The Death of a Grandfather

Buddy was a small, adorable 6-year-old boy. He had pinkish-white skin, brown hair, brown eyes, a small nose, a round face, small hands, and small feet. In addition to being physically adorable, he was also a very smart and happy child. Everything about him was adorable! This had the power to make people (mostly his close family members, close friends, and relatives) love him. Of course, there were also those who hated him, but that is something we will not get into at this moment.

His older brother, Alec, was a tall, handsome 16-year-old boy. Like his little brother, he had thick brown hair, that was parted down the middle, brown eyes, and a rounded face. Unlike his little brother, he had tan white skin, bigger hands, and bigger feet. He was also incredibly smart. He had a girlfriend, a driver's license, a car, and straight A's in school. All around him were people, especially girls, that envied him and wanted to be exactly like him, but through it all his family remained proud and there was not a hint of jealousy from them.

One may think this short story is about a regular day in their personal lives. However, something occurred on this day that happens to different people all over the world, but it's not something that happens to only one person or family. What occurred on this day teaches an important life lesson to all people - young and old - on this Earth. What you readers are going to read today is how these two brothers react to the death of a loved one who is near and dear to them and their family. Let us now sit back with a glass of water, relax, and read.



The day began very cold, as it was in mid-to-late Autumn. Thick grey clouds covered the sky, showing only small patches of blue sky. Red, orange, and yellow leaves fell from the trees, joining their crispy brown friends on the ground. A gentle, but bitter wind blew, keeping the town of Ashburn freezing cold and very dry.

Since their mother was wise, she made sure that the entire family wore long pants and something with long sleeves. She made Buddy wear a medium brown shirt with thin white and light blue stripes with a pair of jeans. If he went outside, he was to wear a pair of sneakers.

Alec, on the other hand, against his mother's wishes, wore a dark grey T-shirt, but he obeyed his mother and wore a pair of jeans. When he presented himself to her, she took one look at him, and forced him to wear a sweatshirt (also dark grey) that would keep him warm enough for the entire day.

Later in the morning, after a delicious breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs, their mother, Mrs. Charles, was busy washing the dishes. She wore an apron over a black and white plaid button-up shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. She concentrated on each and every dish with a critical eye, pre-rinsing, thoroughly scrubbing, rinsing, and drying each one.

She did not like to use the dishwasher for multiple, but good, reasons. She knew that by using the dishwasher, it took more energy, it didn't always work, the dishes would get crusty if she would have to wait for a full load, it would break down, some items wouldn't fit, it can ruin knives and stainless steel pans, all items needed to be washed beforehand to prevent rusting, not all dishwashing detergents worked, and it was very hard on the back. There seemed to be a lot more disadvantages than advantages to using the dishwasher. Most of these disadvantages she learned from past experiences, but she learned the rest from doing research.

Mrs. Charles was focused on scrubbing a plate with a brush when her cell phone began to ring. The sudden noise somewhat startled her, but she regained her composure, put the plate back in the soapy water, set the brush to the side, took off her dishwashing gloves, and quickly searched for her phone. She found it next to the stove. She quickly checked to see who was calling. It was her brother. Then, she answered.

A woman spoke up at the other end of the line. It was her sister-in-law, who was one of her friends and her brother's wife. Their conversation started out with a simple greeting. Then her sister-in-law, Jessica, told her that she had some bad news to tell her. Mrs. Charles, thinking that her friend was going to have to miss a visit or family dinner party, was prepared to brush it aside and reschedule for another date. That was when she received the bad news. Jessica seemed to get sadder and sadder as she told her that Mrs. Charles' dad, her father-in-law, had died. Mrs. Charles was in shock. She asked what had happened. Her sister-in-law recited the sad details of her father's death.

He had woken up in the middle of the night complaining about a dull pain in his chest. Mrs. Leroy, his wife, tried easing that pain by making him as comfortable as possible. It went away for a short while, but then, it came back. Slowly the pain in his chest increased. Then, he claimed that his back was hurting. He asked for his wife to drive him to the hospital. Instead, she followed her instincts, although he objected, and called an ambulance. On the way to the hospital, he began to have trouble breathing, followed by nausea and light-headedness. When he got to the hospital, he immediately fainted. They put a respirator on him, and wheeled him as fast, but carefully, as they could to the ICU. As an hour went by, there was a dramatic decline in his health. As another hour went by, the doctors saw that his health had deteoriorated so low that it could not be restored, so Mrs. Leroy and her children that were presently in the room had to make an important decision on what they wanted to do with their loved one. Finally, they came to the conclusion that they did not want him to live any longer, prolonging the pain he was in. They said their final words to him, and he was put to rest in that eternal, peaceful sleep.

