Freddy walked out of the living room to check on the birthday cake that he had been making, leaving Todd alone. As soon as Fred was gone, Todd quickly hopped up to his room, grabbed a book, came back down and seated himself on the couch once again. His long fingers removed an envelope from the book and reread the letter inside for the millionth time in his life...
Toad! What kinda frosting you want on your birthday cake? Fred called as he lumbered back into the room, Toad, I asked you...what's that?
Todd sighed heavily, thinking, Why not...? I'll prolly never get another chance to tell anyone...' It's a photo album, yo.
Really? What kinda pictures you got in there?
Some family...mostly my sister, he said quietly.
You've got a sister??
Uh huh, Todd muttered eyes locked onto a tattered half of a picture. Fred walked around the back of the couch and looked at it. The picture had been ripped in half, leaving only a little brown haired girl smiling and skipping as she held her arm out. The tear separated the fact that Todd had been holding her hand and skipping along with his sister. That her?
Yep. My baby twin sister... Todd's eyes misted slightly, I miss er, Freddy. She was the only one in my family that really cared, well, besides our grandma. I remember a couple of guys beat me up when we were 10. Mama didn't even notice that my nose was broke, so my sister took me upstairs, fixed me up, and took care of me until I got better...
What happened to her?
She ran away. The day we turned eleven...
On your birthday?
Todd nodded slightly as Fred clapped a hand onto his shoulder, a gesture of sympathy rarely shared amongst the Brotherhood. He looked out the window, thinking of his little buddy as the winds picked up and the rain started coming down heavier than before. As they were both locked in thought a dull knocking could be heard at the door. Todd stood up, torn picture still in hand, and walked to the door. When he opened it, Todd saw a young girl standing on the front step. His heart skipped a beat when he took in her appearance. Her plaid zippered pants were soaked as well as her green jacket. The girl's long light brown hair was plastered to her head and added to the look of despair that accompanied her chalky complexion and and half-lidded gold eyes. Todd couldn't help but feel drawn to her. Maybe this is her...maybe she's come home at last!' he thought. But he immediately shook the thought away, not wanting to get his hopes up.
You Todd Tolensky? she asked bluntly, setting her bag down.
He looked at her eyes and saw a faint glimmer there, something akin to the spark of hope. Who wants to know? We don't hand out information for free here, sweetheart, he said snidely. The girl's eyes opened a little wider before she knelt down and removed something from her bag. She looked back at him, eyes piercing his heart. Five years ago in Harlem, a little boy woke up on his birthday and found an envelope. Inside was a note from his sister and a picture of erself that had half missin'. The girl told him that she left so that he could have a chance at a better life. She promised to come back and told the little boy that she had left her half of that picture with him so that, when she returned, he'd know who she was... Her eyes filled with tears as she held out a small torn photograph of a little boy to Todd.
He looked at it and gasped. It held his image, skipping along, holding hands with someone that had been ripped away from the other half. Todd looked in the girl's eyes as she whispered, I told you I'd come back T.T.
he cried, wrapping his arms around his sister tightly.
