The connection between father and son is one like no other, just like the connection between mother and daughter. It is a tricky situation when that connection is stronger with one son. Leaving the brother feeling like he is not quite enough. In our story today, inspired by the readers of AmoMama, sibling rivalry is bound to start brewing. Sure, some competition can be healthy but it is quite toxic when competing for the love of parents.
Indifference
Dan and Jake are brothers who never really saw eye-to-eye. They grew up in a small town in Georgia called Madison with their father, Simon. The only thing is that they grew up at different times because Dan was 20 years younger than Jake. Their mom had fallen pregnant by surprise when Jake was already in college. Despite the doctor’s warnings over their concerns for her health and the baby’s, she was adamant to see the pregnancy through. She spoke about how she could feel the little soul within her. So, she would rather die trying to bring the baby into the world than abort it.
Unfortunately, there were complications during the surgery and she did not make it. But, they managed to save the baby. Simon was heartbroken over the loss of his wife. But, he could not help but fall deeply in love with his baby boy. Jake forever associated his mother’s death with his new little brother. He could not help but nurture hatred for him. His father never had time for him anymore, so he would spend lengths of time away from home, hanging out with his fancy college friends.
Dan grew up to be extremely similar to his dad, they shared many interests and one of them was taking long road trips and exploring new places. Their dad stumbled across an old trailer one day at a garage sale. It was pimped out to function as a caravan would, and he simply could not resist it. From then on out, they spent almost every holiday together in their rustic little trailer. Jake never understood the love of being cramped n a car for hours, so he turned p his nose to the offers so it was just Dan and Simon, father and son.
Under the Pillow
When Dan was young, his father would often hide little gifts and treats under his pillow while he was at school. So, when he got home it would be a surprise. These gifts would show up on special occasions, and they always cheered Dan up. There would usually be a note attached to the gift that told Dan how much his dad loves him. This was another thing that irked Jake unbelievably. He was too old for these little presents under his pillow, but he could not help but feel left out of the tradition that only became a thing after Dan was born. He even went and took one or two of the gifts from under Dan’s pillow without him noticing, although he would never admit it.
Dan Struggled in Adulthood
Dan got married to his high school sweetheart, and they shared a deeply passionate relationship. Their passion crossed over to their perception of life, but unfortunately, they were not without their struggles. They were not exactly financially abundant, and with a huge mortgage to pay off, they were regularly strapped for cash. An unfortunate situation happened, where the restaurant that his wife worked at shut down, and Dan’s salary was not enough to get them by and pay all the bills. They faced losing the house they had bought to live in with their two children, and the thought was terrifying for Dan.
Dan’s father, Simon, was an intelligent businessman, and he owned an IT company that earned a great revenue each year. Dan had considered asking his dad for some help, but he was putting that off for as long as he could. He did not want to be a burden to his father, who was a busy man when they were not off on a road trip. Dan was often very overwhelmed, but they did manage to keep out of his father’s wallet.
Jake was more business-oriented than Dan, which was the one thing he had that was similar to his father. After he had finished college, he took a job with his father’s company. He would brag about the lunch dates he had with their father, but Dan knew that Jake was just glad he had something in common with their dad. Another reason that he didn’t want to interfere – his brother was already so indifferent toward him, he did not want to make that any worse than it already was.
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Bereavement
Dan was out running some errands with his wife in town when he received a phone call that bore some bad news. His father had been dealing with cancer and he had not told either of his boys. According to the doctor he got worse very suddenly and he passed away the night before. He had not wanted to worry his sons, which was why they ever knew. Dan was heartbroken, he had so many regrets for not calling his father often enough to check-in. All the memories of their trips across the country in that old trailer of his were flooding his mind, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Dan gave his brother a call, he wanted to reach out because they were all each other had now. The rest of their family was gone, and he felt that life was too short to waste on silly feuds. Jake answered the call with a sneer. He asked Dan what he wanted, claiming to be too busy for a sob story. Dan was hurt, they hadn’t spoken in years, and this was the way he was greeted. So, Dan asked him how he was coping with their father’s death, and Jake retorted that he was fine, then muttered something about Dan not caring anyway. Dan assured him that he loved him, they were brothers after all. Jake asked Dan what he wanted again, this time sounding impatient. Dan said he wanted nothing, and Jake promptly hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
He Left Him With the Trailer
When the will of their father was addressed, Jake ended up inheriting the business. Dan did not care much for that so he let his brother gloat as much as he needed. The lawyer told Dan that his dad had left the old trailer that they had traveled around in. Jake thought this was hilarious, saying how he had been left with the better deal. When Dan picked up the trailer, he towed it to their house. They had to store it in their garden – much to his wife’s dislike. He went inside to inspect the damage and it was like stepping into a time warp. Suddenly he was 15 again, waiting for his dad to light the fire for a barbeque on one of their trips.
Dan went over to the bed and sat down, the nostalgia was strong. Leaning back against the pillows he felt something underneath. He felt under the pillow with his hand and sure enough, there was a little box with a note attached. Dan could not believe it, even in death, his father remembered their little tradition. The note explained how his father had cherished the memories of their trips together, and felt that Dan could make something of the trailer instead of wasting it.
There were also the details to a bank account that had enough to pay off their mortgage. That was a huge stress off their backs. Dan and his wife ended up making the trailer into a food truck where they would serve his father’s famous recipes. He had been notorious for delicious clam chowder, and that became their best-selling dish.
This story was inspired by an original piece of fiction that first appeared on AmoMama. Any similarities between this story and actual people are purely coincidental
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