My Brother My Keeper Moeketsi ‘Kakapa’ Selemela

The age gap between myself and my brother is 6yrs…I’m the eldest. You’ll never know the joy I felt those many years ago when I got told I had a brother. You see i wasn’t living with my parents, I was living with my grandad due to proximity to our primary school then.

At that time my dad had no car and I was considered too frail and young to walk the distance between our home and school, a mere 3kms or so.

The news came, and I recall my excitement and just how much I wanted to go home to my parents to see my brother, something I could only do on weekends.

I could hardly sleep at night that time and I remember my aunt who had gone to see the baby remarking that it had a dark skin, black as a night just like it’s daddy.

I was amused and jealous with the comparison to my dad’s skin tone. I wanted to see the baby.

Like a day of reckoning, Friday came and after school my dad had come to fetch me. I still remember dropping my bags and rushing into the room of our x2 bedroom house to see the baby. It was a big fat cheeked as dark as a coal baby.

I kissed his cheeks and mommy handed me the baby gently as I carried him with mommy’s watchful eye. That moment I knew my life had changed forever. I was a big brother.

Fast forward six years later the bloke was now of school going age and had become my shadow, literally, the man followed me wherever I went and imitated every move I made, often to my worst irritation.

I was now back home and living with my parents as I was now considered old enough to cross roads and navigate the route to school, holding my younger brother to school, walking that same distance I was thought too frail to walk, for the next 2 years this happened daily to and back from school.

It wasn’t long we were now bought identical clothing and toys, played ball together and our favourite “wrestling”.

I would grab him and toss him only to drop him on the bed and choke him until he tapped out, it was a game you know, which I always won.

From the moment I first saw him I knew exactly how lucky I was, to have a brother. I instantly and instantaneously knew that I had to carry myself differently, to be exemplary and lead the way, Mommy also preached that.

Our upbringing wasn’t anything easy.

During those trying times I gathered that I had to be my brother’s support. The man kept me going and was truly the wind beneath my arms, I wanted to impress him to role model him and be his hero. With much aplomb I became better at my game, we went to the same karate club, same soccer club, he was best at the latter and I at the former.

Today we are big married men and it’s amazing how the tables have turned. I love the guy even more, I now look up to him, he has taken to parenting like a house on fire; he’s humorous, loving, very responsible and has now become my counsellor and advisor.

Yesterday we ran a marathon together The Kloppers Marathon and my brother amazed me in a way I’ve never seen in this field.

I believe that for the longest time now we’ve both known that in matters running I am the stronger one but for the better part of the running i was struggling. I had breathing problems, me knees weaker and my resolve at its lowest. Moeketsi was fitter and stronger and he pulled me. We didn’t chat at all, we just ran and ran and ran with short quick glances at each other every now and then just so that we sure we are fine.

It was an emotional run.

For a change I saw him at lot better than me in everything and I was proud. Once he opened a gap and left me behind gasping as I pedalled on faster to catch up.

All these got me thinking about our coming of age. How we’ve walked the thin tight rope of life to be here. It even got me thinking that if I was to die today I would do so happily in full knowledge that my brother is my keeper.

So we ran together till the 30km and suddenly I again felt stronger and was able to draw my last ounce of strength like a boxer pulling a.killwr a killer punch and paced on. I guess the big brother bee had stung again as I and he disappeared into oblivion. I was aware that the man is stronger than ever before and could run. At the end my time said 4:10 and his 4:17.

I love you Monge as Mama called you.