The Tale of Autumn

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 which 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. 

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