I could smell my uncle's breath before I could feel him lean over me and whisper into my neck. He smelled like beer and cigarettes. He shook my shoulders trying to wake me.

"Com'on, wake up. We are going on a trip."

"On a trip? Where are we going?"

" Just get up and get ready, com'on. We have to go. It's going to be a big adventure. You are going to have so much fun."

Rubbing my eyes, I realized it was still dark outside. Were we going somewhere in the middle of the night? 

"Just wear a t-shirt and pants ok? And get your brother ready too." He closed the door and I could hear him thump step by step down the stairs. Hitting teh side walls as he went. He was drunk. Again. 

My 3-year-old brother was not so easy to wake. I shimmied up close to him and wrapped my arms around him. I started whispering in his ear.

"Derek, my Derek, time to wake up" I sang. He didn't move, only heaved a deep breath and grabbed my arm tighter to his chest.  "We have to wake up. We are going to have a fun adventure."

Holding my arms aruond him I flipped him over my body to the other side of me. Nuzzled up into his neck and gave him little kisses. He swatted at me with his hands, but his eyes still did not open. Oh well, I thought. I'm going to have to do this the hard way. I hovered over hisl ittle body and started tickling his belly, and immediately he started to squirm, fight back at me, and gigling at the same time. I lifted his night shirt and blew on his belly. Now we were rolling aournd the bed and although he kept trying to push me away, he was awake. Success! 

"Come on. I'll get your clothes ready. What do you want to wear? I know, I'll get your spiderman shirt okay?" 

Derek sat up in bed, and looked around. "It's still night time" He was wiping his eyes from sleep. I turned on teh bedroom lights and he squinted "Too bright" 

"We have to see what we are doing. Here is your shirt and your pants. Come here, let me helpy ou take off your nighty and get these clothes on you. Then you can lie down for a while, until I get ready ok?"

I got him into his clothes, tugging here and there, brushing his curly hair out of his eyes, trying to get it to stay to one side, but it wanted to stay in its wild bed shaped self. Then he plopped back and curled up, while I got undressed and got my clothes on. I could hear alot of noise outside our room. Bags being dragged, and hard thuds as they are pulled down the steps.