The details, from beginning to end, had caused Mrs. Charles to grow dizzy with sadness. In fact, her sadness had grown so strong that at the end of her sister-in-law's recital, tears were pouring down her cheeks like waterfalls, she had to sit down because of her lightheadedness, and it became hard to stifle her sobs. Jessica wished her sister-in-law luck, and they both exchanged their farewells before hanging up their phones. By then, Mrs. Charles felt so much grief, that she could only drop her phone to the floor and start crying.

Meanwhile, a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes was upstairs, lying on her bed with a sketchbook, a box of colored pencils, and an orange pencil in hand, coloring in one of the many sketches she had drawn. She stopped scribbling and sat upright to study her picture. Did it look okay? It looked fine! Did it look realistic? Almost. Would it be a picture to hang up on the wall for anybody to admire? Of course! The girl tore the paper out of her sketchbook, got up from her bed, and left her room to show off her new creation.

As she walked to the stairs, she heard a strange noise coming from somewhere downstairs. What was it? It sounded like crying! Curious, she hurried down the stairs to the living room. She saw nothing, but she could still hear the sound of heartbroken crying. Now, it sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. The girl walked through the living room, through a doorway, and into the kitchen, where, to the right, sitting down, was her mother - crying. Scared, she hurried to her mother, asking and making sure she was all right.

"Go find your father," was the only answer the Mrs. Charles gave to her daughter.

Wanting to do all she could to make her mother feel better, she put her drawing on the kitchen counter, opened the patio's screen door, and ran outside. She spotted her dad on the riding lawn mower and her older brother, Alec, having a conversation with him. As fast as she could, she ran toward her dad and her brother, shouting that her mother was crying and needed his help.

The reaction she got was unexpected. Instead of jumping off of the lawn mower and hurrying toward the house, he groaned and sluggishly got off of it. However, she got the reaction she wanted from Alec. He ran to the house while his sister followed in hot pursuit. They ran through the open doorway and to their mother's side.

Alec hugged his mother, asking her what was wrong. She did not answer, but only cried. Finally, Mrs. Charles' husband came walking through the door. Thankfully, his bad attitude toward her was gone, but he now had a bad attitude toward his children. He pushed them away from their mother and kneeled down at her feet. Alec and his little sister stared at each other in confusion as their mother and father whispered back and forth to each other. Suddenly, their dad turned around commanded them to go upstairs. They did exactly as they were told.

While upstairs, the girl sat on her bed, flipping through pages in her sketchbook, studying each of the drawings, while her older brother paced, stood with his back against the wall, and looked out the window.

"What do you think is wrong with mom?" the girl finally asked after what seemed like ten minutes of silence between them.

"I don't know, Vixen," answered her older brother. "She might have cut herself while washing the dishes, she might have been thinking about something that made her sad, or she might be feeling sick. What did her cry sound like?"

"It sounded heartbroken."

"Then, she might have been thinking about something sad or she may have gotten some sad news. She's sensitive, you know."

Vixen furrowed her brow.

"What kind of thoughts would make her cry?" she asked.

"I'll need to think about that. Do you know any thoughts?"

"She might be thinking about arguments she's had in the past, pets that have died, or even deaths from other people she's known for a long time. Who knows? Maybe something happened today to cause her a flashback that would make her cry."

"What if it wasn't a flashback?"

"What do you mean?"

"Something, today, may have happened that made her cry."

"Yes, but we're not exactly sure about that. If something did happen today, it would most likely be sad news. What sad news would she have gotten?"

"The only options we have are a dead pet or a person."

"Alec, do you think she would cry like this for a dead pet?"

"If she has had it for a long time and loved it, then, I think she would. She's also crying like she would be for a dead family member. Boy! This is pretty hard to figure out."

"I'll say."

That was when their dad, Mr. Charles, walked into the bedroom. He was not angry, he was not sad, nor was he happy. He had a neutral expression on his face - the same expression that he always had.

