This is my story for the April challenge.

Rated: K+  WC 1600

 

                                                                 Lifes Lessons Are Not Always Learned In School

“Hey Adam what does stalwart mean?”

Adam looked at his youngest brother lying on the floor with his books strewn about him. If he would only sit at the table he might find it a little easier to get his schoolwork done, but Adam wasn’t about to suggest it. Lately any suggestion from him to Joe only led to conflict.

“It can mean a few things Joe. It can mean someone who is strongly and stoutly built, kinda like our brother Hoss here…”

“Hey!” Hoss wasn’t too sure if that was a compliment or not.

Adam smiled as his father glanced over the paper he was reading. “…or it can mean someone strong and brave, also like our brother Hoss here.”

Hoss knew that was a compliment. “Hey thanks Adam.”

“You’re welcome Hoss. Then again Joe it can also mean to be firm, steadfast, or uncompromising.”

“Oh.” Now Joe had more answers then he wanted. He didn’t know how his brother could be so smart. How could he remember three different meanings for a word when he himself couldn’t remember one.

“Does that help Joe?”

“Yeah, thanks Adam.”

Ben watched as his youngest son thought over what his oldest brother had told him then pick up his pencil and write something in his notebook. When he finished he laid his pencil down and began to pick up the books that had been lying about him. Ben was glad tomorrow was Friday; it meant no more fights about getting school work done for at least two days. “Joe are you done with your school work?”

“Yeah pa; finally.”

“Then why don’t you wish your brothers goodnight.”

“How come they don’t gotta…”

“Have to.” Adam hadn’t meant to do it but correcting his brother’s bad grammar just naturally happened without him thinking about it.

Joe glared at his brother but he knew better then to start something now. “…have to go to bed too.”

“Because they are your older brothers and don’t have to go to school tomorrow. Now say goodnight Joseph.”

——–

The following day Joe met his friend Mitch at the same spot in the road that they met every day so they could ride to school together, but for some reason today was different. Today being the youngest bothered Joe more then any other day and as with all children he thought one way to prove you weren’t a child was to do something you weren’t suppose to do.

Mitch looked at his friend. For him to do something like this there had to be a reason. “What’s the matter Joe? Did you not do your school work?”

“I finished all the things we were suppose to, want to see?!”

“No.”

“Listen if you don’t want to come with me that’s fine, I’ll go myself.”

“No I want to go with you but are you sure we won’t get caught?”

“What are you chicken?”

“No I just don’t want to get caught.”

“Don’t worry I’ll get my brother to talk to Miss. Jones.”

Mitch knew, truth is most everyone knew how their teacher Miss. Jones liked Joe’s brother Adam. “Well okay if you say so.”

So the two friends turned off of the path they were suppose to be on and turned down the one that promised fun. Adam watched from a distance, shook his head and smiled. He figured it was only natural and although his little brother might not believe it even he had skipped school a time or two. Maybe he should have headed after Joe and set him back on the right path but he knew something his brother didn’t. Adam knew what his brother was about to learn was how bad a conscience can bother you even more when you got away with something.

——

Joe had waited almost all weekend for the perfect time and this was it. Adam was sitting behind their father’s desk and their father was nowhere in sight. “Hey Adam can you do something for me?”

“Sure Joe, what?”

“Can you sign your name? You know in that fancy way that you do?”

Adam knew very well what he would be signing and he had every intention to sign it, but he wasn’t going to make it that easy. “You mean will I sign my name? Why Joe? That’s not some bank draft is it?”

“NO. See I kinda told Miss. Jones how I wanted to learn to write my name like you do, all fancy like, and I asked her if she could teach me.”

“I could teach you Joe.”

“I know but…well to be honest…” Adam thought Joe honest this ought to be good. “She said she would need to see how you write your name to do that but I really think she just wants to see your name. You know how she likes you and I thought if I do this she might like me better if I could give her this here paper with your name on it. You gotta…have to remember how silly girls are about things like that. I seen some girls writing the names of the boys they like all over the place. I even saw some writing like they was married to him and they was Mrs. Whoever. Come on Adam even you gotta…have to agree I can use all the help with school I can get.”

Adam thought boy could his brother shovel it and when it was to his benefit he could even remember his grammar. “Alright Joe give me the paper.”

Adam took his time in signing his name but once he was finished he saw Joe smile take the paper that was being held out to him and run upstairs. Adam smiled too and thought little brother I would have thought by now you should know that the only thing worse the being caught in a lie is getting away with one.

—–

Joe was glad at first to have gotten away with it. When he handed the note to Miss. Jones on Monday she at first had asked why the note was not also written in Adam’s handwriting. Joe had told her that Adam had been real tired and that was why he had needed him and Mitch to stay and help so he had asked Joe to write the note and he would sign it. Joe knew once Miss. Jones thought Adam hadn’t been feeling up to writing the note that she would become more concerned about Adam then some silly note and he was right. What Joe hadn’t expected was that he would fear every day since then would be the day he would be found out. It was like Adam knew it would be. Eventually Joe’s conscience did get the better of him.

“Adam can I talk to you?”

“Sure little brother come on in.” Adam had expected this talk sooner but he guessed better late then never. Joe opened his brother’s bedroom door. It was as it always had been when he entered his eldest brother’s room. He felt like he was being allowed into a secret sanctuary. If he knew the truth he would feel more like the fly entering the spider’s web. “So Joe what is it?”

Joe forced his eyes to look at his brother. “Adam I did something bad.”

“Really? What?”

“I lied to you. That paper I asked you to sign was really a note telling Miss. Jones that the reason Mitch and I missed school on Friday was because we was helping you.”

“Helping me?”

“Yeah. See I kinda figured if she gets all starry eyed when she hears me just say your name she’d be too happy to be able to look at it knowing you wrote it with your own hands to be too concerned with checking up on what the note said.”

“I know Joe.”

“Adam everyone knows how she is when it comes to you.”

“I mean I know you and Mitch skipped school.”

“How? Did Mitch tell you.”

“No, I saw you that day.”

“You did? Was you checking up on me?!”

“No I had business in town, believe me little brother I don’t have the time or the patience to try and keep up with you.”

“You mean you knew all this time and you didn’t tell pa? Why?”

“Because Joe I knew that no one raised by a man who places such an importance on honor and truth could live with a lie for long.”

“You really think I got honor Adam?”

“You’re one of pa’s sons ain’t ya?”

Joe smiled at his brother’s words. “You mean aren’t you. Adam you going to tell pa now?”

“I’ll make a deal with you, I won’t tell pa if you promise me you won’t remind me of how Miss. Jones feels and that you will keep her from asking me to chaperone any more school dances. I’m still trying to recover from the last one.”

“It’s a deal Adam. Besides having you at the dances is starting to cramp my style.”

“I hadn’t realized you had a style.”

“Well I do. You know Adam you did find some pretty good hiding places.”

“Yes some that were none to comfortable. I didn’t realize that bush had thorns.”

“That was funny. You’d spent half the night hiding from her and the rest of the night being nursed by her.”

Ben heard his son’s laughter and he wondered what secret were they sharing now. He just smiled because he knew it really didn’t matter because secrets between brothers were sacred.