That's A Lie
Dial Tone
Gerard took out the other pieces of paper from the folder. There were countless images of his younger brother.
Mikey laughing, eyes twinkling, mouth open. Mikey asleep on the couch., glasses askew, mouth open to form a small ‘O’. His straight, brown hair framed his face. Gerard remembered the exact day he saw Mikey like this. He remembered wanting to just snap a picture and send it to Hallmark for printing. He was that perfect.
There were sketches of Mikey reading. Mikey watching television. Mikey confused.
There were so many pictures of his little brother. Just as suddenly, the poses changed.
It wasn’t a laughing Mikey. It was an angry Mikey. It was an agitated Mikey. The lines were harsher. The lines were forced. The shades became darker, more pronounced. All these sketches, they were done in the last few weeks. The last one was like a stab in the man’s heart.
It was of Mikey, slumped on the kitchen floor, face hidden in his hands. Body slouched. His face couldn’t be seen but just one look could tell you he was crying. Gerard remembered the day he came home and heard sobbing. Mikey was alone in the kitchen crying, muttering “Why doesn’t he love me?” That day, Gerard died.
Mikey woke up from his nightmare, sweating. Gerard was…No! That can’t be. He’s still alive! Being the worry-wart, this young man crept down to his brother’s bedroom. He gave a soft knock.
“ Gee, you there? Open up.” He waited for a moment. Straining to hear some sort of movement from inside. There were none. He knocked harder.
“ Gerard. Please open up.” He didn’t. Mikey got scared. What has Gerard done now? Suicide? No! He said to himself. Gerard would never leave me. But just a bit of doubt could send you over the edge. Mikey stared banging on he door.
It finally opened.
Gerard was in his boxers, hair all messed up, he was not even awake yet. Mikey, finally breathing, grabbed Gerard by the waist and hugged him. His ear on the older man’s chest, he could almost hear the thumping sound of his brother’s heart.
Gerard was paralysed. What good has he done to deserve such a reward? He didn’t know how to react. Would Mikey get the wrong idea if he hugged the little guy back? Would Mikey think he was avoiding him if he was unresponsive?
He decided on a compromise and just patted the younger man’s back. Surprisingly, Mikey didn’t want to let go. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He liked the softness of the older man’s skin. The firmness of his chest. Mikey felt safe. For a second there, Mikey thought everything went back to normal. But that was not to be. Gerard pulled away and held the younger man at an arm’s length.
“ Why are you avoiding me Gee?” Gerard couldn’t bear look into the hopeful eyes of his brother.
“ You know mom thinks we’re up to no good. I gotta stay away so she can calm down ya know,”
“ For how long Gee? I miss you so so much,” Oh, how his heart skipped hearing those words leave his younger brother’s lips. But he knew there was no double meaning. Mikey missed his older brother in a pure, brotherly way.
“ For as long as it takes Mikes.” There was silence, each contemplating how long it will take. They both came to the same answer. Forever..
They knew that although they might be living under the same roof, bathe using the same soap, eat the same meals, they would never regain what was once theirs. The love that they had shared would be lost. Their destinies are entwined but will never cross. At this agonizing revelation, both felt a tugging in their chest.
Mikey lay in his bed, a week later. The same words played in his mind. Forever. Such a word to be used in such a way that caused so much agony. He thought about how Donna reacted to his Maths test. His first ever failure. He couldn’t stomach the look of disappointment in Donna’s eyes. Her choked voice.. It was too much for him.
Emira was sympathetic to his plight. She consoled him. She talked to him. She shared his disbelief. It was great for a while. But he needed someone else to talk to. Someone with the same feelings. He needed Gerard. But he couldn’t. Donna was not letting go of the idea but she was loosening up. A start at least.
He went to the next best thing. He went to Frank. For such a bright man, how he could not realize that going to Frank, declaring his wanting for Gerard would aggravate him, was beyond me.
“ Frank, I need to talk to you,” he voiced out over the phone.
“ Uh…okay. Shoot.” There was silence over the phone lines.
“ Not here. Can I come over?”
