The Tale of Autumn (Happiness Lost)

(First ever story written by me)

Aubrey and Cecil lost their parents soon after they celebrated their 12 and 8 birthday. There was a rumor in the town that the couple was murdered by poisoning; however their uncle, only blood relative they had, declared it was suicide. Hence, the case was closed as Suicide.

Within a trimester of their parents death, their uncle clutched their house and everything they had without mercy, leaving them homeless and a pauper instead of helping them, because their uncle was poor and fascinated their pelf because it would makes him a millionaire. He threw them out without clemency and there’s no one was to defend them. The man’s wife did nothing to prevent her husband from doing this cruel thing to her children. In the slum, the streets and waiting sheds becomes their home and their shelter. What they wear were all that they had.

The sun was their antagonist during the day and the winds were at night. The pouring rains were their worst enemy. They fight against the cruelty of the world themselves. They ate whatever people discarded in the street and the little that Aubrey earns from hard work for someone. The street was so chock-a-block of a pauper that Aubrey couldn’t find works most of the time and they starved most of the day.

As he was Cecil’s dependent now, Aubrey only eat when Cecil was filled. He would watches Cecil ate while he swallows his saliva as if it was his food. Cecil asked him to eat with him but he only say that he already had and sometime he ended the day without an ounce of food into his stomach. He filled his empty stomach with water because that’s all he had for free. He never says he was hungry in front of his younger brother though he was most of the time. He shed tears of blood but he would never show his tears to his younger brother.

If their parent were alive, they would leisurely lolling in the room, go to school or play around, but Aubrey don't wanna think so because it would only enhance his miseries. Every night Aubrey cuddled his younger brother to thwart Cecil from freezing while he freezes himself. Their health deteriorated much but they have nothing to keep themselves in the pink.

Then one night, a terrible night came to the two brothers who were sheltering in an abandon house. The wind started blowing hard and soon follows thick dark clouds in the sky. They raised their prayer to heaven to shun the rain but the rain mercilessly pours down, pour down heavily the whole night without break. The world was covered with darkness and the chattering and pattering of the rain was all they could hear. Then thunder roars and the lightning struck everywhere. Cecil, frightened to his bone, clutched into his brother’s arm and Aubrey clasp his brother tightly to his chest to strengthen his brother’s soul. He covered Cecil’s head under his chest to deafen the sound of the thunder. The rustling of the wind didn’t die down. It continued blowing against them mercilessly as if they had done something wrong to them. Their face feels the tiny droplet of rain. And it makes them colder. They hold each other to keep themselves warm but couldn’t do enough to warm themselves by just that.

“I'm cold Aubrey.” Cecil told his elder brother in fragile voice and his grips loosen. Then, Aubrey takes out his only shirt, which he wore and covered his younger brother, defying himself from cold and the bashing cold wind. They shivered and they both felt ill the next morning. Cecil wakes up dreaming that he was trapped under a heavy log, saw his elder brother still cuddling him lovingly with no cloth to cover his body. Though he himself was ill, Cecil covered Aubrey with his shirt, as he was a little better than his elder brother was and went to get help. However, no one lend a hand to him.

“Go away. We had had enough beggars like you.” They sent him away.

Cecil managed to get safety matches from one of them with a few sticks in it. Coming back, he found his brother still laid motionless. He promptly tries to make a fire to warm Aubrey and himself but the rain of the previous night soaks everything. He fails to light a fire in his third try and he got only two sticks left. He can't miss the next two or they would shiver to dead, maybe. Cecil again went to get something for their fire.

“Sorry but I need this.” Cecil steals some straw and a dirty cloth, which was hanging on the verandah. He covered his brother with the cloth he had bought and starts busy making a fire. Then smile sprouts from Cecil’s face when he at last makes a beautiful fire. “Wow! I’ve make it.” He exclaimed in glee and he warms himself. A few moment later, Aubrey started to move.

“Aubrey!” Cecil called out in delight.

Aubrey was surprise to see a fire glowing in front of him and Cecil sitting near him when he opens his eyes. He subsequently knows what happens. He gave a smile weakly behind his face and Cecil return a smile to him.

