Rise To The Crown- The Story of the Third-In-Line

*Fifty-Eight (2014.03)

It was a brisk March afternoon at the schoolyard, where the playground buzzed with the laughter and chatter of children enjoying their recess. The air carried a hint of spring, and the sound of playful footsteps echoed against the brick walls of the school building.

Delly, with her curly hair bouncing as she walked, approached her teacher, Miss Jacqueline Solomon, who was keeping a watchful eye on the energetic activities of the students. The playground was adorned with colorful equipment—a kaleidoscope of swings, slides, and climbing structures.

Delly tugged at the hem of Miss Solomon's dress, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Miss Solomon, can I ask you something?" she inquired, her voice filled with innocence. The teacher, kneeling down to be at eye level with Delly, nodded with a warm smile.

As the children played in the background, the schoolyard painted a vibrant scene of youthful exuberance. The sun cast a gentle glow, casting shadows that danced on the pavement. The distant laughter of kids playing tag mixed with the chirping of birds perched on the nearby trees.Delly, surrounded by the lively atmosphere, took a deep breath before posing her question to Miss Solomon, "Do you have any siblings?"

Miss Solomon, with a warm smile, nodded. "Yes, Delly, I have two brothers—Joshua and Julian."Delly's eyes widened with interest. "Really? Tell me about them!"

Miss Solomon chuckled. "Well, Joshua is the older one. He used to play superheroes with me when we were little. And Julian is my younger brother. We always had fun adventures together."

Delly thought for a moment, then asked, "Did they ever, you know, compete for things ?"

Miss Solomon nodded, her eyes sparkling with memories. "Oh, absolutely. They had their moments, especially when they were younger. But deep down, they cared a lot about each other."

"Did you ever compete with them for Mumma's attention?"

She thought for a moment and replied, "No, Delly, I don't remember. I think it's a boy thing. And Julian was especially competitive, and I think even a tad bit jealous of Josh."

"Why? Why Julian? Is he a bad boy?" Delly asked curiously.

"I don't know," Miss Solomon murmured, "maybe it's the second son syndrome." 

As soon as she said that, she wished that she didn't. She understands Delly's family history better than Delly does herself and didn't feel like she wanted to influence the little girl in any way (nor was she in a position to do so anyway). 

Miss Solomon wished that Delly didn't hear what she murmured, but Delly did, "What syndrome, Miss Solomon? Is he sick?"

The 28-year-old woman sighed, "Don't worry dear, Julian is okay. I was just commenting on his personality."

"Why is his personality a disease? Is he that awful? What did he do?" Seeing that Miss Solomon didn't want to continue, Delly dragged onto her sleeve and begged, "Oh please tell me, I won't tell anyone else!"

"Well, Delly, it's not a disease, it's simply how second sons tend to behave."

"Like what?"

"They are more, you know, adventurous, confident, and jeal-" she swallowed the last word.

"And what, Miss Solomon?"

"—— Oh, and, and joyful. More joyful than the firstborns."

"I know, 'cause Mummy always tells me I should be the big sister, that's no fun, George doesn't have to do that!"

Miss Solomon had so much to say. She wanted to tell the poor girl that she didn't need to worry, she wanted to tell her that it was okay, and she wanted to reassure her that her younger brother's life as the second-born is not going to be any easier than hers (if that can make her feel better).  But Miss Solomon didn't. She was just her teacher, not her family member. 

So Miss Solomon laughed, she laughed at the absurdity of this, how absolutely absurd that we are born into conditions and circumstances such as these that dictate who we are in the future. We have no agency over our environment. Delly doesn't, George doesn't, and everyone inside of the palace walls doesn't.

But how about the people outside, the people like Miss, Solomon and her brothers, Joshua and Julian, do they control their lives?

Julian would've become someone else if he was born first, and Joshua too. But again, who is Julian, who is Joshua?

Who is Miss Solomon?

Who is George?

Who is William, and who is Kate?

Who is Delly?

Who am I?

Readers, who are you?

... and, is your answer something that can be controlled by yourself?

... and, does it have to be?