This is also a story about a very loving sister who played the role of our mom for those hard times when we needed a mom and didn't really have one.
My story starts from my early childhood. I grew up in Chicago, Il with two brothers, two sisters, and mom & dad.
Not too long after my birth my mom and dad split up. That was the begging of what would change our lives for a lifetime. My mom had severe medical conditions. She was manic depressive. It was hard for her to keep a job which resulted in us many of times living in shelters or abandoned buildings. I really don't remember that part. I was just told the stories by my brothers and sisters.
If I could describe what our family has gone through it would be the movie "Pursuit of Happiness" Have you ever seen it? if not I suggest you do. It's very inspiring.
Eventually it became too difficult for my mom. One day she sent all of us off into a taxi to my dad and new wife. For the first time we had a home for ourselves. It was a new beginning, we had our own rooms, we had clothes, and a new mom, but there was now new challenges. My step-mom has somewhat of a gestapo personality. We had room inspection every weekend. All clothing, books and toys had to be neatly lines up perfectly or else you would see her wrath of her ripping everything off the shelves for us to put back together.
There was my sister Linda gain, always there for us. Stepping in for us, Sticking up for us and being there for us. She would change diapers, play with us and occasionally start fires accidental when cooking popcorn on the stove when my dad and step mom would go out stepping on the weekends.
They called it stepping back then, but the more modern word would be "going on a date"
I'll never forger that time she accidentally started a fire while making popcorn. The fire wasn't too bad, but the look on my step mothers face when they arrived at the apartment after their date only to find fire trucks all over the place.
Yes! our life was interesting. On weekends my dad and step mom would drag us to a neighborhood bar called the "Trophy Room" they would hang out at the bar on the weekends with their buds.
It was kind of depressing being dragged there. To this day I have a clear memory of entering the bar on a early Saturday or Sunday morning. As you enter the Trophy Room: You would see a beam of sunlight shining through foggy windows of the cigarettes that seemed to have ownership of the bar and Frank Sinatra playing "Chicago" on the old Wurlitzer jukebox as you walk in you are amerced with the smell of cigarets and a combination a bleach smell mixed with dirty mop water, alcohol and cigarette ashes that was moped up only a few hours after the bar closed and then shortly after, reopened.
When the Hawkins family walked in, everybody knew us. We were greeted like we were one of them, one of the family. People would walk up and gives us sodas, Slim Jims and money for the jukebox or the bowling game where you had to sprinkle powder to make the puck shaped ball hot the pin. I loved that game.
I don't have very many memories of my dad. He worked a lot. He was a cement masson. He worked on tall skysctrappers such a s the Sears Tower, now called Willis Tower as well as on the John Hancock building. In the off season he would run a bar that he had opened up called "Hawks Inn"
I was dragged there many of times as well, I think I must of been four years old at theta time. I do have one memory in particular of my dad. It was when he took me to Magic Inc, in Chicago. Magic Inc was a magic shop. My dad was a big prankster and I think he thought it would be fun to take me there. I remember because he let me buy a gag lighter. When you press down on the lighter a spring snake springs out. It wasn't your typical toy that a 6 or seven year old would play with, but those were different times. Little did I know that it was the begging of my interest in magic.
Thank goodness I found magic. In some aspects it's what helped hold me together.
Having ADD school was always a challenge for me. I struggled with trying to retain, comprehend and remember things. As a result I was bullied quite often, but that's okay. Looking back those are what molded me and helped me become who I am. By being bullied I realized that I didn't want to be a horrible and disrespectful kid. I wanted to be loving, considerate, passionate and respectful to people. If you think about it we can learn a lot about bullies. They teach us how and what not to do.
My sister was also a great influence on me as far as how to treat people.
One of the main reasons I didn't see my dad much was because he was very sick. He was a alcoholic and was in and out of the hospital. May times he was away for months. Eventual his drinking got the best of him and he died at the young age of 33. I remember that day very well. I heard the phone call very early in the morning, I heard people crying. The next morning there again was my sister Linda, there for me to tell me the news. She was always there at just the right time.
After my dad dies our family just kind of split up. Everyone went there own way. It was scarey and lonely. One day my sister Linda had given me a huge decision to make. She had given me the freedom to chose whether I wanted to live with my step-mom or her. It didn't take much time to decide. After all she was already filling in the shoes of being a mom. At the age if 18 she was raising me and taking care of me.
She was there for my very first magic show. I''ll never forger that! It was at a block party in Elmwood Park, Il. I only got about $10.00m but that was a lot for me back then.
Many! many! challenges came and went and my sister or I like to call her Mom-ster always pulled through and made the best of things. In my early stages of High School she married a wonderful man. He always treated her with love and respect. In many aspects he was like a dad to me. We went on some awesome vacations, went to drive in movies, fishing and sail boat rides. Whenever I hear that song "Sailing by Christopher Cross"
I don't really think he really knows the impact that he gave me. Thanks for being a great brother-in law as well as a pop.
To speed things up a bit. I'm now happily married. I have a wonderful son. I'm still doing magic. In fact magic saved my life one day. I was cleaning a resultant very early in the morning for some extra cash. $ masked men broke in the restaurant and handcuffed me while they went to work on the safe. When they went to check on me I pulled a Houdini and escaped. A few weeks later the were caught by police based on my description. Ironically they were hitting another restaurant. I remember that day clearly as well. I was terrified, and then there was my sister again, calming me down and giving advice. Beside doing magic I am now a magic inventor and creator. In less the two years I have created over 8 magic effects that I'm now selling world wide. Not too shabby for a first time at making magic products. it's something I'm really proud of as well as very thankful for my sister for always giving me the support and telling me to go for my passion.
Thank you Linda for giving me that piece of motherly love and passion I needed. Thank you for taking me to the very first Superman movie I ever saw. It was the one with Christopher Reeves.
I never told you this, but when we got home after the movie, I went to the basement, put on a small blanket and pretended to fly. You helped me keep my dreams alive and give me hope.
I'm proud of who you are! I'm proud that you have married the man of your dreams and that you have wonderful kids who you are a great mother to. Thanks for always being there for me and making me who I am today.
Happy Mothers Day!
I love you sis!
Your brother,
Mark
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