Brains and Sensitivity

The Davis brothers' off-campus, penthouse apartment was the envy of everyone at Sussex University. Most every weekend the best party in downtown Toronto would be found there. Matthew Davis, 21, was perhaps the most notorious person in school, despite the fact he was currently not taking enough courses to count as a full-time student. His older brother, 23 , was not as popular, as he was usually sitting in his bedroom bent over a book, trying to ignore the music and drunken revelry. The summer had hardly begun when Elijah Davis received his letter stating he had been accepted into the college's medical school.

Elijah examined the letter closely at the box when he had gone down to get the mail, allowed himself a smile, and went upstairs hoping to pour himself a glass of the Chardonnay father had bought him at Christmas. Thinking of father, he saw the rent and credit card bill and remembered he needed to call and ask for more money.

He was so enthused that he even started a conversation with the cute girl on the tenth floor, carefully laying out the groundwork for later asking her out for coffee.

The sounds of tropical rainfall hit his hears as soon as the apartment door opened. Matthew was playing his yoga music, and as usual, he had given up on the yoga already. He was spread out on the couch, leafing through some novel.

"How can you concentrate with the noise?" asked Elijah.

"Don't bother me," said Matthew. "I'm just getting to a good part. I had to read this for my English class."

"Isn't the semester over?"

"Yeah, I mean, I didn't have time to read it for class, I just sparknoted it. But I figure I might as well check it out since I bought it."

"You spent $100 at a hair salon this month?" asked Elijah, who had started looking over the credit card bill.

"Hey, I gotta stay good for the ladies."

"You're such a metro. And are you going to think of cleaning this place up at all? Where did all these dirty dishes come from?"

"I don't know, Mason was attempting to make something in the microwave but it didn't work out."

"Mason? When did he get here?"

"Last night, man. You were already sleeping. He's in my room right now."

Their brother Mason had just graduated from his boarding high school, and decided he would too would attend Sussex, so he could share the penthouse with his two older siblings.

"Great. Hey, have you decided where you want to take our summer vacation? I'm still up for Paris."

"I wouldn't mind visiting Paris, but if we're going to go to Europe, why be confined to one city? There is so much culture and beauty to explore there."

"Yes, yes I know, Matt. The girls on the backpacking tours put out, isn't that where this is heading."

"Who calls it 'putting out' anymore?"

"Why would we want to walk around Europe like a bunch of dirty hippies?" Elijah turned around and saw his brother Mason emerge from one of the bedrooms. "We should go somewhere warm – tropical beaches, nice hotels, hot chicks in thong bikinis."

"What is this 'we' stuff? Who the hell said you're going. You're lucky we're even letting you visit," said Matthew.

"Dad said I can move in here with you guys, and he said I can go on your trip. He's paying, so you can't stop me."

"Shut up, you two," said Elijah, who was pressing number two on his speed dial. "I'm calling dad. Hello? Hey dad, we went a bit over budget again. Do you think you can lend us a bit extra for the next month – Oh, okay. Is everything alright dad? Yeah? Okay, well I'll see you."

Elijah ended the call, then told his brothers that their father had asked all of them to come see him immediately. He wasn't worried until he opened what he thought was the rent, and found an eviction notice.

--

"What do you mean we're broke?!" said Matthew. They were sitting on the couch of their father's living room, he sitting in a chair facing his sons.

"Exactly what it sounds like. The company's been struggling for ages. It just finally fell through. My stock crashed. I lost my investments, and I am severely in debt."

Elijah stared at his father in disbelieve. "This was going on for months and you never told us any of it? Why?!"

"I was hoping things would pick up, but that did not happen. In the meantime, I've lost my house, and was unable to pay your rent recently, or your credit. Now, I will be able to pay off most of my debtors, if I sell my cars."

"But you only have one – " Elijah began.

"Oh no!" said Matthew. "You're selling our cars too, aren't you! The beamer and the escalade?!"

"Legally, they are still mine. I'm sorry, boys. I tried to give you all the best things in life, but our expensive tastes finally caught up with us."

"So I guess this means no tropical beaches," said Mason.

"Well," said their father. "I might be going on a bit of an extended trip. There are still some, well, legal matters that have not been completely sorted out with the good people in the internal revenue service. I may be spending a bit of time in a South American nation to be decided."

"You're leaving the country, and you're leaving us without any money?" said Matthew. "Where are we supposed to live? How are we supposed to eat? Where am I going to get my tuition?"

"I'm sure you can figure something out," said Mr Davis.

"Yes, there's no need to panic," said Elijah. "We'll simply need to find a new, much cheaper place to live. We'll need to get jobs, and we'll need to apply for student loans for next year."

"I'm not taking enough classes to qualify for loans – "

"Then take enough. What are you even in school for? When are you planning on graduating at the rate you're going?"

"I don't take courses so I can graduate, Elijah! I take them to broaden my mind! I take them to fulfill my love of learning, to stimulate my intellect. I have a fragile soul, don't you understand. I'm not cut out for a life of working."

"Well you're going to have to learn, unless you want to be poor the rest of your life."

"Man, right when I'm done high school this had to happen," said Mason. "No broads will want some homeless guy."

"You won't be homeless. I've already called Jocelyn. She's agreed to take you three in until you manage to get back on your feet. I'll try to return to the country as soon as things blow over. Everything will be just fine."

--

Jocelyn Flores was the Davis' brothers older, half-sister. They shared a mother who had already died some time ago, but grew up with different fathers. As they had not grown up together, she and the Davis were not close, but she imagined herself to be of a caring, generous nature, so long as it did not inconvenience her, and so she agreed to take in her half-brothers in their time of need.

Her husband, Ethan Flores, was just like his wife, only without the idealism of personality. He was only grudgingly convinced to let the brother's stay under his roof, and as the second week of their visit came to an end, he spoke privately with Jocelyn.

"So when exactly are the three stooges getting out of here?"

"Ethan, honestly, they've barely just got here."

Matthew was sitting on their couch watching a foreign movie. Elijah was at the kitchen table, circling want ads while helping himself to some chips. Mason was on their telephone calling a friend from his boarding school.

"Jocelyn, look at them. Look at what they are doing."

"What do you mean?"

"They aren't looking for work, and they aren't looking to move out. They're leeches. They've never had to work a day in their life. They are used to getting everything they want at the press of a cell phone button. But those times are over for them. They are never going to learn to get on their own two feet if you keep supporting them."

"So what, I'm supposed to kick them to the street."

"No, of course not. I'm just warning you. Don't be too nice to them. They latch on to you and never let go. You're too nice."

"Well, I was thinking, well…Seeing how things are turning out, I thought we could help them a bit with their tuitions when they start school again. It'll be hard to balance that with rent too, especially if they just get some part time work."

"Isn't that what student loans are for? Once they graduate they'll be earning plenty to support themselves."

"Yes, but they have no money right now. It will be very hard for them to start out in life already in debt."

"Oh, things will be fine. Think about us. We barely get by ourselves as it is. Didn't you want to buy a bigger house next year? How will you do that if you are acting like Mother Teresa to your half-brothers. Most full sisters wouldn't even helping that much. If you give them money, you will only encourage them to carry on living expensively. And who knows, maybe their father isn't even as broke as he's claiming. He could show up back from South America or wherever he is, rich again, and I'll bet you'd never see a penny of money you lent."

"Well, maybe you're right," said Jocelyn.