I always dreamed of being in my brothers shoes, but everything changed soon enough.
My mum fell pregnant with me at eighteen. My dad left as soon as he found outhe wasnt interested in being tied down, just endless parties and mates. Mums parents, my grandparents, were furious. In a small town near Manchester, having a kid out of wedlock was a disgrace, and my grandad kicked her out, shouting, “I dont want such an irresponsible girl under my roof!” I cant even imagine what she went throughso young, alone, with a baby in her arms. But she pushed through. She signed up for an Open University course, found work, and gave it her all. We got a tiny council flat, and just like that, it was the two of us. I grew up faster than most kidsdoing the shopping, the cleaning, heating up ready meals. Playing? No time for that. I was her rock, the only man she could count on.
I never complainedI was proud of it. Then, Oliver came into our lives. I liked him. Hed bring chocolates, make mum smile, look after her. She lit up around him, and one day, she told me, “Oliver and I are getting married, and were moving into a proper house.” I was over the moonI wanted a real dad, and I hoped Oliver would be that. At first, it was brilliant. I had my own space, could finally relax, listen to music, read. Oliver helped mum with bills, and her eyes sparkled again.
Then she announced she was expecting. Soon after, Oliver said, “Youll have to move into the box roomthatll be the babys nursery.” I didnt get itthe house was big, why me? The next day, my things were already stuffed into a cramped space where only a bed fit. It wasnt fair, but I kept quietI was used to swallowing it down.
When my little brother Ethan was born, the nightmare started. His crying kept me up all night, and I dragged myself through school like a zombie. My grades dropped, teachers scolded me, and mum would snap, “Youve got to set an example for your brother! Stop embarrassing us, you lazy thing!” As Ethan grew, more chores landed on metaking him to the park, pushing his pram. Other kids laughed at me, my face burning with shame, but I never said a word. The best stufftoys, clotheswas always for Ethan. If I asked for anything, Oliver shut me down: “No money for that.” I walked Ethan to nursery, picked him up, cooked, cleanedI just waited for him to grow up so I could finally be free.
When Ethan started school, mum ordered me to help with his homework. Spoilt and stubborn, he never put in effort, and when I tried to discipline him, hed whine to her. She always took his side: “Youre the older one, be more patient!” He bounced from school to school, failing everywhere. Eventually, he got into a private school where they turned a blind eye to bad gradesas long as the cheques cleared. Meanwhile, I did a mechanics apprenticeshipnot because I wanted to, just to escape that house.
Then came night classes and workI saved every penny for my own place. Got married, finally found peace. And Ethan? Oliver bought him a flat, but he still lives with Mum and Dad, rents it out, and burns through the cash on nonsense. Wont get a job, just sprawls in front of the telly. Last New Years, we all gathered at my parents. His latest girlfriend, Chloe, was there. I overheard them in the kitchen.
“Youre lucky with your brother,” she said to my wife, Emily. “James is such a hard worker, reliable. Why isnt Ethan like that? Ive asked him to move in, start a family, but hes glued to his mum. The rent moneys no use to us.”
“Yeah, James is amazing,” Emily smiled. “Forget Ethanhe doesnt deserve you. Hed make a rubbish husband anyway.”
I froze. Ethan cycles through girlfriends like socks, but none stickMum chases them off, deems them “not good enough” for her golden boy. And him? He just lets it happen, wrapped in his lazy little bubble. Thats when it hit me: I dont envy him anymore. Everything I once wished forhis lifewas empty. Fate gave me battles, but rewards too. Ive got a family, a wife who loves me, a daughter, a home I built myself. Im proud of who I am, and for the first time, Im glad Im not Ethan. My lifes my own hard-won victoryreal, and mine.
