Chapter 3

Brent

Cups clink in the kitchen, and I realize how hungry I am. But the anxiety still haunts me. Seeing me glancing nervously at the hallway where Jack disappeared, Laura says: “Don't worry, Jack will look after him.”

“Your brother helped us a lot.”

“Yes, it's so him, he is like a superhero,” she grins sarcastically. I don’t want to meddle in the affairs of their family, but it seems that not everything is going smoothly between them. “But you don’t strike me as a farmer,” she says in the same tone.

I'm not really sure what she means.

“Well, maybe not now, but we’ll see in a couple of weeks...”

Jack walks into the dining room, and I drop my sentence unfinished.

“He’s asleep, so don’t worry. Plus, after what happened, I don't think he will have the strength to even get up. Let him come to himself, then he will have to eat. By the way, you look like breakfast wouldn’t hurt you either.” Jack says.

I grin unhappily. Laura puts the coffee pot, pancakes and honey on the table. The smell of food makes my stomach twist. But even while I’m chewing, while I’m sipping my coffee, I listen to the sounds carefully.

“Come on,” Jack says when breakfast is over.

“What if he wakes up?” I ask.

“Laura will look after him, won't you, Laura?”

“Like I have nothing else to do.”

It looks like she has no other tone.

“We need to fix the roof so you have a place to sleep tonight. Come on,” says Jack, and I follow him.

“How old is your brother?” Jack asks, sitting on a roof. My job is to give him boards and tools, so I constantly go up and down the stairs. The little house where we were allowed to stay is about three hundred yards from the main house, just behind the big barn.

“He turned eighteen two days ago.”

“And you're a big brother?”

“I'm twenty-one.”

“Laura and I have the same age gap, I'm twenty-six.”

“Are you a student?” I ask to keep conversation going.

“Yes”.

“What do you study?”

“What's the difference? I still have to stay here and help my father.” Jack sound a bit irritated.

“Why did you study then?”

Jack shrugs absently.

“What about you?” He asks.

“I’m an engineer.”

Jack hides a smile, lowering his head.

“What?” I wonder.

“Brother in arms,” he holds out his hand to me, and I shake it with a smile.

After the roof was repaired, we took out all the trash that was in the house. When the evening came, the room seemed like a nice place to live. For now. Laura brought us dinner and said that Aiden had woken up several times, but he had never touched the food.

The three of us are sitting on the porch of a small house, looking at the sunset sky, talking about something, and I still can't understand how the people I know for one day became closer to me than my own parents.

We approach the Phelps house at dusk. I find Aiden sleeping on Jack's bed, untouched food is on the nightstand. I feel bitter. I took him out of the hospital and he was weak. If he doesn't start eating, then...

Jack lifts Aiden and Laura hands me a bag of linen, a basket of food, and a thermos of tea.

We walk back in silence. It got dark quickly, and I doubt I would find a way to our shack without Jack. I turn on the light, make the bed, Jack puts Aiden on it, but doesn't rush to leave.

“You...”He starts and stops as if he can’t find the words.

“Thank you for everything, you helped us a lot,” I think this is the right time for these words. Jack nods, slightly embarrassed.

“Good night,” and he disappears into the darkness.

I sit down on my bed and look at Aiden. His eyes are open.

“Hey,” I quietly call him and sit closer. “How are you?”

But he doesn't answer me. I pour tea from the thermos into a mug and walk over to him.

“Drink a little. Take a sip.”

Silence again.

He's eighteen, but I feel like he's six. When he was ill, I didn't go to school and looked after him because my mother had to work. I had to give him medicine, but he never wanted to take it. What was I doing then?..

I put my hand on his nape and lift his head.

“Aiden, get well soon,” I say, and raise the cup to his lips. “And I’ll give you my most beautiful stone I’ve found on the coast of Florida.”

It works like it did in childhood. He takes a few sips. And it seems to me that I feel the tart taste of sweet freshly brewed tea. He drinks the whole cup.

“Maybe you want to eat?” I ask. I speak softly, it seems to me as if I am trying to lure a wild animal, and if I make even one unnecessary movement, it will hide again somewhere in the darkness of the subconscious. Laura gave me a whole pot of mushed potatoes. I bring the spoon to my brother's lips and put my hand on the back of his head again. And so I persuade him to eat six spoons.

The next morning begins with my new duties. Mr. Phelps acts aloof, but I don't see any anger or hostility anymore. I even think he is a little ashamed of his yesterday behavior. Aiden is asleep... or awake. I don’t know. Sometimes he tosses and turns in his sleep, and sometimes he seems to be sleeping with his eyes open. Jack helps to sort out the work. Anyway, he turned out to be a good guy. I catch myself thinking that I wish I had a friend like him.