Chapter Four

Three years Later

Twelve year old Joe was working at their Grandparents restaurant with Kevin, they served and cleaned up after closing.

"Hey, Joe?" fourteen year old Kevin said as he turned to look at his brother from the table he was cleaning.

Joe didn't even look up, Kevin sighed when he saw that Joe's left side was towards him. Kevin walked around to the other side of the room and tried again.

"Joe?" Kevin said this time facing Joe's right ear.

"Hu?" Joe said turned to face his brother.

"Have you stocked the new seasoning yet?" Kevin asked him putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Oh no, I forgot," Joe said shaking his head.

"Well you might want to get it done, Grandpa will be in here any minute to take us home," Kevin said with a smile patting Joe on the back.

Joe nodded and walked towards the kitchen. It was always Joe's job to restock the seasoning when it got low, and half the time he forgot, if it weren't for Kevin reminding him every week the kitchen would be without seasoning the next day.

Joe grabbed the first bottle he saw, cinnamon, it was almost empty like most of the bottles were at this time of the week. He filled that bottle and then moved on to the next one. After about fifteen minutes Joe had all the bottles refilled except for one, it looked like it didn't need filling but he took it done anyway, he had never heard of it before it had an odd name, and it had an odd color.

"I wonder what this is?" Joe asked himself as he took off the lid and looked at it better, his eyes widened, it wasn't just any powder, it was pills smashed down to a thick powder, the only way he could tell was that there was one still slightly intact, "I have to show this to Kevin."

Joe walked back out to the main area but his Grandfather was already out there with Kevin so Joe decided to just come right out and ask him about it.

"Grandpa, what is this?" Joe asked holding up the bottle.

"That's some of our new spices Joe," their Grandpa said with a smile.

"Grandpa its not spices," Joe said still holding up the bottle.

"What are you talking about Joe?" Kevin asked, though Joe didn't hear him, Kevin was standing at his left side.

"Joseph-what is it then?" their Grandfather asked looking a bit upset about what his grandson was saying.

"Its crushed up pills Grandpa, I don't know what kind and I don't know how they got there, but its pills Grandpa, you have to believe me," Joe yelled he knew what his Grandpa did when got mad, and he didn't want to make him mad but he couldn't let him use this bottle.

"JOESPH JONAS! You know that's not true," his Grandpa said suddenly slapping Joe across the left side of his face, "I never want to hear you lying again!"

The slap had caused Joe's left ear to start bleeding and the boy's hand shot to his ear as the pain became known. The moment Kevin saw the blood he was by Joe's side in a matter of seconds, "Grandpa, don't hit him!"

Joe leaned into Kevin thankful that he was there, he held out the bottle again with shaky hands, "Grandpa, I know you didn't know about it, and I know you wouldn't mean to hurt anyone, but you have to believe me, it pills Grandpa, its pills!"

Their Grandfather grabbed the bottle from Joe's hand just as Joe collapsed into Kevin's arms he was shaking to much to hold his weight. Their Grandfather opened the bottle and poured some of the powder into his hand, he smelled it, and then tasted it. His eyes widened, Joe was right, it was crushed up pills, if they had used that on a dish of food who ever had eaten it could have died.

He looked back at the brothers, Kevin was cradling Joe in his arms who was crying because of the pain in his ear. Their Grandpa walked towards them, Kevin's grip on Joe's shoulder tightened and he said, "Please Grandpa-don't hit Joe's bad ear again!"

Their Grandfather looked at Kevin and shook his head and then he reached out and gently pulled Joe into a hug, "I'm so sorry Joe, I'm so sorry."

Joe sniffed still holding his ear with one hand and hugging back with the other, "I know you didn't mean it Grandpa, I know."

Joe pulled his left hand away from his ear and reached it out towards Kevin, Kevin gave into a small smile and joined the hug.

"Only you could do something like this Joe," Kevin said, though he knew Joe wouldn't hear him, he was on his left side.