It was a quarter to six and the house still in a silent state. The rest of the family had yet to come home and the more time that passed by without their presence. All the while the two siblings remained in their room for the past hour packing their begs for the trip to Africa. Jack's beg set upon his beg was stocked full of clothing suited for the tropical weather of the Congo. Jack pulled open his top dresser where he found several T-shirts folded over top four others in a row of five. He pulled out two atop one pile and moved back to his beg where he set them in the open square shaped hole which revealed the black inside.
"Hey, Jack!" Anna called from across the hall.
The young man turned to his open doorway to see Anna appearing with two shirts that hung from a coat hanger. One was a short sleeve with the colour of light blue was the other had longer sleeves with the colour pink.
"Which shirt do you think is better?" She asked curiously,
"The Blue or the pink?"
The question caused her older brother to sigh and shake his head. This wasn't a vacation to Mexico or the Caribbean; this was the Congo they were going to, the African jungle of all places. The clothes that she was showing him were not exactly fit for exploring the jungle.
"Anna, we are going to the Congo." Jack reminded.
"This isn't exactly a trip for any fashion. Just pick out whatever you have that will be fit for the weather there, Okay?"
"Okay, okay." Anna said as she went back into the hallway.
It was just then they heard the front door down below be unlocked. They both turned and gazed down the hall as they heard the door opened and footsteps followed along with it.
"Hello!" Their mother called out.
"Jack, Anna?"
The light browned haired young women turned to her brother.
"Oh, boy." She said, knowing what this meant.
Jack sighed and shook his head. It was the time that he really dreaded but knew well would come sooner or later. He set down the shirts he was holding in his hands and walked around the bed and out into the hallway passed Anna. He made his way down the stairs where he was met with his mom, Jamie and Riley coming home.
"Hey, guys." Jack said walking down the last few steps.
"Hey Jack!" Jamie said.
It was then Bill came in, holding three pizza boxes in his arms as he made his way to the kitchen.
"Hope you don't mind but we went out and got some dinner." Jill explained.
"No that's alright." Jack insisted.
"Is Anna here?" Jill asked curiously.
"Yeah, she's just upstairs."
As Jill, Jamie and Riley passed by into the kitchen, Jack looked back up the stairway where he saw Anna standing just a few steps below the top. She looked back at him with a very nervous look on her face. He could tell just like him that she was unease as much as him about telling their parents of the trip. But she knew they had to go through it.
Jack took one breath in before he walked into the kitchen. Bill flipped open one of the pizza boxes which contained a round pepperoni pizza. He took hold of one of crusted ends of a slice and pulled it up out of the box and set it on a plate. He turned to Jack who came around the corner of the Colbert.
"You want a slice, Jack?" asked Bill handing him the plate.
"Sure." Jack said as he took the plate from him.
His blue eyes narrowed as he tried to gather his words together to speak what dwelled in his mind. The expression upon his face had not gone unnoticed by his mother, who looked across to him.
"Jack are you okay?" Jill asked.
The young man gazed upward to his mother. It was now or never. It was never that was not the path he wanted to go down. Before he spoke he turned back for a quick second to see Anna standing behind him. She shook her head to him encouraging for him to tell them. He finally steered up enough courage before he finally spoke up.
"There's something that me and Anna need to tell you guys." Jack said.
Jill and Bill turned to each other for a moment before they looked back to Jack. Both of them were curious as to what they had to say.
"Okay, what is it, Jack." Bill said placing his hand on his side.
"Well..." Jack said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Me, Anna, Tadashi and Kristoff are going to be... out of town for a while."
Jacks words did not go unnoticed by Jamie and Riley who at the table together. They both turned back to their eldest brother, filled with excitement and an ambition to hear more.
"Oh well that's fine, Jack." said Jill.
"Where are you four off to?"
"You're going on a trip?" Jamie asked.
"Can we go, too?"
Jack turned to his younger brother.
"This isn't the type of trip for you, Jamie." Jack answered, feeling a dread for having to refuse his request.
"Not where we are going."
"Where are guys going?" Bill asked.
Jack gave another release of his breath before giving his answer.
"We're going to Africa."
Hearing Jack's answer to where they were going, the two parents figured stared curiously and very shocked. The most feeling that way between the two being on the part of Jill. She had never been so open to her kids traveling to the African continent, not since the last trip they took there.