“Wait here. Let me….” Without finishing his sentence, Cecil runs away.

“What's he gonna do?” Aubrey asked himself.

Half an hour later, Cecil brought a loaf of bread in his hand.

“Here, eat it.” He gives it to his elder brother.

“Where did you get it?” Aubrey asked him.

“Well, I ah… I ….. I stole it from the bakery.” Cecil stammered with a smile.

“Hey, you can't do this. This is not good. It’s a sin, Cecil. Our parents won't be happy.”

“I know but you’re hungry and you’re sick. You need to eat something.”

“Okay! May God forgive us.” Aubrey got up and they share the loaf with his brother. They were weak, sick, and hungry, yet they couldn’t go to the hospital nor do they have anyone to feed them. They would probably went on starving for the day again as Aubrey cannot work. Cecil put more wood in the fire and the flame chuckled.

“Aubrey! Do you feel warm now?”

“Hmm, yes!”

“And what about your ailment?”

“Ah! Not…. I'm okay now.” But Cecil knew his brother was lying. His voice was weak and his eyes were still drooping behind his face.

“I'm going toilet.” Saying so, Cecil walked away swiftly again. After strolling half a mile, he found a medical store opened. That is what he was searching for. Cecil went straight to it and asked for a medicine.

“But I cannot give you without a prescription.” The pharmacist replied.

“My father says, the pharmacist would know. And he told me to be back soon. Please!” Cecil begged him.

“Okay, this will work on your brother. How much do you want?” The pharmacist opens a small box and takes out a set of tablet.

“Ah!!!! Two or three tablets would do.”

And the pharmacist gives him three tablets.

“Thank you very much! May God bless you!” Cecil grabbed the medic and run away as fast as his leg could take him.

“Hey! Hey! You haven’t paid me. Stop right there. Do you think you can run away from me?”

As Cecil wasn’t old enough, he couldn’t outrun the man. He was caught. Then on his knee, Cecil begs for mercy.

“I'm sorry, mister. But I have no other choice. Please forgive me.” Cecil slowly handed the medic to the man reluctantly. Fortunately, the man was a kind man.

“Why did you run away without paying me? I knew this is just worth a penny or two but this is an offence. What you gonna do with this? Did your father really send you?” The man questioned Cecil kindly.

“I'm sorry, mister. I have no father. No mother either. My brother is ill and we have no money to buy medic. How much is this medic cost? Please give me back and I’ll work for you today.” Cecil then began to cry. The man was moved by the boy’s word.

“It’s just a few pennies. For today, I will forgive you. But don't do this next time, okay? And come to me again if your brother didn’t get well. Good boy.” He pats on Cecil’s shoulder.

“Thank you so much, mister. I'm going then.”

“Do you have a ho…..” But Cecil didn’t hear him as he run quickly for his ailing brother.

“Aubrey! I have brought a medic for you. Get up and take it.” He came breathing heavily.

“Where have you been? And what medic?”

Cecil told his story.

“Oh thank you but don't do this again okay? You started stealing. It’s a crime and our parents won't be happy with us.”

“But we need them and he even told me to come back if you didn’t get well. Here take it and get well soon.”

“Thanks but I can't swallow it without water.”

“Oh! Yeah, wait here. I’ll bring water for you.”

“But don't steal it again okay?” Aubrey chuckled, knowing Cecil probably can't steal water, or this time.

“I won't, brother.”

Soon, Cecil returns with water in polythene. “Here's your water. I found this package on the way and brought water from the pond. Did I steal this time?” Cecil smiled at his brother.

“No, you aren’t. That’s so sweet of you. You are so kind, Cecil.”

“You did a lot for me. Don’t worry; I have washed the plastic very well.” They shared a small laughter and Aubrey takes the medic.

The next day, Aubrey was well again and they went searching for some work for their meal.

“Aubrey! I'm so hungry.” Cecil started complaining.

“Hold on. I’ll get something for you. Stay here till I come back, okay?”

“Uh!” Cecil rested under the banyan tree while Aubrey went to find something for his hungry brother. Then as he went on, he met an old man on the way carrying something heavy. Feeling with pity, Aubrey helped the old man, not really expecting a favor in return. When they reach home, the old man said. “Thank you my child. What can I do for you in return?”

