Eric Walter slowly walked in front of his parents' casket. He tried to stay strong for his brother and sister but the tears wouldn't stop. He felt his brother and sister's hand touch his shoulder. "Why mom and dad?" his sister asked. Eric couldn't even find the strength to answer. They all stood together and just cried. They all cried the weeks following. During these weeks, Eric said his goodbyes to all his friends and even to his track scholarship. It's what he had to do since his parents' death. Someone had to take care of his brother and sister and Eric felt he owed it to his parents to take care of them because of all they had sacrificed for him and his siblings.
Eric was a sophomore at a community college. He was the oldest of his siblings. Eric's family never had much. It wasn't even likely that Eric could attend college. His dad worked two jobs and his mom found jobs here and there but they still struggled to make ends meet. It wasn't easy caring for three children but they did what they could. Eric was willing to sacrifice college to get a job and help the family but when he was offered a track scholarship his parents told him to accept it. Eric's parents didn't want to be burdened with guilt knowing they deprived him of his dream so they scrapped up whatever savings they had to send him to college.
After being home for only a week, Eric had to quickly learn the role of a parent. A lot of it was overwhelming; waking his siblings up for school, getting them dressed, sending them to school, going to work for long hours, helping them with their homework, making dinner, making sure they bathe, tucking them in at night. He repeated this everyday and it seemed like an ever-lasting cycle. Eric was working from 9 to 5 as a mechanic. It didn't pay all that well but he had to make his paychecks stretch. It wasn't like he was only caring for himself now. He was caring for three. Eric would have done anything to give them what he didn't have but it was hard. He was used to caring for them but not in the way his parents ever did.
One day while Eric's siblings were at their aunt's, Eric decided to take a walk along the park trail near his house. Occasionally, Eric would take these walks to clear his head from his parental duties and just think. It was kind of chilly out and no one had been outside but Eric didn't mind the isolation or the silence. He decided to sit on a black bench. He put his head in his hands, closed his eyes, and layed in silence taking deep breaths. Once he lifted his head and opened his eyes he observed a backpack laying in the grass. He looked ahead of the trail but saw no one. He wondered whose it was and what it was doing there. Eric got up from the bench and walked towards the backpack. He slowly began to unzip it and couldn't believe his eyes. It had to be the largest amount of money he had ever seen in his life. Brand new hundred dollars bills. Eric gasped and just stared at the money for what seemed like several minutes. Then he quickly zipped it back up and threw the backpack around his shoulder. Eric was cautious now. What would he do with the money? He could move him and his siblings, go back to school, and buy him and his siblings something nice now. Eric stopped his thoughts before they got out of control. That money wasn't his. It belonged to someone else. Maybe it was a miracle or someone accidentally left it there. Either way Eric had to think realistically. After two days Eric decided to keep the money. He knew this would change his life forever but for the better.
No comments:
Post a Comment