Help.

My brother is a lost cause. Maybe it's his computer addiction, maybe it's his personality. Either way, I've given up on him a long time ago. My father... Well frankly he cares only once every blue moon. My mother gave up on him a few months ago. Even my biased-towards-him mother.

I've accepted the bias quite a long time ago, because let's face it, I can bet my hat there isn't a single parent in this world who doesn't favorite a child. This is just how the world works. Favoritism doesn't mean that your parent doesn't love you. He/She just happens to be more generous towards your siblings, whether or not they deserve it. I'm just lucky that this isn't a severe case of favoritism. That story is for another time.

My brother has a severe case of addiction. He doesn't need to eat, sleep, or pee if he has the com. In March when my parents went overseas and dumped my bro on me, he played the com throughout the nights and slept in the mornings. At that time his school was commencing online learning, and there were allocated time slots when they have to go online and look at the lessons.

He skipped every single one of them because he was sleeping.

I knew that he had e-learning, but at that point he doesn't listen so I just gave up.
The thing with him, he doesn't just not listen. He ignores you completely. Like you're not there. He doesn't even bother to turn his damn head to look at you when you're talking to him.

He does this to me and to my mother. Where's his respect? Where did we go wrong? I think my parents did a pretty good job with me because at least I know I have correct priorities and values and respect. And I was left alone for the most part of my life.

He doesn't dare disrespect his father this blatantly. Yet. Mostly because when my dad talks to him it's always about fun and games. Like I said, my dad isn't exactly the parent-type. He's more uncle-type. 90% play with the rare scolding/caning.

I've nagged and nagged and nagged at my bro but to no avail. But what can I do? I can't cane him. I don't have the right to. Besides, caning is useless. My mother continuously caned him for more than a year and he's still as rotten as ever.

Of course, I do suspect the strength behind each cane. She is, after all, a chinese mother with male nepotism. I've repeatedly told her to send my brother to a shrink. She always ends up defending him. Oh yes, she acknowledges that he needs help, but she doesn't do anything. Is she heartbroken that her dearest son has to see a shrink?

He doesn't accept help from me, doesn't accept help from his parents, doesn't accept help from teachers. Who else is there to help him? His good-for-nothing friends? His friends are almost exactly the same as him, only he has it so much worse.

Just three days ago on Friday, he skipped his exam because he couldn't be bothered to wake up and go to school. This isn't the first time. Or the second, or the third this year. I don't even have enough fingers to count. He can't be bothered to give a single damn about education. His only love is a rectangular machine with a screen and runs on electricity.

His situation is ridiculous. Every single day, every single damned day, my mother has to personally wake him up and has to stay awake herself to make sure that he doesn't get back to sleep. Even when she's outside in the early morning, she still has to freaking call him to make sure he's awake. All this for a 13-year-old kid.

In a way, her softness towards him has contributed to his hopeless situation.

God save him and may He help us all.