My Daughter, Audrey [ON HOLD]

The Brother

Peter walked out onto the porch and dropped two letters into the yellow basket.   His chest shuddered along with a long, sad sigh.  It had been almost a month since he had seen Jennie and Audrey.  There was a pit inside his soul that he could not replace.   Faith and prayers guided him forward, but there was a human angst that burned so much that his chest constantly pained him.  Peter, seeing that the weather was clear and that the dodgy weather had passed, decided to take a walk through town with the yellow dog.

               “Taffy, git out ‘ere.”  Peter called out softy, tossing his head towards the street.  A smile crinkled one side of his cheek as the yellow dog trotted out.  Peter closed the door and took off at a brisk walk.   He wanted to go the cabin where he and Jennie had spent a week together alone, but he knew the memories would only remind him how lonely he was.  As the road beneath his feet fell behind him, his thoughts wandered to the sacred night where Jennie was at last his.  If he could remember anything that night, he’d recall her eyes.  How they searched his soul until he had nothing left to hide; how her hand in his assured him of safety.  He remembered every word she said to him; every compliment, every promise, and every word that meant she loved him unconditionally. 

               Peter felt a sharp sting surge through his face and he realized that memories had brought tears to his eyes.  Sniffing loudly and brushing the collecting tears off his face, Peter pushed the images to the back of his mind and focused on the scenery.  He thought the roads looked lovely after a good rain, and he loved watching raindrops drip from the lamp posts.  Peter hooked his thumbs in his pockets and began whistling, without thinking to, Jennie’s favorite song, I Love You for Sentimental Reasons.  When he reached the chorus, he stopped and dabbed away another escaping tear.  He was about to just let the tears flow freely from his eyes before a customer walked out of a shop.  Peter turned his face away and said audibly,

               “Oh, blimey!  Got—got something in me eye!”  Peter pretended to dig for the imaginary speck while the customer was still in view, it was only when the stranger had left did Peter continue on his way.  From that moment on, he controlled himself from crying. 

               “Peter?  Peter!”  came a young boy’s voice.

               Peter’s head turned in every direction and his eyes focused on every detail on the streets and inside the shops.  It wasn’t until he heard the clapping of shoes on the pavement did he turn and look behind him.   His face lit up in shock at the young face.  “Jamie?”

               “Peter!  I didn’t know you’d be here, we’ve been so worried!”  the brown haired boy with fair skin wrapped his arms tightly around Peter’s neck. 

               Peter, having missed this fellow for a long time, returned the embrace, remarking on the years that had passed between them.  He soon set the boy back on the ground and bent down so that they were eye to eye.  “’Ow ya been, lad?  How’s Mum?”

               “She’s alright.  She’s been talking about you lately,” Jamie replied, fixing his titled bill cap.  “I see you haven’t changed your accent!”

               Peter shrugged, “Can’t quite git rid of it.  Ya grown up, soundin’ like a man, too.  ‘Ow old are ya?”

               “Fourteen,” Jamie replied proudly, even though he was trying to respond humbly.

               “Tell me, brother, ‘ow’s Father?”

               Jamie grew still and quiet.  His blue eyes dropped to the ground and his feet shuffled in discomfort.  “He left us, Pete.  Said he was off to find and job and that he wasn’t going to be caged anymore.  But he’s not better.  He’s still a loony!”