"Africa?!" Bill said.
The two siblings nodded their heads yes. Their mother and step father gazed to each other as they pondered more of the details that they were told. None of it was very persuasive to them. Even hearing that they were going near family was not enough.
"What for?" Bill said.
"Well, it's kind of a science expedition." Jack explained.
"We're looking for this herb an old professor of the university was studying. We're actually goanna help someone from S.I.I try and finish it."
"It's a medicene." Anna insisted.
"Jack, we loved to help you but we couldn't afford that." Jill said.
"Don't worry about it, mom." Anna said, stepping into the conversation.
"Hans has our trip covered. You guys don't need to spend anything on us."
Money wasn't the major concern to Jill. She was concerned more for the lives of her eldest children for she knew how dangerous Africa was, that much included the Congo. The jungle was just full of predatory animals and there was so many ways to get lost. Who knew what would happen out there to them.
"I- I don't know." Jill said, confused as to how she should respond to this.
Just as he gazed upon her expression, Jack saw much grief and concern she appeared. He knew just what to expect from her part. Even after the trip they had long ago, she really didn't think of it as a place for them. Even at this older age they are. Her eldest son came forward to his mother.
"Mom." he said.
Jill gazed up to her son.
"I know that this sounds... very concerning." Jack said.
"And you have every right to think that way. But trust me; we wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't for a good reason."
"This herb is a medicine." Anna joined in.
"It can help people who are sick or hurt."
"I know it seems far fetch to believe but we are telling you the truth. This herb can save lives."
Jill lowered her head as she thought more of this. It did sound promising from what she was told, but it still wasn't enough to convince her.
"Mom, this my chance... no scratch that, our chance to give something back to the world, give our family the life we deserve."
His mother stared up at him with a mixture of sadness and pride. She admired all that Jack was trying to do and really appreciated it beyond anything else. His heart was always in the right place where it should always be. But there wasn't any need for him to do such a thing like this.
"Jack, I think it's great what you are doing." She said.
"But you don't need to prove anything or give the world anything."
Jack shook his head to her, knowing that she was of the wrong mindset. This wasn't at all about trying to prove himself to anyone. This was all about trying to bring to life someone's work that never got the chance to do it themselves. Something they had great faith in and what really could help others in their time of need.
"No, no, mom." Jack said.
"This isn't about proving anything. It's not about any of that. It's well..."
Jack turned and set his plate the Colbert. He first took a second to drawn in all of what he wanted to say. He remembered all his life she told him he was going to do big things and he would be a man unlike any other. If anything, his mother's words were more empowering to him than anything. While not for proof to anyone, it was a want to bring hope for people in need of it. His mother had always told him things like this and still he wished to be seen the way. She always told him to do the right thing and this was truly the right thing to do.
He turned back to face her before finally speaking up.
"Mom." He said.
"All my life you've always told me that I was something worth having, that I was someone who was going to do big things. That's why I am going through with this, because I am that man you've always wanted me to be."
As she listened Jill felt very much moved and her own heart fill with such pride. She could feel her tears of joy just seeing how much of an impact she had on her own children. How much she had encouraged them so much to this point in life.
"You'll see." Jack said.
"Me and Anna, we'll make you proud."
Their mother sobbed just as she lifted her head upward to gaze up at her eldest son.
"You already have." She said, before turning to Anna.
"Both of you."
The young man came up and took his mother in her arms, holding her close to him.
It was late that night; the approximate time was eleven thirty. From the view provided by the window, the entire neighbourhood was engulfed in complete darkness of night. Everyone in the house had all gone to bed. That was all except for Jack was sitting on the couch; his back was pressed up back against the rich leather seat. Holding in his hands were some of the research he took out from the folder.
Reading it now at this moment in time, he felt very much excited to know how these written notes and tests made by Professor Adgar would soon become an actual medicine. All his hard work and time spent on it wouldn't all be for nothing. He took a breath in just as he set down the papers back in the open folder on the coffee table. There gazed to his opened laptop, which at the moment was trying to Skype his uncle. But so far there was no answer.
Jack sighed as he reached out and prompt his laptop screen down upon the keyboard.
He began to feel his tiredness and need for sleep begin to take over. He leaned his head back and rested it against the leather behind him. However his time of silence was soon cut short as he heard a voice call his name.
