Now this attacked me today when a friend of mine was singing this song so I had to get it down and out there.
I was hiding in my room ignoring the storm rolling around outside and my parents arguing downstairs again. I ignored all this and focused on my task, because I hate this damn world that takes all boys over the age of 15 and make them soldiers for Queen Sue Sylvester. Why she did it no one knows. Why the boys I mean. She sends them out on battlefields all over the world to conquer more power for her. She is successful in that for some reason. She now rules over ten different countries and her power is growing. Her mind is set on getting the lands in the south and the west. I hate these wars, for more reasons than one. It happened five years ago. I was 10 years old then… and my older brother Wes had been 13.
The house was like a tomb.
I was hiding in my room.
As my brother made his way on down the hall.
I was crying silently in my room. I could hear mom and dad yelling downstairs. I didn't need to listen to understand what they were yelling about. Mom was yelling at dad about not moving us to a country in the south or west ages ago. Dad said he can't because he's a proud man and has served time in some war or another and his son should be allowed to do the same. Mom hates it that Wes is being sent away to fight in one of the lands Sue took over. Mom tried to get him to run for it, to get him and me to take our horses and go but dad caught up with us and Wes let dad bring him back. I followed because I didn't want to leave without my big brother. Mom never forgave Wes or dad for that. I never really understood why Wes did it… I guessed I never would. Wes didn't want to be a soldier. I knew that. Wes was an artistic guy… Wes is an artistic guy. He dances, he sings, he paints and he writes. But he is also good in the battling arts… that's why he got the call earlier than anyone else and he is a genius. He's been part of the council since forever and… and everyone wanted to be him… until he got the call.
I didn't want to say goodbye.
And I was trying to deny there was a war,
And that he got the call.
Wes is my big brother and I never want to lose him. He means the world to me and my parents. The thing is that he doesn't always see his own value. Wes is a leader, always has been and always will be. He doesn't even have to do anything for everyone to acknowledge him as such. I really wished I was like that. I'm quiet, like he is but my silence doesn't speak like his do. Wes can be silent and just give you a look and you know that he means business. Example, I was goofing off in our dojo with one of dad's old swords and Wes looked up at me from where he was warming up and I just stopped what I was doing and put the sword back. Had it been anyone else or even mom or dad I wouldn't have. That's when I heard the front door shut so I ran up to my window.
I watched him from my window
Walking down the drive.
Then I ran down the stairway
Through the front door and I cried
I saw him walk down the path from our door to the main road and he turned around and looked right at me. He smiled and started to walk again. I bolted at that moment. I ran out of my room, down the hall and out the front door.
You come back you hear?
And I let him see my tears
I said I'll give you my sword and bow and arrow.
I'll do anything you want,
Clean your room, or wash your stall.
I'll do anything so long as you don't go.
But he said, this is what brothers are for.
I ran at him and threw my arms around him and screamed:
"You come back you hear?"
I was sobbing so bad but he just held me close and patted my hair and rubbed my arm.
"I'll give you my sword and bows and arrows!" I cried again. "I'll clean your room and wash the stall for your horse! I'll do anything just don't leave me!"
He sighed and tilted my face up.
"This is what brothers are for Mike", he said and kissed my forehead. "Now be good okay? Practice and be the best. Promise me."
I could only nod and he smiled before walking off to join the troop of soldiers that was already waiting for him. He walked away that day and left me.
Well I have my heroes,
But the one I love the most
Taught me how to hunt and hit a mark.
And I wrote him every night,
I said I miss our pillow fights,
But lately I just wonder where you're at.
Every night I missed him and I wrote letters to him, telling him how much I missed him and what we would do together. We would have pillow fights and dance together. I have some heroes in my life. The first one is William Schuster who is leading a rebellion here in the land of Lima and one is the man from our village that saved us all from a robbery attack. Wes is also my hero and the one I miss the most. It was Wes that taught me how to hunt and hit a mark with my arrows. I was still trying to figure out what Wes meant when he said: "This is what brothers are for."
Sometimes freedom makes it hard to live.
When it takes things from you that you don't want to give.
I loved that we were living in a somewhat free land but I hated what that cost. So many families were torn apart when Sue took their sons from them or husbands… or brothers. To keep Lima free we needed someone to defend us and that was our brothers, sons, boyfriends, fathers and husbands.
I said you come back you hear?
I miss you being near.
Laugh and fish down in the maple grove
I'll do anything you want.
There must be someone I can write,
And just maybe they would let you come back home.
But he wrote, this is what brothers are for.
Every night I wrote him and sent the letter with our communication falcon I wrote that I was missing him and to be near him, missed how we laughed together and fished down in the maple grove. I wrote how much I missed dancing with him. Mum used to say that when we danced together she cried of pride and because it was so beautiful. I would write him that. I would write him that I would do anything he wanted me to. I even offered to write or visit the queen but he wrote: "This is what brothers are for."
I may never have to face the anger of those shots,
Or lie cold and wounded in my blood,
Or know the sacrifice and what it must of cost
For him to love me that much.
I told you I didn't understand why he did all the stuff he did, why he let dad capture him and why he went back willingly… why he didn't fight his recruitment. I didn't understand that till recently… when I went through his stuff and found the rules of the army. If a father has taken part in a war his son must do it in his stead, by the age of fifteen. The boys doesn't have to, but if they don't… the younger brother must do it. Wes didn't want me to lie cold and wounded in my blood. I realized he was doing this for me and I trembled thinking of what it cost him to love me so much.
Well, it had been two years,
And I held back my tears
When I saw him in that wagon on the road.
Two years after he walked away he came back, he had been injured and was slowly healing. He took an arrow to the leg along with being stabbed in the gut and had nearly bleed out on that battlefield. When the boys from our village came back Wes was on a cart and we had to push him home. The first thing he did when he saw me was take my hand and squeeze it. He was so pale, his eyes had dark rings underneath and his lips were dried… but yet he smiled at me. I saw how sick he was and how vulnerable. I was 12 and he was 15. He wasn't technically supposed to be in this situation. But he looked at me and said:
"Mike, I'm sorry that you have to push me home."
But I answered:
"Hey it is what brothers are for. Don't worry I'll take care of you now."
He smiled at me again and motioned for me to lean down and I did. He kissed my forehead and patted my hair and I cried. I was so happy to see him and he held me tight even though he was sick and weak. I told him how happy I was and how proud I was of him, how he was my hero and he said:
"Hey it is what brothers are for."
And as I ran and held him tight,
That's when he looked me in the eye
And said I'm sorry that you have to push me home.
And I said hey, this is what brothers are for.
Now I bet you all think things became perfect after that but they didn't. Wes healed after a while but that only meant that Sue could take him again. Wes was 15 and was supposed to go out in the war. Mom and I told him to run but he didn't. He only said this is what brothers are for and let them take him. He gave me his dagger and told me he'd come back for it.
He didn't. I'm 17 now and Wes who should be 20 is still gone. He went out that door and didn't come back. His command think he's dead, mom thinks so too and dad… but I don't. I know he isn't dead. I am not going to be dragged into the army because Wes was, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to fight. I tie a knot to my work and get up. My bow is done, Wes' knife is at the top so that I can stab people with it if I need it. Sue is an evil bitch and I am not going to stand by and see more and more boys die. I'm joining the rebellion and I'm going to find my brother. He is out there somewhere and I am going to find him. Because that's what brothers are for.
TBC so what do you think?