Humane

He LOVES his sister.  Much of the time she is slung into the hammock of someone's arm, resting in the gold leather chair, her head at the height of his.  He pauses next to her, waves his hands tenderly over her curls, and then turns around and rubs the back of her head with his own.  He loves her, and he wants her to know it, even if through some sort of original hair-to-hair emotional osmosis.  This ritual, a small act, does great amounts of good for all of us.

His emotional maturity is impressive, his compassion remarkable and his sense of justice endearing.  Would it be the same without her?  Is it a result of living with her, of desiring to alleviate her pain?  Instead of playing next to her, oblivious to her presence, he piles toys around her on the couch when she's awake, literally lining balls and blocks and cars along the edge of her body.  When she's sleeping, he knows to be quiet, to climb carefully up to stroke her forehead or to position himself gently at her feet to read books.  And when she cries, he rallies everyone around; holding her hand, he asks us all to kiss her and tell her it'll be okay. 

We went to the zoo last week, and while we drove Tuck talked about all the animals we would see.  "Celie will see the elephants, too!" he said.  We explained that she couldn't see them, but that she might hear their footsteps and that he could describe them to her - what they were doing, what they were eating, what color they were.  Tuck spent the day racing from one exhibit to the next, all the while keeping a running commentary for his sister. 
"The monkeys are noisy, Celie girl.  The baby monkey is LOUD.  The monkeys gave me a apple"  (For the record, No, they didn't.  But he did eat an apple near the gibbons...) 
"Those manatees are BIG, sister.  They are big under the water.  And that sea turtle is from Aunt Vicky."  (Again, for the record, Aunt Vicky and family adopted a sea turtle in honor of Cel & Tuck as a birthday gift this month, so Yes, sort of.)
"The flamingos are sleeping, C.  They are tall and they are standing on their feet.  They are resting and they are pink!"

His compassion does not come as overflowing sentiments, but rather as small works of mercy.  Small works, from a small person who seems to have a good handle on some big things.
JEB