“It’s okay. I'm just helping you out.”

“You’re so kind. Here, buy some edible for yourself.” The old man gave Aubrey a dollar.

“This is too much, old man.”

“Take it. Your kindness deserves this.”

Aubrey walked away with a smile upon his face with a dollar in his hand. He can give something for his hungry brother now. With that money, he brought a loaf of bread, which could satiate their hunger and went to his brother, found Cecil sleeping in the sun.

 “Give me at once.” Cecil grabbed the loaf as soon as he saw it and devoured it hungrily while Aubrey watches with a smile. “Tasty?”

“Yup! Why don't you eat?” Cecil asked in croak as his mouth was filled with the loaf and he continues munching it hurriedly. The food didn’t last their life and they starve the next day again.

A tall middle aged man with a beard an inch long came to them with a question. “Wanna come and live with me, I have no son? You do seem homeless. Don't you?”

“Yes!” Aubrey replied quickly.

“One of you can be my son. Who would be?”

Aubrey was delighted. He thought the man was sent by the heaven.

 “You go with him.” He said to his little brother.

“But I don't wanna leave you.” Cecil replied sadly.

“Hey! You will live there happily like a prince. Do you want to go on starving like this? I will visit you often. You don’t have to worry.” The sweet talk of his elder brother took Cecil away. Cecil at last agreed and the two separated.

“Kind man, what’s your name and where do you lives?” Aubrey never heard from the man again and Cecil was taken away in the car.

Cecil was astonished to see his new house a magnificent one, too good to be truth. He was happy; almost forget his brother who hardly keeps his tummy from growling. Cecil lived there happily for a week. However, his happiness did not last longer than that. The man starts treating him harshly, making him do all the work at home. He was made a slave to them, not a son as he promised. He was thrash at a venial mistake. His life becomes excruciating worst than he was living in the street with his brother. He started missing those days again and every night he cries soaking his hard pillow.

“Oh! Aubrey, please come and get me out of here.” This becomes his daily prayer. No matter how much he wanna run away, he couldn’t. The house was enveloped by high wall and the gate is always firmly close lest he would run away. He cries out for help to his brother but Aubrey was somewhere happy thinking that his brother is living happily.

What Cecil surprise most is he was given lesser food than he expected and he was made to sleep on the floor. It was hard for him to go on. “How unkind this people were.” Cecil disregards them.

After a two months stay there, an idea struck him. Cecil strikes the wall with a heavy log of iron when the man was out. And a pinches of wall falls.

“What's going on there?” The woman asked from the inside. She used to love doing makeup, spent most of her time looking at the mirror.

“I don't know, mistress. Must be the worker at the construction site. ” Cecil lied. Then he covers the spot with something so they won't notice what happen. He did the next day too and whenever he got a chance. A week later, finally, he bailed himself out of there.

About five minutes the couple were gone after giving him a dozen of works to do, Cecil set out his work. He started digging the wall with chisel and after an hour of hard working, his work brings a smile to his face. He finally manages to make a hole through the wall. He further makes a larger and he was free. Then he went inside and broke open the locker. It was like he was robbing a small bank. The sight of money captivates his eyes for a moment eschewing the sanity of his mind. Filling his package with gold and yellow notes, he runs away without stopping.

Cecil knew well that the place where he and his brother usually shelter the night would be the safest. So he runs toward it. The evening comes and soon it was almost night when he reaches there and phew! He found his brother sleeping soundly at an unusual time. Cecil called his brother happily throwing his package to the ground, “I'm coming back, brother. I run away from him. You know, I was never happy there. I miss you every moment. Do you know how happy I'm now to find you again? And see I’ve brought with me. It can feed us for life. Don’t you feel happy?”

Aubrey didn’t make a sound. And Cecil thought his brother was playing a prank to him.

“Yeah, why don't you response me? Don't play with me, Aubrey. Wake up; I have many things to tell you.” Cecil shakes his brother only to find his brother lying dead freezing to dead from the chilling rain the previous night.

The End