They Need an Older Brother – A Blog Hop: Photo Prompt Story

Sorry folks, I know I’ve missed a few blog hop stories.  It’s been a bit crazy here trying to find time to write and on top of that I just couldn’t get anything to come together in my mind for a couple of the Photo Prompts  and for me, “It either flows or it goes”
So, anyway, here is my story for this weeks photo prompt, but first….

The PHOTO

And The FIVE WORDS

Fin

Vitamins

Trousers

Tothpick

Creeper

Little Jimmy sat on a large rock by the rivers edge, watching a creeper wave make it’s way across  the waters surface.  He knew he was in trouble, that he had screwed up badly when he had gone into  Old Lady  Gloria’s yard and cut a whole bunch of her roses to prove he had been there.  He knew as he did it that it was wrong, but he couldn’t very well be the laughing stock of the neighborhood could he?  A group of neighbor boys, the youngest barely a year older than himself, had goaded him into doing it, saying that he was a “sissy” and a “scaredy cat” if he didn’t.  The “leader” of the group was the oldest of all the boys, but he was only a few years older than Jimmy himself.   He always had a toothpick dangling from his mouth ’cause he thought it made him look like a tough guy.

Slowly, Jimmy turned his head to face his mother. His Gramma Mindy was always telling him that it was important to face up when one did something wrong and to take the consequences of their actions like a man.  He had expected a long lecture  about how what he had done was wrong and maybe even a spanking.  Instead his mother had silently led the way to their “special spot” down by the river.  It had been there special little place every since his dad had run off and left them for another women just a few years older.  They hadn’t heard a word from him since.  Sure Mom had brought his 2 younger twin brothers (Jason and Jeff) down to the river a number of times, but never to their “special spot”.  He had an older sister named Jenny also, but she was a lot older and was off at her last year of college.  Jenny was dating a guy named Brian and they were suppose to be getting married soon.

Jimmy’s mother stood facing him looking more sad than angry. “Jimmy,  You know mom hasn’t been feeling to well these past couple months don’t you?”  Jimmy fidgeted his fingers playing with a small hole in his trousers as he stared out at the fin of a small fish swimming around in the river. .  He had noticed that a lately mom hadn’t been up and about to greet him (or his two twin brothers) as they got off the school bus just down the road from his house.  In fact a lot of times when they got home Jimmy had been responsible for making a snack for his younger brothers and himself.  Usually he just made them all peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but sometimes he made peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

Jimmy’s mom sat down beside him on the rock.  “I haven’t told Jason and Jeff about this, only your sister Jenny knows because she’s going to be taking care of you when I’m gone…..”

“Gone??” Jimmy asked, “Like on a trip or something”

“No Sweetheart,” his mom replied,  ‘The reason I’ve been so tired lately is because I’ve been sick and there’s nothing the doctors can do to make me better.”

“Jenny has already agreed to take care of you guys, but Jason and Jeffrey are going to need an older brother to look out for them and help them remember to take their vitamins every day so they can grow bigger and stronger every day just like you are.

For a moment Jimmy stared silently out across the river, thinking about what his mother had just told him, then slowly he nodded his head.  “I promise I’ll try to do right,” he said, “And mom, I’m sorry about what I did to Ms. Gloria’s flowers.”

“I know you are sweetheart,” his mom replied, but I think it would be a good idea to go tell Ms. Gloria that).”

There’s still plenty of time if you’d like to submit a story for this weeks Blog Hop.  Just click on the link below

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