His toes wiggled freely in the tall dry grass. The blades tickling his leg
as it brushed his moving form. With pleading eyes and a slight smile he ran
playfully to me, begging for my companionship. With a sharp no his smile
faded and he turned in attempt to will away my bitterness, and his pain. I
examined my hands, cracked, dry, and rough from work. I reached out with
them and held his frail shoulder firmly. I knew he accepted my silent
apology as I set my axe back into its smooth rehearsed swing. I struggled
as it lifted over my head, for I was only seven.
He redirected his energy and trudged up the large limbs, scraping the bottom of his dirt-caked feet. I caught his adventure out of the corner of my eye. Not a worry prevailed, for all my focus was on my swing.
His climb was a short one and he stood upon the lowest limb, his vain bellow provoked my attention. I laughed as I belittled his accomplishment, challenging him to justify his boast. As I did so, he journeyed higher, smirking at me all the way. I turned. Placing the axe at my hip, watching his untarnished hands liberally grasp the strong branches.
He looked down at me from his perch, laughing, hoping I approved. His gaze turned to the sky, his eyes focused on the dove circling among the clouds. He shifted his weight to see the bird as it escaped his view. The wind made the branch dance, and his once stable body was smashed among the branches.
The axe feel to the ground and I ran abandoning it. My strong arms made weak as I held him in my arms. I let his blood soak through my shirt and waited for him to stop breathing. It must have been about a minute, but it seemed like days. I stared at him, my baby brother, a baby forever, and my brother no more. I let his limp body fall out of my arms. I ran to the rock that claimed his blood, and despite the tears overcrowding my eyes I picked it up and threw it. Threw it far, far away. It would never haunt me again. I ran back to him, and leaned my head on his small, broken body. The tears wouldn't stop falling, they couldn't, God knows I loved. love. him. I did it. It was my fault, my actions, my taunting. So I let the tears fly, staining his soft, dirty shirt, staining my cheeks.
That's the last time I ever cried.
He redirected his energy and trudged up the large limbs, scraping the bottom of his dirt-caked feet. I caught his adventure out of the corner of my eye. Not a worry prevailed, for all my focus was on my swing.
His climb was a short one and he stood upon the lowest limb, his vain bellow provoked my attention. I laughed as I belittled his accomplishment, challenging him to justify his boast. As I did so, he journeyed higher, smirking at me all the way. I turned. Placing the axe at my hip, watching his untarnished hands liberally grasp the strong branches.
He looked down at me from his perch, laughing, hoping I approved. His gaze turned to the sky, his eyes focused on the dove circling among the clouds. He shifted his weight to see the bird as it escaped his view. The wind made the branch dance, and his once stable body was smashed among the branches.
The axe feel to the ground and I ran abandoning it. My strong arms made weak as I held him in my arms. I let his blood soak through my shirt and waited for him to stop breathing. It must have been about a minute, but it seemed like days. I stared at him, my baby brother, a baby forever, and my brother no more. I let his limp body fall out of my arms. I ran to the rock that claimed his blood, and despite the tears overcrowding my eyes I picked it up and threw it. Threw it far, far away. It would never haunt me again. I ran back to him, and leaned my head on his small, broken body. The tears wouldn't stop falling, they couldn't, God knows I loved. love. him. I did it. It was my fault, my actions, my taunting. So I let the tears fly, staining his soft, dirty shirt, staining my cheeks.
That's the last time I ever cried.