"Children, we need to talk. Sit down." His son and daughter hurried to obey. "Who can tell me what death is?"

Vixen cocked her head to the side.

"Are you being serious?" inquired Alec.

"Obviously, I am. Now that I've answered your question, will you answer mine, Alec?"

"Death is an eternal, peaceful sleep," his sister answered for him.

Mr. Charles turned toward his daughter, his face red with frustration.

"Is your name Alec?"

"No."

"Did I address you?"

"No."

"Who did I address. Did I address Alec?"

"Yes."

"All right. You two, don't speak unless you are addressed. Do you both understand?"

The two nodded.

"I'm being serious, guys. Very serious. I am not in the mood to mess around, and if either one of you messes around anymore or refuses to obey me, one of you shall be beaten and punished." The brother and sister began to feel fear. "Now, Alec, what is death?"

"An eternal, peaceful sleep," he answered, imitating his little sister.

"Please speak in complete sentences!"

"Death is an eternal, peaceful sleep that happens to all animals and people."

His father hesitated before speaking.

"Good. Very good. Now, where do people go when they die? Vixen?"

"When people die, their souls either go to heaven or to hell."

"Are those two places real?"

"Yes," the two siblings answered simultaneously.

"What about pets? Where do pets go when they die? Vixen?"

She paused before speaking.

"Uhm, I don't think that their souls go anywhere. I mean, it depends. If you want them to be in heaven with you when you die, they will be there? Otherwise, when you put them down, they should either be brought to an oven to be burned, or they should be buried in your backyard."

Mr. Charles glared at Vixen.

"Are you messing around?" he growled.

"No!" She put her hands up. "No. I'm not. That's my honest answer."

"Okay. Alec, do you agree with her?"

He nodded.

"Speak, please!"

"Yes."

"Guys, your mother was given some very bad news from your aunt Jessica."

Alec's and Vixen's eyes widened. They glanced at each other.

"What kind of bad news?" inquired Mr. Charles' daughter.

"Kids! Do not look away from me and do not speak! I'll give you one more chance before unleashing my fury on you. Now, listen.

"Somebody very near and dear has died very early this morning. He has lived for many years, spent many days with us, witnessed your births, and even spent many memorable moments with us. He is a person that we should always remember and keep close within our hearts. Your Grandpa Thomas Leroy died this morning. Any questions? Now, you two can speak."

"What was the cause of his death?" inquired Alec.

"A heart attack. Thankfully, he died at a ripe old age, but sadly, it was a sad, slow, painful death. Now, kids, be quiet once again so that I can remind you of something. What are rules in the house about crying? Vixen?"

The room went completely silent. Both Alec and his father were waiting for an answer, but Vixen remained silent, her chin in her hand and her eyes staring upwards at the ceiling.

"Answer the damned question, now!" her dad snarled. He took a step forward to slap her across the face, but Alec quickly defended her by shielding her with his arms. His dad glared at him. "How dare you!"

"How dare I what? Look, she'll answer the question. Go on, Vicks," he encouraged. "Answer it."

His sister took a shaky breath.

"Boys are not all-l-lowed to cry; o-o-only girls can cry b-b-because they are weak." A tear streamed down her cheek as she recited the rule.

"Wipe that tear away!" exclaimed Mr. Charles in disgust. His daughter sniffled and obeyed. "Wait! You're a girl! So, you can cry! As for you, Alec, if I hear anything about you or your brother crying-."

"We will be beaten and punished," his son finished for him.

"Don't interrupt me and yes, you will be beaten and punished if you cry. You and your brother! Men who cry will not be accepted into this household!"

"Dad, as far as I see it, you're the only grown man in this house," argued Alec. "I'm almost a man, and Buddy is, technically, still a baby. Don't you think it should be all right for us to cry? I think so."

"Don't talk back to me," growled Mr. Charles. He took a step forward with his hand upraised threatening his son with a slap, then he laughed uproariously when his son leaned backwards to avoid getting hit. "All right. I'm going to go back to your mother. You two better behave!" He left the room, laughing maliciously to himself all the way down the stairs.

Alec got up to shut the door. He turned back around to go to his sister and saw her, lying on her side, curled up in a ball, shaking uncontrollably, and crying. He came to her and sat near her feet.

"Are you okay, Vicks?"

