"Hey, Jeremy, it's the last day of exams. What are you going to do next?" A young boy asks another as they walked out of the school compound.
"Well..." The other one paused as he fell into a deep thought. "I guess, travel around for a while," Jeremy replied.
"I'll come with you," the boy said and beamed.
"Sure, Joshua."
The two boys were brothers born with only a year gap. Jeremy was the older one while Joshua, the younger one but this has never been known to anyone except themselves.
People called them twins because they were of the same height and same appearances. The only difference was the color of their hair.
While the older one has a silver hair, the younger one has a brown hair. And they both look charming in their own ways but unfortunately, people disliked Joshua.
Not for any reason but the fact that he doesn't like mingling with people except his brother. Unlike Jeremy who was far more friendly and easygoing, Joshua choose to isolate himself from the outside world. The only person he allowed into his world was his only brother whome he loved with everything he has.
"I'll prepare dinner while you wash the clothes," Jeremy said to Joshua as they arrived home — A not-so-bad apartment by the end of the street.
"As usual," Joshua replied and went off to do his own thing while Jeremy dropped his bag and went directly into the kitchen.
This has been their usual method for as long as they could both remember. Their mother died after birthing Joshua so the boy never knew what motherly love and care was. Fortunately, they had their father. The man was there to fill the gap their mother left behind, though only a little as there was nothing much he could do aside gambling and drinking. This was all he did until he could no longer continue.
Jeremy was forced to carry on the role of a father — Even with only being one year older than his brother, he had no choice but to do it. He took care of his brother, and also carried out tasks he could be able to.
This was how Joshua grew fond of him, so much that he could not afford to stay away from him.
Although, Jeremy had some shortcomings — like, he wasn't all that intelligent because he missed classes on several occasions just to do some menial jobs that'd pay him. As a result, he failed and ended up being in the same class with Joshua after they changed school.
But even with all the disappointment, everything seemed to be alright already with the two boys — it was all thanks to Joshua, the brilliant one.
"Jerry, I'm done!" Joshua cried from the outside. He walked into the house and then went to the kitchen where Jeremy was.
Getting there, he sniffed the air and smiled.
"Sweet smelling as always," he mumbled. He loved eating Jeremy's food because they were all great. There was nothing else Jeremy could do perfectly except for cooking.
"I heard that," Jeremy said as Joshua walked in.
"Are you done?" Joshua asked him.
Jeremy shook his head. "Almost," he replied.
Joshua sighed. He was starving but he knew better than to hurry Jeremy. "I'll just stay here and wait."
Jeremy watched his brother occupy a space there in the kitchen and smiled. "Don't worry, I'm almost done."
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After a while, Jeremy was done and then he served their food. After that, he served another and carried it but Joshua collected the food from him.
"Let me do it," he said to Jeremy who seemed reluctant to let go of the food.
"Are you sure?" He asked. "I don't want anything that'll displease you."
"Don't worry, Jerry. I'll be fine," Joshua replied.
Jeremy was still reluctant to let Joshua take the food but after a while, he slowly gave up, allowing him collect the food.
"Don't waste too much time there," Jeremy said and Joshua nodded and left. Jeremy watched Joshua go outside and a sigh escaped from his lips.
Outside, Joshua headed towards the back of the house. There was an abandoned room there and he went over to the place. As he pushed open the door, he was greeted by a wall of cobwebs blocking the entrance.
He grunted, using the stick there, he removed some of the cobwebs and then went in.
"Hey, I brought you food."
Silence rained for a while and then an inaudible laughter followed next.
"Finally, you came to see me," a rough weak voice replied from inside. "I'm glad you brought me food today."
Joshua silently walked over to the wooden bed there and then dropped the food by the side.
"Eat while it is still hot," he said to the man lying on the bed and then turned to leave immediately.
"You are leaving so soon," the man said.
Joshua halted but didn't turn back.
"At least, stay and and have some conversations with me," the man said. "Father and son conversation."
Joshua clenched his fists for a while before replying. "I have nothing to talk to you about. Besides, the word 'father and son' sounds strange in my ears."
"Hahahah...." The man chuckled though his voice sounded weak and strained. "I know right but still...." He paused for some time before continuing. "I am still your father."
"Yeah... There is no lie in that," Joshua said with his fists clenched. "But... If there is one thing I regret..." He walked to the door, opened it and, left but before closing the door, he mumbled something.
"I see," the man whispered after Joshua had closed the door behind him. He heard what his son said to him before leaving but instead of being heartbroken, he chuckled faintly and picked up an object which glittered. He raised the object and then brought it down.
Joshua, unaware of what had just happened, returned to the main house and joined his brother who had just started eating.
Seeing the look on Joshua's face, Jeremy asked. "How is it? How did it go?"
"I'm hungry, brother," Joshua replied and sat down immediately.
Jeremy gazed at his brother and realized that he didn't want to talk about anything relating to their father, he sighed and pushed him his plate of food.
"Thank you," Joshua whispered and began to eat.
Jeremy nodded and continued his own food. Their father.... He's failed as a father and Joshua can not for any reason forgive him. While they were still little, their father would leave them at home and spend days and weeks on the street, drinking and gambling the little money their mother made before her unfortunate death.
After squandering the whole money, he began to borrow from people with the promise of paying back immediately but in the end, he didn't pay anything and the people he was owning were forced to take their properties instead.
Their house was left empty and as if that was not enough, their father sold the house and used all the money to gamble. The two brothers were forced to live on the streets for years until Jeremy worked out some money that got them their current apartment. Not like the money he earned was enough to purchase a house but that the seller took pity on them and just gave it to them. Initially, they had wanted to give them the apartment for free but Jeremy had refused and insisted on paying for it. Because of him, they had a place to live again.
It was recently that their father fell ill to the extent that he couldn't walk again. There was no money for treatments, not like the boys were willing to do anything concerning it. The only thing they did was give their father a separate place to live in.
Yet. Despite all of these...
Jeremy found it hard hating their father the way Joshua does.
"You know, Josh," he whispered. "We should forgive him... Everyone makes mistakes, you know."
Joshua glanced up, Jeremy was staring at the spoon in his hand. Even without meeting his gaze, Joshua was aware that his brother was worried — worried about him not even their father.
"But you know I can't," he said. "Once I hate someone, I hate them for good... Till death."
Jeremy sighed. It was true but...
"....Father, he's dead."