Home From School
Johnathan Bolt was writing a letter to his twin brother, Duncan when he heard some familiar crying. He put down his quill pen. He went and opened the door.
Jeremy was walking up the trail to the house. He was crying very loud with tears running down his face. Joshua was coming up the trail behind his brother carrying all the schoolbooks, papers, and the two lunch pails.
When Jeremy got a little closer to the house, he saw Dad standing in the doorway. Jeremy ran toward his father. Johnathan squatted. He scooped his heartbroken child up in his arms.
Dad carried Jeremy to the arm chair. He sat down holding the boy on his lap. Jeremy continued to sob uncontrollably. He put his arms around Dad's neck. Jeremy put his face against his father's shoulder.
"Shush, sweet boy, shush." Dad said softly. "What's got you so upset?"
"You know what, Dad." Josh said as he came in the door. He put down all of the school books, papers, and lunch pails.
"Oh, the other children are still laughing at your brother stuttering." Dad said. Jeremy tightened his hold on his father's neck.
"Yeah. I whipped the older boys' arses for it too." Josh said angrily
Josh stood in front of Dad's chair. He patted Jeremy on the back.
Jeremy was still crying but not quite as loud.
"What does the teacher say when the other children laugh at your brother, Joshua?" Dad asked.
"She gets angry and scolds , Dad, some of the boys are bigger than her and almost as old as her too. She tries, but they won't listen." Josh said.
"Dad, Jeremy is nice to everyone. Even the ones who laugh at him. They just won't treat him right. It makes me so angry." Josh looked sadly at his brother.
Jeremy had cried himself to sleep. Johnathan removed his boy's coat.
"Joshua, will you hang up your brother's coat, please?" Dad asked.
"Sure, Dad" Joshua answered. He took Jeremy's coat from Dad and hung it on one of the hooks.
Joshua sat down in the chair next to his father's arm chair. He looked at Jeremy sleeping in Dad's arms.
"Dad, why do some people like being mean? What do those kids at school get out of laughing at Jeremy and making him cry? You would think they would be ashamed to hurt him like that. There's nothing funny about stuttering. And Jeremy does it because he was so hurt when Mom died. Do they think it's funny that our mother died?" Joshua's voice quivered.
"Oh, Joshua!" Dad said. He motioned for his middle bairn to come sit by him in the arm chair.
Joshua sat next to his dad in the chair. Dad put his arm around Joshua.
"Son, no, they don't think it's funny that your mother died. They don't think that much about the situation. Some people think that anyone that behaves differently in some way is somehow not as good as they are. Which is not true. But, when people decide that someone is not the same as them, in their mind that makes that person less important and undeserving of kindness." Dad explained.
Joshua looked at his father with tears in his eyes. "Dad, that is awful! Jeremy is just as good as anyone else. Just because he has a problem talking doesn't mean that he is less than anybody or that he doesn't deserve kindness."
"You are right, Joshua." Dad patted him on the back. Then Dad gave Jeremy a little kiss on the top of his head.
They were silent for a while. Joshua had slid as far back as he could in the arm chair so he could be right next to his father. He laid his head against his dad. Jeremy continued to sleep curled against his father's chest.
Johnathan loved holding his two youngest bairns close to him. He knew that seeing the other children be cruel to Jeremy had upset Joshua greatly. It was rare for him to seek physical comfort from his father at his age.
Then, of course, there was the youngest bairn. Sadly, Jeremy was the target of school yard bullies nearly everyday. Talks with the teacher and talks with the school board had not changed the situation. But, how do you really change people? Johnathan supposed the best he could do was to help the three boys that The Lord had entrusted to him be kind, loving, human beings to everyone they met.
Johnathan realized that his youngest two were snoring softly. Johnathan leaned back his head and closed his eyes. Soon he was snoring too.
Later, Jason got home from work. "Dad, I need to talk to you. You won't believe the day I had." Jason said as he came in the door.
He turned and saw his family asleep in the armchair. Jason smiled. It looked as if all the Bolts had a tough day.
Johnathan opened his eyes. "Hello, son. Did I hear you saying you need to talk to me?"
"No, it's alright, Dad. It looks like you have had your hands full today." Jason replied.