His sister choked on a sob.

"No!" Her voice no longer sounded strong and clear, but it trembled with fear and had to be pushed out with more force. "I'm scared."

"Tell me what you're scared of."

His little sister sat up.

"I'm scared of Dad."

"Tell me why."

"He threatens to beat me if I don't listen or do everything he says, he insults Mom and I behind our backs because we're girls, and he doesn't seem to love me or care about me." Alec put a comforting arm around his sister while she paused to let out a sob. "I miss G-g-grandpa. He was so good to us and so nice to us, and how did we pay him back for that? We refused to visit him on the last few weeks before his death when he was still alive! We went so long without visiting him. How could we do this to him? We don't deserve to be loved by him anymore for what we've done."

Alec hugged her. "I think you're getting yourself a little too worked up. That doesn't matter to him anymore. He'll love us for all eternity while he's up in heaven, even if we don't deserve it. To show us his love, he'll ask God to take care of us and protect us from danger, even from Dad. You don't have to worry."

Vixen had calmed down a little, but she was still crying. She enjoyed the warmth of the embrace from her older brother, because it was something she could not get from her dad when she was sad. She rested her head against her brother's body, sniffled one last time, and lifted her head. She smiled at him while he looked down at her.

"Are you all right, now?" inquired her brother.

"I guess so," she said quietly. She leaned back against her brother's shoulder. She felt glad that her voice had gotten stronger and less shaky. She wrapped her arms around her brother while he continued to hold her in a gentle hug. They stayed that way until they heard a door slam downstairs. They let go of each other.

"What was that?" inquired Vixen. She stared at Alec as if she was waiting for an answer.

"Something tells me that Dad is probably pissed about something."

"Yeah, I'll say." She watched her brother walk across the room and look outside through the window. "What do you see?"

"Well, I don't see Dad, but I do see Buddy's bike which tells me that he is home."

"Oh, boy. I wonder how he's going to take the news."

"I'll bet you any money that he's not going to take it very well."

"We should check up on him once he gets upstairs."

The siblings went away from the window and back into the room. Vixen sat on her bed and started looking through her pictures while Alec stood, waiting, with his back against the wall and his arms folded. A minute later, he sat down again next to Vixen.

"I think Dad's forcing him to go through that little 'interrogation' we went through," he said.

"I think so, too. Otherwise, it wouldn't take Buddy so long to get upstairs," agreed his sister.

They sat quiet for a moment.

"So, what were you doing when you found out that Mom was crying?"

"Well, I was coming downstairs to show her a drawing that I had finished when I started hearing a strange noise. So, I followed the noise from the living room into the kitchen, and I found Mom sitting on that chair. There was something else that I saw, too. It was something out-of-place."

"What was it?"

"The phone! It was upside down, on the floor, right in front of her."

"Vicks, I think that would've given us a clue as to why she was crying. Don't you think?"

Vixen smiled.

"Yeah, I think so, too. I'm sorry."

"That's okay," said Alec. "Hey, where is that drawing? I'd like to see it myself." He watched as she opened her mouth, closed it again, and drooped her shoulders.

"I left it downstairs on the table..."

"Well, hopefully nothing happens to it so that you can show it to everybody when you get the chance."

"Nothing will happen to it. I'm not worried. So, what were you doing outside with Dad?"

"I was just-." He was interrupted when a door downstairs slammed again. Quickly, both he and his sister got up and ran to the window. What they both saw wasn't something that they had expected to see.

First, they saw little Buddy who seemed to be pretty upset. As he was mounting his bicycle, their dad threw open the door and came running outside, shouting something at their little brother. He got the attention from all three siblings and a few neighbors. Then, out of fear, Buddy turned and sped away as fast as he could on his bicycle. Mr. Charles, finally noticing that he had attracted attention from those neighbors, turned and walked back inside instead of giving chase.

Meanwhile, the two siblings were watching from their upper window as their youngest brother disappeared down the street.

"Let's go," said Alec. He walked across the road.

"Go? Where?" inquired his little sister.

"Follow my lead. Grab your jacket."

Vixen went to her closet to grab her jacket while her brother went to his room to grab his. They met up with each other in the hall.

"Where are we going?" she whispered.

"I'll tell you when we're outside. Right now, we're going downstairs." His little sister stared at him in confusion as he passed her, then she followed him.

