Jaspire

Two brothers

Jaspire grew up as an only child. His parents did have another son, his twin brother Caspire. Although he had died when they were only 3 years of age. So basically it was if Jaspire never had a brother. The only memory he had of his blue eyed blonde haired identical brother was that he was always sick. During those times money wasnt as plenty and therefor the family couldnt afford to see a doctor. So Annette their mother, would just craddle her son and occasionally stroke his hair in comfort.

Before Caspire died, Abraham their father was always around. He was worried something would happen to his dear son when he wasnt around so he strayed from work to be by his bedside. Jaspire was neglected during these times because the focus was only on his sick brother. Some days he'd go hours without even being glanced at or fed. For his young age Jaspire was actually a very smart boy. During the times he was alone he'd wander into his father's office and pull books off the shelf. Of course he didn't really know what they all said but he was able to comprehend a number of words, more then all the children his age could.

When the night finally came that Caspire died Abraham cried aloud his son's name, "CASPIRE, MY DEAR BOY CASPIRE!" He held onto his sons small cold hand squeezing it as the tears rolled down his cheeks. Annette sat in her grandmother's wooden rocking chair beside the bed, her face pale and stiff. She had done her mourning long ago when her son had become sick, any of her sorrow that was left she held back. Her son was now in Heaven and that kept her sane.

After Caspire had passed Abraham had left the house hours later, straight to work. He couldn't face home, it would only bring him pain and memory of his departed son. Jaspire wondered why the next 2 years he only saw his father as he came home late at night, but never asked his mother why he worked so much.

Jaspire was a quiet boy, Annette told all her friends that it was if he wasn't around. They would giggle and sip their tea, "Well I wish my children would shush their mouths for once." A gal would laugh. Altough Annette didn't really like how silence filled her house, she still listened for the cry of her son Caspire.

When Jaspire was five nearly six years old his mother enrolled him in Kindergarten at the local private school "Patrick's school for boys." Jaspire was excited for the first day to come, he wanted to learn all he could. He wasn't too interested in friends, reason being he still talked to Caspire as if he was alive, and this his mother never realized she assumed he had an imaginary friend. For her son was young when his twin died, and since he didn't know him well she never thought he'd pretend Caspire was still alive.

First day of school came around and Jaspire walked by himself down the long empty dirt road, a bag hanging off his left shoulder stuffed with ink pens and paper. These were good times, no one ever thought of their children's live being indangered so they allowed their young children to walk themselves to school.

Jaspire kicked a rock along happily as he sung a tune his mother taught him. "Two brothers young indeed, yes sir, yes mam, we like to feed, empty tummys and clean hands, ready to eat we are." He liked it because Caspire said it was a silly tune. At least the person he imagined as Caspire liked it. When Jaspire reached the end of the dirt road only a field away from school, a group of older boys approached him. "Hello young chap." A dirty looking boy grinned at him. "Where might you be off to?" A redhead asked.

"I shouldn't be talking to you." Jaspire replied and started to walk forward.

"Hey now!" The redhead said grabbing Jaspire by the arm, "Why not? Mother said you can't talk to strangers?" He chuckled.

"No, because Caspire said your nothing but troubled boys." Jaspire looked up a bit mad and yanked his arm out from the redhead's grasp.

The group of 5 boys looked at each other as if hinting at what to do, Jaspire backed away. "Don't come near me or Caspire will hurt you!" He mumbled a bit scared.

"Caspire? Who is Caspire?" A boy asked "Your imaginary friend Oh I am so scared!" 

This made Jaspire angry "NO! MY BROTHER!"

"Oh Joe I think you made him angry," the dirty one said to the redhead while grinning.

The redhead named Joe pushed Jaspire down and his friends ran up to grab Jaspire's bag when Jaspire got up and jumped onto the dirty boy's back. "Hey get off me you little piece of.." Before he could finish Jaspire was beating his fist into the boys face who was now screaming. "THIS BOY IS MESSED UP IN THE HEAD!"he threw Jaspire off his back and then ran off with his friends "Your just not worth it," The boy Joe said.

Jaspire sat in the dirt and smiled, "Thanks for the help Caspire." He whispered and stood up to dust his new shorts, then grabbed his bag and walked across the street to school as if nothing had even interupted him.