Sunday, May 15, 2011

What I was: The Cast Away or The Sculptor of My Own Fate

My father died, and I inherited everything. My first brother, Jacques, was off at college, and my old man's last act was to give me the responsibility of caring for my youngest brother, Orlando. And there lied the problem.

I shall begin my story with the day that Orlando first complained to me about his horrible situation.
          
"Orlando, why are you here?"
              
"I’m not doing anything, because I was never taught to do anything."
               
"What’s bothering you, then?"
           
"Actually, I’m bothered by you, the most unworthy brother EVER, who is set on destroying me!"
         
          "Well, maybe you should get a job, soon I might add, instead of sitting around all day!"

          "Yeah, but I would still be living with your HOGS and eating the same food as them! What have I ever done to deserve this?!"

          "Hey, look bro; do you know where you are?"
           
          "Uh, YEAH. In your orchard."

          "And do you know who you’re standing before?"
            
          "I know him better than he knows me! You’re my eldest brother, and you only know me as lesser than you. But just because you are the first-born doesn’t make you better than I am! Even if there were TWENTY brothers in between us, you still wouldn’t be entitled to treat me this way!"

           
I was a rich man at the time, being the eldest, who had inherited most of my father's wealth. Orlando was only left a small amount of money in the will, though, and I didn't even feel like giving him that. He slept in the stables, and once accused me of treating my horses better than him (and that, by the way, was the truth). I didn't treat him right, littlest sibling or not.

My reasoning for hating Orlando:

None, really, whatsoever.

As I look back on this now, I think I felt that he was showing me up. I was probably jealous of his good nature and his wit (of which these things just seemed to appear naturally, despite having no education, in manners or academics). I despised the fact that everyone loved him, thus casting me off to stand in a dark shadow while everyone praised him. Of course, now I know that it was no fault of his. Only I can sculpt the statue of my personality, and if I choose to be mean to others, then that is how I will come to be the cast away.

---

I should have listened to Orlando after we had that conversation. But I saw no reason to become a good person. I wanted to get rid of my now rebellious younger brother...

2 comments:

  1. Orlando (deBoysbrother3@gmail.com)May 17, 2011 at 9:08 PM

    That was an important day for me. I had thought that you were going to finally do something about the way I was being treated! I thought I had convinced you to change things.

    How wrong I was...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rosalind (married1666666666663@gmail.com)May 17, 2011 at 9:19 PM

    Really? Oliver became MORE horrible than he already was?!?! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!!! I want to know everything about my Orlando!

    ReplyDelete