BROTHERLY TIES

The air was stale and stifling. Nothing stirred as the humid afternoon sun
baked the ground. With perspiration peppering his forehead, Thomas squinted into
the dark hole again. Next to him, his younger brother, Toby, fidgeted and shifted
from foot to foot. “Are you sure it rolled inside there?” Thomas asked for the
umpteenth time. “Please Thomas! You have to get it back for me,” Toby beseeched,
his voice choked with tears.

Thomas glanced around the vicinity one last time to make sure that the
‘culprit’ was not out there in the open in plain sight. Sighing in resignation, he got
down on all fours and rolled up his sleeves. He certainly did not relish putting his
hand into the sewage pipe. Visions of waste material and the lurking unknown germs
and bacteria bombarded his rain. Muttering a curse under his breath, Thomas
brushed those thoughts aside and prepared himself for the task ahead, he knew that
the action figure was Toby’s favourite and he could not do without it.

Peering one last time into the dark hole, Thomas knew there was no delaying
any further. He plunged his right hand into the dark unknown depths. In stark
contrast to the heat outside, the hole was surprisingly cool and dry. He groped
around and almost immediately; he located the troublesome toy. “How? How? Can
you find it?” Toby questions agitatedly.

Deciding to teach his younger brother a lesson, Thomas school his head and
frowned. Then without warning, be bellowed, “Argh! Help! Toby, there’s a monster in
the hole grabbing onto my arm! Help!”

Toby’s face turned ashen and he was rendered immobile for a moment. Then
with lightning-quick reflexes, toby grabbed Thomas’ arms and pulled hard. “Let go of
my brother!” he shrieked loudly even as tears streamed down his face. Snot dribbled
down his grubby little face which had turned bright red with effort.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Thomas burst into laughter and released his
arm. It was then that toby realised he had been fooled. “here’s your action figure,
Toby. I was just teasing you. Stop crying all right? Just make sure you take good
care of your toy next time. “Thomas ruffled toby’s hair and handed him his toy.
Hiccupping and wiping away the last of his tears, Toby held on tightly to his toy. Big
doe-like eyes that glistened with unshed tears looked at his older brother with an
injured look. “I’m glad you are all right. You do know that you are more important
than my toy, right?” Toby sniffed. Warmth coursed through Thomas’ chest and he
looped his clean arm around Toby’s shoulder. “You know I am willing to do whatever
it takes just for you.” Together the two brothers went back into the house.