They ran down the stairs and into the living room, hoping to leave without getting their dad's attention, but their plan of escaping unnoticed failed because he was sitting on his chair, smoking while reading a newspaper.

"I thought you quit smoking," said Vixen.

"Yeah, well, I gave up not smoking, because smoking is the only relief I can get from this hard life I'm living. Where are you two kids off to?"

"We're going outside to ride our bikes," answered Alec.

"All right. Be careful out there. Be back home in time for supper. By the way, there's a lot of people who like to nose around in your personal business, so be sure to avoid them and do not answer their questions."

The two stared at him with furrowed brows, glanced at each other, and back to their father. A smile appeared on Mr. Charles' face as he looked away from them and back down at his newspaper. Alec nudged his sister and motioned for her to follow him. Outside, Vixen had many questions to ask her brother.

"Where are we going? Can't we take your car?"

"Nope. We're doing something different." He opened the garage door. "Go find your bicycle." Vixen followed him in.

"What exactly are we doing?"

"We're going to find and follow Buddy to make sure that he's okay. The only thing we have to do is make sure that he can't see us."

"Why shouldn't he see us? Don't you think that he'd like a little company?"

"Because of the way he looked before, I don't think he wants any company. So, we have to stay hidden."

"I guess you're right." Vixen wheeled her bicycle outside of the garage and mounted it. She looked over to her brother whom was already on his bike. "What about the garage? Should we close the garage?"

"Forget it. We don't have time to do that." They took their feet off of the ground and allowed their bicycles to roll down the hill and onto the road. "Stay quiet and stay by my side."

"I will."

Down the street the siblings rode. They could see that their neighbors, out of the corners of their eyes, were staring at them suspiciously although they were pretending to do something else. They came to the end of the street and made a right. They split and rode up and down every street, but they could not find Buddy. So, they went to the other portion of the neighborhood on the other side of their street. They split up again. After riding up and down each street and failing to find Buddy, Vixen decided to go to the playground. She rode up a hill, made a left, made another left, and stopped at the top of the hill to think. To the right of this street was the playground. Was it even possible to see who was at the playground without being seen? There was nothing to hide behind but small pine trees. Even then, she would have to be very quiet. She decided to go for it.

She got on the sidewalk, got off of her bike, and walked it down the hill. Then, she came onto a vacant driveway of a vacant house, and slowly peeked around the corner. There, sitting on a swing in the middle of the playground was a small boy, facing away from her, wearing the same outfit as Buddy. Vixen quietly laid her bicycle on its side and got down on her hands and knees. She crept across the grass and behind the nearest pine tree where she was sure that Buddy could not see her. She peered at him from underneath the tree and watched him.

For five minutes, the only thing he did was sit on that swing, resting his head on one of its chains. When those five minutes were over, he slowly got to his feet, but he only stood there for another minute. Then, he reached down, picked up his bicycle, and walked it to the sidewalk on the left side of the playground. On the sidewalk, he mounted the bicycle, and took off down the street away from the hill. When she was sure that Buddy was gone, Vixen stood and ran to her bicycle near the vacant house. Then, she took off in the same direction that Buddy had left.

At the end of the street, his older sister saw him make a left. When she got to the end of the street, she saw Alec, to her right, approaching her on his bicycle.

"He saw me, and I think I scared him away," he said. They continued in the same direction as Buddy had gone.

"Well, then, do you have any other plans?"

"Yes. Now that we've found Buddy, let's follow him."

"Where is he, though?" He had disappeared once again...

"Let's hurry up and see if we can find him," shrugged Alec. He and his sister hurried down the street looking down every street they passed. They went up a small hill and got to the end of the street. They could not see Buddy to the left, but to the right, they saw a small figure on a small bicycle pedaling as fast as his little legs could take him. "That's him!"

The two older siblings made a right and sped down the street. Because they were bigger and had much stronger, powerful legs, they were quickly catching up to Buddy. Suddenly, he made a sharp turn to the left down a road that led into town. By doing this, he was able to increase the distance between himself and his older brother and sister.

The road, called Highland Road, was, at first, surrounded by a few small houses. Then, those houses were replaced by trees that caused the entire ground beneath them to get dark. Here, the air was much colder than the air in the neighborhood, and the wind blew harder as well. Buddy huffed and puffed as he pedaled down the road, growing more tired every second. Thirty seconds later, he came to a stop and turned toward his brother and sister.