“ Well, sure. See you in half?” Frank only heard the dial tone
Mikey laughing, eyes twinkling, mouth open. Mikey asleep on the couch., glasses askew, mouth open to form a small ‘O’. His straight, brown hair framed his face. Gerard remembered the exact day he saw Mikey like this. He remembered wanting to just snap a picture and send it to Hallmark for printing. He was that perfect.
There were sketches of Mikey reading. Mikey watching television. Mikey confused.
There were so many pictures of his little brother. Just as suddenly, the poses changed.
It wasn’t a laughing Mikey. It was an angry Mikey. It was an agitated Mikey. The lines were harsher. The lines were forced. The shades became darker, more pronounced. All these sketches, they were done in the last few weeks. The last one was like a stab in the man’s heart.
It was of Mikey, slumped on the kitchen floor, face hidden in his hands. Body slouched. His face couldn’t be seen but just one look could tell you he was crying. Gerard remembered the day he came home and heard sobbing. Mikey was alone in the kitchen crying, muttering “Why doesn’t he love me?” That day, Gerard died.
Mikey woke up from his nightmare, sweating. Gerard was…No! That can’t be. He’s still alive! Being the worry-wart, this young man crept down to his brother’s bedroom. He gave a soft knock.
“ Gee, you there? Open up.” He waited for a moment. Straining to hear some sort of movement from inside. There were none. He knocked harder.
“ Gerard. Please open up.” He didn’t. Mikey got scared. What has Gerard done now? Suicide? No! He said to himself. Gerard would never leave me. But just a bit of doubt could send you over the edge. Mikey stared banging on he door.
It finally opened.
Gerard was in his boxers, hair all messed up, he was not even awake yet. Mikey, finally breathing, grabbed Gerard by the waist and hugged him. His ear on the older man’s chest, he could almost hear the thumping sound of his brother’s heart.
Gerard was paralysed. What good has he done to deserve such a reward? He didn’t know how to react. Would Mikey get the wrong idea if he hugged the little guy back? Would Mikey think he was avoiding him if he was unresponsive?
He decided on a compromise and just patted the younger man’s back. Surprisingly, Mikey didn’t want to let go. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He liked the softness of the older man’s skin. The firmness of his chest. Mikey felt safe. For a second there, Mikey thought everything went back to normal. But that was not to be. Gerard pulled away and held the younger man at an arm’s length.
“ Why are you avoiding me Gee?” Gerard couldn’t bear look into the hopeful eyes of his brother.
“ You know mom thinks we’re up to no good. I gotta stay away so she can calm down ya know,”
“ For how long Gee? I miss you so so much,” Oh, how his heart skipped hearing those words leave his younger brother’s lips. But he knew there was no double meaning. Mikey missed his older brother in a pure, brotherly way.
“ For as long as it takes Mikes.” There was silence, each contemplating how long it will take. They both came to the same answer. Forever..
They knew that although they might be living under the same roof, bathe using the same soap, eat the same meals, they would never regain what was once theirs. The love that they had shared would be lost. Their destinies are entwined but will never cross. At this agonizing revelation, both felt a tugging in their chest.
Mikey lay in his bed, a week later. The same words played in his mind. Forever. Such a word to be used in such a way that caused so much agony. He thought about how Donna reacted to his Maths test. His first ever failure. He couldn’t stomach the look of disappointment in Donna’s eyes. Her choked voice.. It was too much for him.
Emira was sympathetic to his plight. She consoled him. She talked to him. She shared his disbelief. It was great for a while. But he needed someone else to talk to. Someone with the same feelings. He needed Gerard. But he couldn’t. Donna was not letting go of the idea but she was loosening up. A start at least.
He went to the next best thing. He went to Frank. For such a bright man, how he could not realize that going to Frank, declaring his wanting for Gerard would aggravate him, was beyond me.
“ Frank, I need to talk to you,” he voiced out over the phone.
“ Uh…okay. Shoot.” There was silence over the phone lines.
“ Not here. Can I come over?”
“ Well, sure. See you in half?” Frank only heard the dial tone