Jared Rose: The Hidden Preserve

Birthday

It was a muggy April morning when Jared heard a knock on his door. He had been doing some homework his teacher had assigned for the weekend. He didn't understand anything in the textbook but wasn't going to admit that to his uncle or aunt.

"Jared. Time for lunch." Called a woman's voice. It was his aunt Dalila.

"'Kay!" He answered "Be down in a second."

He finished the paragraph and headed out the door. He was still in his pajama pants. They were black with gray and white stripes.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and headed toward the kitchen.

It smelled like Aunt Dalila had just finished making grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon. Cheesy, with a hint of grease.

"Where's Uncle Seth?" He asked.

A brown haired girl turned to face him. "Dad went to town with Wesley for his birthday gift. Remember last week."

"Yes. Sorry I forgot Emily." He said. Emily was his younger cousin. she was a year and two months younger and was he was always rubbing it in her face and Wesley was her little brother.

Emily had long brown hair that went an inch past her shoulders and almond shaped, green eyes. She had both ears peirced with her gold hoops shaped like hearts. And all he had was black, medium length bangs and sideburns that reached the half an inche past the top of his ear. And Emily was almost always telling him how his shirt was perfect for his hazel eyes.

He looked over to his aunt. She had long blond hair and green eyes. She was weaing her silver hoops Uncle Seth had gotten her for christmas. She had a blue top and white pants.

"What do you want to do for your birthday Jared?" She asked.

"What. Oh. I forgot today was my birthday!" He answered stupidly.

"What! He forgets his birthday and get's to decide what we do?" Emily complained. For her birthday the year before, they went to the park for the day and watched the birds then took a hike up to a national park in the state.

"Yes because he is the oldest and our guest."

"Mom he's been living here for 12 years! He's not a guest!"

"Am so and let's see a movie or just stay home!" He snickered. "I don't care!"

"Ugggg!" Emily ran out of the room screaming!

"Wow. She has issues." Jared snickered some more.

"Go get dressed and you can open some gifts." Aunt Dalila said.

He got up from his stool and walked out the room. He found the hall and headed up the stairs toward his room. He reached the second to last door on the left side of the hall which had police tape covering it. He grabbed the handle and turned it left. He pushed inward and stepped through the door. It revealed his bedroom, which was the second biggest which made Emily scream 'it isn't fair' or 'I'm your oldest not him'.

To the right of the room, he had a big maple bed with drawers on the bottom and a dark red blanket with the words, Blackened Halo, on it. Blackened Halo was an old heavy medal band he listened too. To the left of the bed was a small oak end table with an alarm clock and an opened drawer. He walked over to the drawer and took out his wallet. When he opened it it showed a picture of a blond haired girl with hazel eyes. His mother, Kendra Sorenson. His uncle's sister.

He put the wallet back in the drawer and shut it. He walked over to his bed and knelt down. He opened the first drawer and grabbed a pair of red socks. He shut it and pulled the second one open. It was full of shirts. He rifled through them and grabbed a purple one from the bottom of the drawer. After he had shut that one and pulled a pair of blak jeans from the next pair, he ra to his bathroom in the back of the room.

He got changed and exited the bathroom. He grabbed a belt and headed for the door. As he was walking down the stairs he slipped his belt into the belt buckle loops and tightened it.

"Jared. Byron's on the phone!" His aunt called.

He jumped the last five steps to the bottom and ran to the phone in his aunt's hand. He grabbed it and said, "Hello."

"Hey Jared. Happy Birthday. I was wondering If I could come over for a half-hour?"

"Sure." said Jared. "Let me as-"

The front door opened and a tall man and mid-height boy walked in. It was Uncle Seth and Wesley. Uncle Seth had brown hair and blue eyes. Wesley had brown hair and green eyes.

"Jared." Uncle Seth said. "I got a letter for you. It's from your mother!"

"Byron, I g-g-g-gotta go!" And he hung up. Seth handed him a gray envelope and he rushed up the stairs and into his room. He shut the door and flopped onto his bed. He layed his hed on his pillow and looked at the shut envelope. In green ink it read:

To: Jared Seth Rose

From: Kendra Ruth Sorenson

He carefully ripped open the letter. Again in green ink it read:

Dear Jared,

I am so dreadfully sorry I have made you wait 12 years without seeing your family! I am married to a man named Lucas Bond. We have a son, Jacob Bond.

You may or may not have lived a very happy life with Seth and his family but he is my brother and I don't fully respect my decision to leave you there without any contact to you.

Happy 14 Birthday. I have at least two gifts for you one can be wrapped, one can not. After you read this letter, you have two options. I will let you decide. I want you to come move in with me, Luke and Jacob. You can stay with Seth or come with me. Make your choice. Call my cell phone number once you decide. Here it is 476-2218.

Love,

Kendra Ruth Sorenson.

He reread the letter three more times, always thinking. He made his decision and got up and trotted over to the door. He slowly opened the door and walked out. Shutting the door behind him, he slowly made his way down the hall and the stairs. Once at the bottom, Seth and Dalila were waiting for him.

"What did the letter say Jared?" asked Uncle Seth.

"Mom wanted to know if I wanted to move in with her, my step-dad and half-brother!" replied Jared.

His uncle made a slight sigh. "She told me when she brought you to me twelve years ago when your father left you, she would ask if you wanted to move with her when you were fourteen and old enough to take care for yourself."

"I want to go." Jared said.

"Fine. How did she want you to contact her?" asked his uncle.

"Phone." He ran to the phone and punched in the numbers she had givin him. The phone rang for a few seconds when a calm, female voice said, "Hello. This Kendra Sorenson speaking."

"Hey Mom. I want to come with you!"

"Jared! You sound so much older."

"Will you come and get me or will some else get me?"

"I will get Luke to bring you. It will be some bonding time for you two." said his mother. "Now go pack up everything, except bed and drawer, we have those here."

"Okay mom." And he hung up. He told his aunt and uncle about what his aunt had told him and ran outside to the cellar. He found ten cardboard boxes.

He ran in the house and straight up the stairs and into his room. He set up a box and opened one drawer and piled all the clothes in the box.

After twenty minutes. he was just about finished packing up when he heard a car horn honking outside his window. He finished up his last few things and ran to the window. A dark haired man was climbing out of a red Dodge truck with a cap on the back to protect his things he thought.

A second later, he heard a knock on the front door. Jared zoomed out the door and down the stairs. He saw Seth open the door and say, "You must be Luke!"

Luke said, "Yes. and you must be Seth. Nie to finally meet my brother-in-law!"

"As to meet you." said he. They hugged and then seperated.

Luke turned to Jared. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Jared said. "My stuff is upstairs."

"Let's go get it."

They went upstairs and grabbed two boxes each. After ten minutes, they had finished loading up the truck with boxes. Jared walked back into the house. Aunt Dalila, Emily and Wesley were standing there waiting to say good-bye (he did not know why Emily ws there though?).

"See yeah Dalila." He said walking over to give her a hug.

"See you soon Jared."

He walked over to Wesley. "Good-bye old friend." They did their handshake.

Wesley looked sad. "See yeah cuz."

Jared looked over to Emily. "Why are you here?"

"To ask for your room!"

He sighed, "Take it."

She giggled and ran up the stairs.

Finnally he turned to Uncle Seth who had been standing over in a corner, silenty.

"See you soon Uncle Seth." He said walking over to give him a hug.

"Sooner than you think." He whispered into his nephews ear. "Sooner than you think."

Jared realesed and turned to Luke who said, "You ready?"

He gulped, "Yeah. Let's get going."