"Why are you guys following me?" he asked them.

"We want to make sure that you're okay," answered his sister.

"Why? Is it because of Grandpa's death?"

"Yes."

"I'm fine!" He giggled nervously. "I'm fine. All I need is some time alone."

"All right, then. Where are you headed?" inquired Alec.

"That's not important."

"What are you talking about? Of course it is! Didn't Dad tell you to stay inside of the neighborhood?"

Buddy glanced nervously to the side and back at his older brother.

"I don't need to listen to what he says," he turned his bicycle toward the woods. "I'm old enough to take care of myself."

"Are you crazy?" said Vixen. "There are so many reasons why you can't take care of yourself, yet! Should I list them all? You're still too small, you aren't able to defend yourself, you're 6-years-old, you're a major target for criminals who like to hurt children, and you can get hit by a car way too easily."

"Vixen, I think you need to turn around and keep a lookout," said Alec when his sister was finished.

"Why would I need to keep a lookout?"

"You need to keep a lookout just in case Mom and/or Dad go out for a drive."

"All right," sighed Vixen. "I'll do it."

Her older brother turned back to her younger brother.

"Buddy, there are so many reasons why Dad tells you not to go outside of the neighborhood that it's not even funny."

"Why can't I do it?" whined Buddy. "You do it all the time! And just because Dad tells me something doesn't mean it's right."

"First of all, you can't do it for the exact reasons that Vixen listed for you. Second of all, I can do it because I'm big enough, able to defend myself, 16-years-old, criminals wouldn't want to mess with me, and drivers can see me before I get hit. You're somewhat right about that last one, but if Dad tells you that he doesn't want you doing something, he has a bad feeling about it. Now, if you were about to eat something poisonous, and Dad told you not to, would you listen to him?"

Buddy wiped away the tears welling in his eyes.

"I don't have to listen to him after what he did to me." There was sadness in his voice. Alec sat up straight and stared at his little brother.

"All right, Buddy. What did Daddy do to you?"

"I don't want to tell anybody!"

Alec's eyes softened. "Bud, I'm your brother. We live in the same family. It's okay."

"No, it's not!" The poor little guy wiped the angry tears stinging in his eyes and crashed through the brush on the side of the road. His older brother quickly followed.

"BOYS!! COME BACK HERE!!" exclaimed Vixen when she realized what was happening. There was no answer or effort to immediately obey. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" There was still no answer. She stood in one place for a second staring into the trees.

Suddenly, to her right, a car screeched around the corner and sped in her direction. Out of fear, she crashed through the brush herself and down a small slope. She hid behind a bush as the car came into view. It pulled over to the side of the road and came to a stop. Out of the car stepped a man - her dad. Vixen stayed as still as possible while he stared down into the forest. Before he left, he stared exactly where his daughter hid, and for a moment, she thought that she was caught. That was when he huffed in defeat and turned to go back inside the car. Vixen waited until the car drove away before getting up from where she hid.

Meanwhile, Alec was still chasing after Buddy through the woods, trying to get him to come to a stop, but it was a little hard to do, although his little brother was tired. His little brother would zoom back and forth around and between trees. Soon, Alec decided to give up on trying to grab him, and decided to follow his little brother in whatever direction he went. He hoped that his little brother would get tired soon. They crashed through more bushes before rolling down a slope and entering a glade.

Looking around, Buddy saw a shallow stream to the right and decided to cross it since he knew that his older brother didn't like water when he was fully clothed. He raced in that direction, his heart pounding in happiness. He knew that crossing this stream would be his ticket to freedom, at least for a short while. As he was passing a tree, his bicycle came to a sudden stop, and he was flipped over the handlebars. In the spot where he landed, he lied still, willing to accept his defeat. Now, the pain from the fall and the events of the day came over him like a flood. Tears began to fall from his eyes, and his lips quivered in sadness.

Alec was then at his side. He lifted his brother into his lap and wrapped one of his arms around his brother's body.

"Buddy," he said. "Buddy, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He did not get an answer from his brother. Instead, his brother trembled, put his balled fists to his eyes and began to cry. Alec did not know what do to. He knew that he had to do or say something, but the only thing that he could think to do was gently hug and hold his brother close, and he did so just like his Grandpa used to do for him.