"No, now, I'm still your father and if you need me, I'm here for you too. Help me put the boys on their bed. Then we can talk." Dad responded.
Jason picked up Josh. Dad carried Jeremy. They placed the boys on their bed and covered them with a light blanket.
Dad and Jason went back to the front room. Dad sat in his armchair. Jason sat in the chair next to the armchair.
Jason told his father the problems of his day. Workers quitting without notice. Workers not showing up for work. Customers wanting things finished in a very unreasonable amount of time. Customers canceling their orders when they are over seventy five percent completed. And on and on…
"And that was just today, Dad!" Jason exclaimed.
Dad offered some advice and listened some more.
"Well, thanks for the talk, Dad. I feel better. How about we fix supper? We are gonna have some hungry boys on our hands in a little while." Jason said.
"You're welcome, Jason. I enjoy our talks too. And you are right about supper. We will have two hungry little wolves wanting something to eat. Let's fix breakfast for supper. " Dad replied.
"That will hit the spot, Dad!" Jason agreed.
Soon the smell of bacon and coffee woke up Joshua and Jeremy. Both of them yawned as they came into the front room.
When the food was prepared and the table was set, Dad said the blessing thanking God for the food and for helping them through the day.
Jeremy wanted to sit on Jason's knee while they ate supper. Dad and Jason said it was okay.
There was lots of lively conversation and laughter during supper. Jeremy laughed and talked too. Dad was grateful for that.
After supper, Josh and Jeremy helped clean up without complaining or arguing.
When kitchen duty was completed, Jason offered to play a game with his brothers. Jeremy wanted to play Monsters. In this game, Jason and Josh would chase Jeremy around the house making loud growling and howling noises while threatening that they were going to get Jeremy and eat him up.
Jeremy would run laughing and squealing from the monsters in search of his magic wand.(it was a stick that Jeremy kept in the house) If Jeremy found his magic wand before the monsters caught him, he waved the magic wand at them and they turned into Jason and Josh. Jason and Josh then picked up Jeremy on their shoulders and proclaimed him the Prince of Bridal Veil Mountain.
On this night, Jeremy ran all through the house looking for his magic wand. He could not find it. The Monsters caught him and ate him up. Jeremy turned into a Monster too. The three monsters walked around howling and growling. They went to the King of Bridal Veil Mountain. (Dad)
The oldest of the three monsters told the King. "We have your son, your wee bairn. You must give us your mountain in exchange for him or he will be a monster forever."
The King of Bridal Veil Mountain stood up and proclaimed, "you shall not take my son or my mountain. You have already robbed me of my two oldest. You shall not have the wee one too. I have an antidote to use against you now."
With that, the King took out his magic wand and said, "I shall sprinkle you with love and kindness and you shall return my youngest boy to me."
The King sprinkled love and kindness all over the three monsters. At first they continued to growl and howl. But as more love and kindness touched them, they started to whimper like little puppies. And with still more love and kindness, they began to smile and laugh. The King was excited. Dare he hope…? He sprinkled more love and kindness on the three monsters and…yes, the King could see them… they were coming back…. Jason, Joshua, and Jeremy, the King's three handsome loving and kind sons.
The three brothers and their father smiled and laughed. Jeremy loved that game. They got to be monsters, but it ended with everyone smiling and happy.
"Boys, it's time to get ready for bed now." Dad told them.
"Okay, Dad." Jeremy said.
Jeremy and Josh got ready for bed. They went in their room. A few minutes later, Jason went in to say good night.
Dad smiled as he heard laughing, growling, and howling. Then giggling, good nights, and I love you's.
.
When Jason didn't come out of the bedroom, Dad knew that his sons had made room for three in the bed that was barely big enough for two.
Easy enough. Jason and Josh in the bed. Jeremy sprawled on top of Jason. Dad thought.
"Good night, Dad. We love you!" came three voices from the bedroom.
"Good night, my beautiful boys. I love you!" Dad called out.
Dad heard Jeremy laugh as his brothers tickled his ribs. The laughter subsided as the young Bolts went to sleep.
Dad placed a small log on the fire in the fireplace. He stared at the bright flames that appeared.
Yes, he thought, the best he could do was send his three kind loving sons into the world everyday. They would make it a better place.
The End