Rohjer
Rohjer
Me and him.
Just me and him.
We sat back to back in chains and rags between our already broken teeth. He was bleeding out of his mouth and onto his lap. I knew it. I was sure he was dead too but he moaned continuously at some points so I knew he was still alive.
We were prisoners of war. The war I suggested we fought. I said it would be fun. It would be great. It would help keep your family out of foreclosure. I would give 20% of my check to help support you. I would do anything for you.
It was cold and warmth was given when the blood from our temples bled down our faces. I managed to spit my rag out and breath.
“Rohjer… Rohjer!” I yelled at him. He was barely conscious. He was my twin brother. He was beaten badly.
“Rohjer, answer me buddy… bro…”, I said wiggling his almost lifeless body. He gave a quiet moan but didn’t respond.
“We’ll get out of this, we will Rohjer, we will”, I stated crying. I didn’t think we’ll make it out actually, but I had to convince him to stay alive. I couldn’t let him die. He had something I didn’t. A family. 2 beautiful daughters, a great son, and a wonderful wife. I didn’t want him to die on me, on them.
I looked around the darkened room. It was wet and cold. The moon didn’t shine on us. The cell walls were leaking and insects were biting at my ankles. I tried to kick them off but they
were more of them than us.
Rohjer let out a shiver and I felt it. I wish I could hug him. I was the eldest by 10 minutes. I was a bit bigger than he, so I could warm. I felt as if this was all my fault. I was always bossy with him. He was always right but I never admit it.
“Rohjer… I’m sorry”, I said. He didn’t respond.
I closed my eyes thinking of something to say to him. Anything.
“I remember when we were kids…” I started “and you always told me not to climb that tree… and I did and broke my leg”, I chuckled. “You came into the emergency room with mom holding a picture of me falling out of that damn tree and I was so mad at you but I really loved that picture. I laughed at it 2 weeks later”
I felt him moving a little. “And I remember when we both liked Katie in 8th grade. I gave her roses from the back yard and you gave her a poem. I didn’t wanna ever tell you this but I hated you for taking her away from me. You too made a cute couple though. You were always better with girls than I was… Look now… You have a beautiful family and I still have nothing”, I said chuckling. “I pretend your kids are mine sometimes because they look like us. I think Melinda and Jennifer are going to be beautiful young ladies and the men to sweep them off their feet are going to extremely lucky. Your son is already a brave one like you… man he’s gonna be like you…”
He started to loosen himself against my back. He let out a quiet moan of approval.
“That one night you came over to my house because you and Catherine fought, was the closest we ever bonded. Those 3 days together… we did all the things we did as kids. We played board games, built that hut… we were 35 year old children… When she called you back home I didn’t want you too leave… I thought if you went back we’d never bond like that again, but we did… Rohjer we did.”
It went quiet. I chuckled.
“It’s funny how jealous you were of me when we were little. And now I’m so jealous of you. Everything you have, I can only imagine having now. If I could be anyone else, I’d be you. I’d totally skip over being a actor with millions of dollars just to be you Rohjer. I love you bro”
Just then the doors of the cellar opened and the guards walked in. One of them slapped Rohjer’s face around and was touching him all over.
“He’d dead” he said.
My heart stopped beating and the echoes of my tears rattled inside my head. I started going crazy and undoing the chains myself.
“No!” I yelled. “No!”
He let the chains loose and I ran straight to him. His face was worse than I thought. I saw my wet tears blend in with the blood on his face as I caressed it. I put my head to his chest hoping for a beat. Just one more beat. Just one more…
~~~
I cried next to his wife. His children held onto mine and her hands as the priest said his final words. Catherine dove into my chest as I held her. Her tears were warm and soaked into my shirt. His son, Ryan, held his arms up for me to hold him close as they lowered the casket into the ground.
He broke into my arms. He was so young.
A hand touched my shoulder and a man stood behind me
“Son. It was a James Cagney movie. A James Cagney love scene is where he lets the other guy live. Do something with his life”, and he patted my back.
I nodded confused but acceptingly. I shed a painful tear. The last words I said were ‘I love you bro’
I helped Catherine put the kids into the car and she gave me a hug.
“Call me if you need anything” I said to her.
“I’ll call you tonight”, she said. “Because I’m missing my husband”
I nodded.