The little guy wrapped his little arms around his brother's body and buried his little face into his big brother's shirt. His big brother held him safe and warm within his arms, rested his cheek on his brother's head, and sat there while his brother cried. At the moment, he could not think of any comforting words to say to his brother, so the only thing that he was able to do was hold his brother.

Meanwhile, back in the woods, Vixen was trying to follow the tracks left behind from the two boys, but it was a little difficult because they went in every which way. She followed the path all the way to the glade in the woods, where she came to the bush that was crushed because of the bicycles. She visually searched the tall grass in the glade for her brothers. She finally found them sitting near a maple tree. When she noticed the way they were sitting, she couldn't help but give a small smile. She laid her bicycle on its side and entered the glade, walking straight toward her two brothers. When she had gotten to where her brother sat, she sat down and crossed her legs.

Alec looked up at her to acknowledge her presence. Then, he looked away to rest his other cheek on his brother's head.

"I'm s-s-sorry, Alec!" sobbed his brother. He took a shaky breath and sniffled.

"What're you sorry for?"

"For r-r-running a-a-away and c-c-crying."

"Why'd you run away? Were you scared?"

His brother nodded.

"Why?"

"I thought e-e-everybody was a-against me and w-w-wanted to hurt me."

"Bud, I'm not against you and neither is Vixen. All we wanted to do was make sure that you were okay. Now, do you honestly think I'd consider hurting you?"

"No."

"Would Vixen ever want to hurt you?"

Buddy shook his head.

"Why do you think we'd hurt you?" inquired Alec.

"Dad hit me b-b-because I cried," his little brother replied, choking down a sob.

"He hit you? Where?"

"My face."

"How hard?"

"Very! It s-s-still hurts."

Alec felt his eyes sting with tears. He did not like the sound of what happened to his little brother. He glanced at his sister. A look of shock was on her face.

"I'm s-s-scared of g-going home!" wailed their little brother.

"I am, too," agreed Vixen. "Can you tell us why you're sorry for crying?"

"I'm s-s-sorry b-because if I'm not, I'll get in tr-tr-trouble."

"That's nonsense," began his older brother. "You're not going to get in trouble because we're not going to tell. Right, Vicks?"

She nodded.

"Also, if Dad ever does find out," Alec continued, "I'll tell him that I cried, too, and you won't be alone. I promise."

Buddy looked up at him with those sad brown eyes. Alec gave him a reassuring smile.

"Is there anything else that you want to say?" he asked his baby brother.

His little brother let out a long sigh.

"I miss Grandpa."

"I do, too," said Vixen.

"I think we all miss him," said Alec. He patted his brother's back.

Minutes passed. Buddy was making an effort to calm himself. He was now sitting against his older brother's body with one arm still holding onto his brother. He sniffled and wiped away the remaining tears in his eyes.

"Do you guys want to go home, yet?" inquired the 16-year-old.

"No," answered his two youngest siblings.

It was at that moment that poor Buddy began to shake and shiver.

"What's the matter?" inquired his oldest sibling, feeling concerned.

"I'm cold."

"I'll take care of that." He took off his dark grey sweatshirt and laid it over his youngest sibling like a blanket. "Vicks, would you like to join in?"

"Sure. I'm pretty cold, too."

So, the three siblings sat beneath that maple tree, snuggled close together underneath that warm sweatshirt. When they were ready, they stood up to go home, but that was not until the sun was close to the western horizon. When they came home, each of them were hugged and welcomed by their mother, while their father stood to the side, glaring at them as if he was holding a grudge.

Later that night, after supper, he gave all three of them an interrogation, without success, to see if any one of the boys cried or if they were outside of the neighborhood. Because he failed in doing so, he was furious. So, he sent all three of them to bed early, grounded Alec from driving for a week, grounded Vixen from doing art for two weeks, and grounded Buddy from riding his bicycle for three weeks. Nevertheless, all three of the chilldren remained happy, because they could still communicate and spend time with each other.

At the funeral of his Grandpa, while his dad wasn't looking, Alec even let a tear flow from sadness. Luckily, nobody, except Vixen and his mom, noticed, but they didn't mind.

Their Grandpa was buried on a beautiful cold day, while the sky was blue and the sun was shining. He will be missed by all, but he will remain in their hearts forever.