The night time breeze rippled his black hair, his hazel-brown eyes staring into space. He was standing at the balcony, hands resting on the rails. The evening hustle of the city was hushed against his ears after entering the solitude of the veranda for he was too absorbed in his thoughts to be bothered by the incessant noise made by the cars racing up and down the street and by the inhabitants of the city.
If this morning somebody told him he was destined for greatness, he would have never believed it and he might have thought that person to be insane but now the possibility seems to be too overwhelming. A lopsided grin that resembled a grimace formed in his lips as thoughts of uncertainty ran through his head. How on earth can he possibly do great things when all his life he has lived in his brother's shadow? His brother was the star of his family. No one bothered to give him a chance to prove himself, to know what he's capable of. His mediocrity, as they say, was a shame to such a great family. They thought that how can he possibly be the brother of a man who dreams of changing the world for the better. He didn't mind all of this though, it was enough for him to be standing in the shadows, as long as the people he loved and cared about are happy and safe. This afternoon, however, he was given the chance to finally step out of the shadows, to be more than just a silhouette.
He ran a hand through his hair and lifted his head so that his gaze turned to the star-strewn sky. He always found solace in seeing the specks of light twinkling in a sea of nothingness. It always gave him hope knowing that even in the darkest moments; a flicker of light still exists. It also gave him assurance of the future for the star seems to always change every time he looks skyward. He perceives in the celestial objects that not everything is inevitable and that the future isn't written in stone but the stars also seem to hold an ethereal force which governs the universe: "destiny".
He looked at the skyline of the city against the black velvet of a sky as its canvass. Is his destiny really into greatness? He always thought that this destiny was for his brother, never his. His, he pictured, was to take care of people, especially the ones his brother seems to fail to notice on the way to his own alleged greatness. How will everyone around him be affected if he took, as the man this afternoon said, "His destiny"? Will he be able to fulfill it? Or just disappoint everyone else just like he disappointed his father.
"Why can't you be more like your brother? You will never amount to anything. You sit around all day living in your comic book fantasies when you should be living in reality!"
He shook his head trying to remove this memory from his head but all it did was spark the embers of trying to prove one's self which he thought he has extinguished after his father's death. He slid his eyes shut attempting to empty his mind with useless memories of the past. The future may not be written in stone but the past certainly cannot be altered.
He thought of everything he ever cared about and if it's worth losing over such a superficial interest such as greatness. But is it really superficial to be remembered in history, to be able to attain great glory and riches, to have everyone know who you are, to have unlimited power, to have your name echoing throughout eons after eons, to lose the ones you care about. The latter made him open his eyes immediately. NO! He wouldn't exchange the ones he love for anything in the world.
If he was really destined for greatness then he would wait for greatness to find him. He could wait for his destiny. He would rather let seasons pass by waiting for greatness rather than to look for it and slowly push away the people around him.
For the first time since entering the balcony he became full aware of the world around him. He can now hear his nephew's laughter from behind him, their mother's tone as she asked where they would like to go next Saturday, his own mother's voice giving instructions to someone on the phone, and his brother who was laughing with his sons. A world he wouldn't trade for anything and would do everything to protect if necessary. He turned around to look at the room behind him, his back against the rails, witnessing the very thing he will and would never replace.
Why would he dwell into the past and dig up old wounds or worry about the future and what's in store, when right here and right now he has everything he ever needs and probably more than what he could possibly wish for.
He walked towards the door and before turning the knob he paused and glanced at the world behind him, the city lights illuminated his face which, a few minutes ago, wore a somber expression but now has a smile not only shown in the curve in his mouth but also in the twinkle of his eyes.
He turned his head so that he was facing the mirrored doors separating him from his family. The twinkle in his eyes vanished and was replaced by alarm and astonishment when he saw a blond girl's reflection just behind his own, electric waves playing along her right palm.
Before he could turn around, he felt pain beyond comprehension, electricity surged throughout his body. His grip on the doorknob limped and he felt his body fall through space before landing hard on the marble stone floor.
"Hi Peter, missed me?"