"Jack."
Jack leaned his head back up and turned in the direction of the voice. There at the top of the stairway, stood Jamie, dressed in his pyjamas.
"Jamie." He said leaning up off the couch.
"What are you doing up? It's almost midnight."
Jamie walked down the steps and came into the living room.
"Are you and Anna really leaving?" Jamie asked.
"Jamie." Jack said.
"Why do you have to go?" The young boy asked.
"Jamie, slow down." Jack said, seeing his young brother asked too quick then her could keep up.
"I'm sorry." Jamie said narrowing his eyes.
"I just... I don't want you to leave."
Jack lowered his head and sighed. He could see just how concerned his brother was appearing at the moment. It was very much a fitting reaction on his part, Jack really couldn't blame him for it. This wasn't a any trip that resembled a vacation to any foreign place. This was an expedition into the Congo which was a very high risk of danger.
"Yeah I have to, Jamie." Jack said.
The answer caused the boy narrowed his head downward.
"Hey, hey." Jack said as he kneel down to the boy, placing his hand firmly on his shoulders.
"It's only going to be for a few days. But after that we're coming right back."
Jamie gazed back up at his brother.
"But what if you don't?" He asked.
"I will." Jack insisted.
"I will be back. I promise."
His promise was still not enough to convince his brother. Peering at Jamie in this expression he showed him, this wasn't any state he wished to see his brother. He wanted to find someway he could remove the stress that was set upon his brother. Jack turned back toward the kitchen, it was at that moment he remembered something he would do long ago when he and Anna couldn't sleep.
"Hey come on." Jack said as he looked back down to Jamie.
"Wanna make some hot chocolate?"
Hearing Jack's offer, the young boy smiled through his ever growing excitement, gasping in awe.
"Yeah!" he said.
"Alright, come on." Jack said as he beam walked around toward the kitchen.
Jack was stirring a small tea spoon in a mug full of hot water, mixing in the chocolate inside. He turned and walked around back into the living room where Jamie was sitting on the couch. The boy held between his hand a warm mug of his own, taking a sip of the chocolate liquid inside. For a moment Jack stopped and gazed for a moment at his younger brother. Ever since Jamie came, it was as if life gave him something back from the hard times he endured. While it was true, they were only of half blood, Jack still say him as a full brother and never could have he ever asked for any other.
As he saw Jamie lower his cup, he saw hot chocolate above his top lip. Jack smirked and chuckled as he came around and sat beside his younger brother.
"Hows that?" Jack asked.
His younger brother smiled and nodded his head.
"It's good." Jamie said.
His answer caused his older brother to chuckled and smile.
"Well of course." Jack said, knowing for a fact that was true.
"Nothing like a taste of home."
The young man gazed down to the inside of his hug, staring blankly down at the dark brown leg chocolate. This was something he hadn't done for so long since he had come to live here in San-Francisco.
"You know when I was your age, me and Anna used to do this with mom." Jack said, turning to Jamie
"One time me and Anna tried to make hot chocolate on our ended up dropping the powder on the floor. We tried to get it cleaned up but we ended up making an even bigger mess."
Jack smiled and shook his head.
"Yeah." He said.
"Made so much noise we woke up mom and -"
It was at that moment, Jack stooped as he thought back to his father. He hadn't thought of him in a long time, though so much the better in his case.
"Dad?" Jamie asked.
Jack nodded his head.
"Yeah." Jack said.
"Found the whole kitchen, including us covered it hot chocolate powder. We had to take another bath that night to clean up."
Jamie smiled and chuckled. Along with him Jack did as well. He began to lay his back up against the couch as he finally caught his breath. He then turned his head down toward Jamie, who was looking back up him, smiling. He in turn did so back.
"You know..." Jack said as he drew his head up.
"While I'm gone, I'm gonna need you to look after Mom and the others. Think you can do it?"
Jamie gazed up to his older brother. A proud grin appeared on his face.
"Yeah." Jamie said.
Jack smiled with such pride to Jamie's promise.
"That's my little brother." He said.
He wrapped his left arm around his brother, bringing him into an arm hold. The two smiled and laughed along with each other, enjoying what was their final moment together.
(One last chapter left till we are back in the jungle. I hope you enjoyed And as always please comment and review )
