree with and away from our dad because he wanted to spank us with his belt for fighting for that Snicker candy bar. The guy that, when my mom would have my little birthday parties at home, he would suddenly abduct some of my friends and hold them hostage just for us to look for where he hid them. He made those parties exciting and of course, my friends crushed on him.
I remember thinking how handsome he looked in the picture we took of him in his JROTC uniform from the high school he attended as a Freshman at Central Catholic. My dad was so very proud of him and my mom still to this day, has his boots.
At times I feel as though I am stuck in some kind of unfair dream. Why me? Why us?
Junior, to me and his closest family members, Roger to his friends disappeared on June 29th 1975 at Matagorda Beach, Texas.