Short Stories

~2~

Today is absolutely the worse day I could ever have. It's hard trying to find a job around here and I have to pay my rent. "You're too young. You don't seem mature like the others who work here." Young?

How am i young? Twenty-seven isn't young my thirties are coming faster than I thought it would be. "This day couldn't possibly get any worse." The doorbell rang. I got up from the couch and answered the door.

"James Mikaelson?"

"Yeah?"

"Please sign here." He said giving me a clipboard and pointing at the bottom of the paper. Once I read over it and signed it he gave me a package. "

"Have a nice evening."

"You too."

To: James Mikaelson, From: Joseph Mikaelson

I spoke too soon this day could get worse. Is this some joke? Joseph is gone. He died seven-teen years ago. Joseph is my older brother, well he was my older brother as in past-tense.

Joseph wanted to join the army because he always said he wanted to serve his country and provide for our family. We knew he was gonna come back because he was strong, smart, every good trait you could possibly think of but couple months later two sophisticated men in professional clothes with medals, (they looked very important) knocked on our door. "Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson." They both took off their hat and the other man said " Joseph Mikaelson died a hero, I'm sorry for your loss." Then they left and since then our lives had changed forever, nothing was ever the same.

We talked to him not long ago and now we hear he's dead I was only ten and I didn't want anyone to say the D word, Dead. He was only nineteen. Nineteen! He was taken away from me because he wanted to join the army. It was like he was asking to die. Going to the army is a suicide mission. Fifty, fifty chance you'll come back home alive.

The funeral was hard to handle, there was gunshots, soldiers folding a flag, people sobbing, and worse of all there was a dead human being who was my brother, in a box that would soon go into the ground, and rot. I didn't want him to be buried he should've been cremated and it should've been set free somewhere but No no one ever listened to a ten year old. The funeral was to chaotic and there was just so much going on.
When I got to school everyone would say:

"Sorry for your loss."

"He's in a better place."

Things like that, but they always looked at me in pity and I hated that look. The mourning process was terrible, I was depressed and so were my parents, even my teachers showed me pity, they didn't give me much homework or hard work because they knew life at home was hard. I didn't feel like an equal everyone was always nice to me and I always got special treatment from the teachers, and students. I was just the kid who lost his brother and that's all I was known for. I opened my eyes and snapped out of it.

I must've been standing at the door daydreaming for hours. I closed the door and started to open the box, there was a letter that had the neatest handwriting that I missed seeing.

    Dear James, I hope this package gets to you in time. Happy birthday baby brother ten is a big number and school must be tough. Well I took a break from training to get this whole birthday present all together. I'll be coming home soon and once I get home we're gonna hang out because it's been what about six months? Face timing each other isn't the same.
Alright I know how much you hate reading. Bye, love you.

                                Your role model,

                                    Jo.

    He always used that joke. When I was about five I always said he was my role model and he seemed to never forget about that he smiled every time he told me that story. I'll be coming home soon. If only that were true, if only. Inside the box was an object with something attached to it , a key and an envelope.

The key to your new journey.Unlock this storage room 165 North, on Moonlight Avenue." Then I looked at the envelope. This is a trust fund, I hope you use this money wisely. You're only ten, which is still young so this trust fund will be available for you once you're twenty. Normally it would be eighteen but your still a kid to me so no you can't have access to it before twenty.

I dug deeper and deeper I found letters. Letters for when I'm gone. Each letter had different titles. Through the mourning process...  The day of your wedding... When you're a dad... he wrote a letter for basically everything that might happen in my life. It's like he knew he was going to pass away.

When you're feeling lonely...

    If you're reading this then that means I'm most likely gone and you feel kinda down, lonely. If there's really nothing left for you if you don't have a girlfriend, wife, children, family, etc. then maybe you should leave. Join the army James. If there's really nothing weighing on you then leave. It's your choice to join the army no one's forcing you just know you will always have a choice.

If that's not the answer you were looking for then just cry it out don't hold in any of your anger or emotions. Crying doesn't make you weak it just makes you human, never bottle up everything for too long you just need a good cry. Whatever situation you're in you can get through it. If you didn't cry then that means you've been strong for too long. I wish I could be there to help you through your problems.

Solve your problems and try to get through whatever it is, you're not gonna be lonely forever I know it because who ever has a bond with you they're lucky, you're an amazing person.

Sincerely,

   Jo
***********************
It's been a couple weeks since I got the package from Joseph. I found the storage room and it contained a lot of his army gear that he got to keep, I found a box full of pictures of our family. I took his advice and had a good cry, after these past weeks I've made my final decision. I'm going to join the army in my brother's honor no one forced me or pressured me this was my decision and I'm going to find my purpose in life. There's nothing left here mom and dad passed away, I'm not in a relationship, no children, and no family. This is what I think is best for me.

I'm no longer the lonely little boy who lost his brother. From now on I'm gonna find my happiness, my purpose, I deserve this. After everything I've been through, losing mom to cancer, losing dad to a heart attack, "Heartbroken" the doctors said. He just couldn't handle her death, his emotions took over. I was only seventeen going on eighteen when he passed.

I guess death liked to follow me around and make the depression worse. God had to take away mom. But dad too? I couldn't at least have one person in my life. There was no one here to love me anymore.

I can't even support my own self, and Joseph's money isn't enough to survive off. He would want this from me, he wants me to be happy, and I will. For the first time in a long time I smiled. For the first time in a long time I felt happy and I will not fall apart again. I was in such a dark place but I found light again.

Found freedom. Joining the army not only saved me but I'll save others. Fight for my country, for the men, for the women, and for the children. I've always wanted to change lives and starting today it will happen. I want someone to look at me and say, "Because of you, I didn't give up."

Because of Joseph I didn't give up. I stepped into the room, getting prepared for training. Fifty, fifty I'll come back alive.

Now I'm just like my role model. Joseph Mikaelson.