Just me and him.
We sat back to back in chains and rags between our already broken teeth. He was bleeding out of his mouth and onto his lap. I knew it. I was sure he was dead too but he moaned continuously at some points so I knew he was still alive.
We were prisoners of war. The war I suggested we fought. I said it would be fun. It would be great. It would help keep your family out of foreclosure. I would give 20% of my check to help support you. I would do anything for you.
It was cold and warmth was given when the blood from our temples bled down our faces. I managed to spit my rag out and breath.
“Rohjer… Rohjer!” I yelled at him. He was barely conscious. He was my twin brother. He was beaten badly.
“Rohjer, answer me buddy… bro…”, I said wiggling his almost lifeless body. He gave a quiet moan but didn’t respond.
“We’ll get out of this, we will Rohjer, we will”, I stated crying. I didn’t think we’ll make it out actually, but I had to convince him to stay alive. I couldn’t let him die. He had something I didn’t. A family. 2 beautiful daughters, a great son, and a wonderful wife. I didn’t want him to die on me, on them.
I looked around the darkened room. It was wet and cold. The moon didn’t shine on us. The cell walls were leaking and insects were biting at my ankles. I tried to kick them off but they
were more of them than us.
Rohjer let out a shiver and I felt it. I wish I could hug him. I was the eldest by 10 minutes. I was a bit bigger than he, so I could warm. I felt as if this was all my fault. I was always bossy with him. He was always right but I never admit it.
“Rohjer… I’m sorry”, I said. He didn’t respond.
I closed my eyes thinking of something to say to him. Anything.
“I remember when we were kids…” I started “and you always told me not to climb that tree… and I did and broke my leg”, I chuckled. “You came into the emergency room with mom holding a picture of me falling out of that damn tree and I was so mad at you but I really loved that picture. I laughed at it 2 weeks later”
I felt him moving a little. “And I remember when we both liked Katie in 8th grade. I gave her roses from the back yard and you gave her a poem. I didn’t wanna ever tell you this but I hated you for taking her away from me. You too made a cute couple though. You were always better with girls than I was… Look now… You have a beautiful family and I still have nothing”, I said chuckling. “I pretend your kids are mine sometimes because they look like us. I think Melinda and Jennifer are going to be beautiful young ladies and the men to sweep them off their feet are going to extremely lucky. Your son is already a brave one like you… man he’s gonna be like you…”
He started to loosen himself against my back. He let out a quiet moan of approval.
“That one night you came over to my house because you and Catherine fought, was the closest we ever bonded. Those 3 days together… we did all the things we did as kids. We played board games, built that hut… we were 35 year old children… When she called you back home I didn’t want you too leave… I thought if you went back we’d never bond like that again, but we did… Rohjer we did.”
It went quiet. I chuckled.
“It’s funny how jealous you were of me when we were little. And now I’m so jealous of you. Everything you have, I can only imagine having now. If I could be anyone else, I’d be you. I’d totally skip over being a actor with millions of dollars just to be you Rohjer. I love you bro”
Just then the doors of the cellar opened and the guards walked in. One of them slapped Rohjer’s face around and was touching him all over.
“He’d dead” he said.
My heart stopped beating and the echoes of my tears rattled inside my head. I started going crazy and undoing the chains myself.
“No!” I yelled. “No!”
He let the chains loose and I ran straight to him. His face was worse than I thought. I saw my wet tears blend in with the blood on his face as I caressed it. I put my head to his chest hoping for a beat. Just one more beat. Just one more…
~~~
I cried next to his wife. His children held onto mine and her hands as the priest said his final words. Catherine dove into my chest as I held her. Her tears were warm and soaked into my shirt. His son, Ryan, held his arms up for me to hold him close as they lowered the casket into the ground.
He broke into my arms. He was so young.
A hand touched my shoulder and a man stood behind me
“Son. It was a James Cagney movie. A James Cagney love scene is where he lets the other guy live. Do something with his life”, and he patted my back.
I nodded confused but acceptingly. I shed a painful tear. The last words I said were ‘I love you bro’
I helped Catherine put the kids into the car and she gave me a hug.
“Call me if you need anything” I said to her.
“I’ll call you tonight”, she said. “Because I’m missing my husband”
I nodded.