Why you ask? Is he a hero? No, unless you consider coping with 13+ years with AIDS heroic. I am introducing him to you because he is my baby brother. Six years ago today he died from lymphoma that was complicated from AIDS. (Yes, my baby brother was gay.) I want to share my memories of Ricky with you.
When Ricky was born he was a sickly baby, literally. The first few years of his life was basically throwing up here and there. I remember him throwing a few times. It wasn’t cause from flu. The doctor didn’t know what caused it. Ricky did out grow the sickness.
After this Ricky had a security blanket he called “cubby”. I won’t get in to that I don’t want Ricky to come and haunt me, lol.
I remember having to take Ricky and my baby sister, Reggi, to my friend’s house if I want see my friend at times. I didn’t like taking them because both were snoopy and tattle tales. When you get older, you laugh about this stuff.
I have a fond memory of taking Ricky and Reggi to McDonalds and taking it to Happy Hollow Park to eat it. We would take a trail to see where it would end and play on the swing sets. We had to take the bus to and fro then I didn’t know how to drive then even though I was in high school. We had fun.
I remember a time mom or dad grounded Ricky from going anywhere. I don’t remember why Ricky was grounded. None of the rest us couldn’t go swimming because it. I am the oldest so I got babysitting duty. Mom and Dad were at work. We couldn’t go until they were home. So the five of us kids decided to go any way. We had this big idea we back home before Mom and Dad got back from work. Well, our plans didn’t go a according to plan. How did we get caught you ask? Ricky hurt himself on the fence at the pool. Blood was gushing from his leg. Ricky needed stitches. Back then they called the parents if a kid got hurt. Needless to say we got punished for our rebellion.
Ricky was also was my angel after my divorce. He gave me a shoulder to cry on. He helped me with my daughter Ashley. There was one day I couldn’t go get her from school because the area I lived at was flooded just enough I couldn’t get out. He picked her up for me and let her spend the night. There was another time in March of 2003, I had two heart attacks within that month. My baby brother was there to watch Ashley for me. Ricky was an angel in other ways, there were weekend he and Les would take take our kids for the weekend. When they had our kids we would have to go pick them up on Sunday. We would make a day out of it. It was Karaoke time. Ricky would fix us meals out of this world. Sherri, Reggi, and me would bring the sodas and snacks. Twinkies any one, lol.
We had our ups and downs like any sibling but we love each other. I don’t want to remember his death but of the good and bad times we had.
Ricky Bishop (October 26,1964-October 11, 2006)
This is terrible. I don’t know when this was taken.
Yea, it was a three dog night down in Florida. We lived in Florida at the time
Happy Halloween. I don’t remember the year this was taken.
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