"I promise you, mother, that I will take care of my brothers, I will be responsible for them now, they will not lack"
Sam was a teenager of about 14 years old who lived in a very poor family in the village of Alphaville.
It was the year 1942 and Sam lived in a very dilapidated house on the side of a hill, he had two more brothers a 6 year old named Steve and another 7 year old named James.
The days in the village were very peaceful in the midst of that poverty, what he counted on was having something to eat and surviving.
Sam didn't have a father anymore, he only had his mother who took care of all of them, his father had passed away a few years ago he was a very alcoholic person and he always had a lot of conflicts at home and wherever he went there was always confusion until one day he was found dead, possibly from what the village doctor said about cirrhosis from drinking too much alcohol.
Sam's mother cleaned the houses of the richest people in the village trying to earn a little money to buy bread and more food for the house.
She loved her children, sometimes she came home at night because, in addition to cleaning, she still worked in a little shop for a few hours, because money wasn't enough for everything and with the children at home still very young, she was the only source of family.
Sam was very good friends with his brothers, he had the daily task of helping around the house to take care of some goats that they had to milk and feed them and he also had to take care of the brothers giving them food and helping them to dress, among other tasks. .
But Sam was already doing small jobs to help his mother earning a little money running errands for people who asked him to go get something here or there and bring them, it was little, but he always got a coin or two.
A year has passed and something terrible has happened once again in this family.
Sam's mother got sick and couldn't even get out of bed, she was still young, only 57 years old, but already very tired from working so much to bring food to her children.
The village doctor after much insistence from Sam went to see her at home and said to Sam "Boy Sam your mother is very sick, I can't tell you but she won't have much longer to live, I'm sorry".
Sam couldn't believe it and started crying in a shy cry to not let his two brothers understand anything about what was happening.
"Doctor what do I do, doctor what can I do?" asked Sam.
"Unfortunately just wait and stay with your mother until she can go on her way, I gave her an antibiotic so she feels less pain, the fever may go down a little, but this disease caused by this bacteria we don't have much time, sorry boy Sam." said the doctor.
The days passed slowly Sam took care of the mother who seemed to be getting worse and took care of the brothers and the house,
But the money wasn't enough to buy food, he just sold some milk from his goats, but it wasn't enough, so Sam had to go to work.
One of the services Sam remembered was how he had a small wooden box and brushes at home, he went to the village square and got a box of grease for 2 coins and started to shine the shoes of the gentlemen of the time, it was always possible win something.
So he had to go home to feed his brothers and take care of his mother and come back, but to run errands for people who were always generous and gave Sam a coin or two.
At the end of the day Sam was exhausted he was still so young and he had to do everything, everything was on top of him, now he could see what his mother had worked on when she came home late and exhausted but always with a smile since she bring some food with her.
Sam's mother one day called him to her room and in a very shaky and exhausted voice even out of breath said "Sam my boy, mother will leave, you know it will happen I know the doctor told you and I feel it is soon. you will be the man of the house you have to take care of and your brothers i trust you, i know you will be able to take care of yourself and them."
Finished these words Sam's mother was holding his hand and closes her eyes slowly, and her hand stopped squeezing Sam's hand.
He knows what he means, it's time for his mother to leave with his hand in hers and Sam in tears said: "Mother I love you, my brothers you will not lack, today I promise that I will follow your example".
Sam's mother passed away, it was difficult for him to tell his brothers that their mother had died, but he had to do it, now he was the man of the house and he had to make these difficult decisions.
When he told the weeping brothers, they all hugged and held hands and Sam said to them: "You will not lack for anything, together we will follow the example of the mother, from today I will take care of you in everything.
Nothing bad will happen to us, you know why I love you so much and our love is eternal."
And he still said: "Always together and united we will always be a family, united and will overcome all difficulties."
The mother's funeral was something very difficult, the three held hands next to the mother's coffin, who slowly descended into the grave and threw flowers at her in farewell, before the earth covered her coffin.
The next day Sam continued with his work, got up early at 6 am, went to tend the cattle, came home, took care of the brothers and went out to shine people's shoes in the square and run errands, often he didn't finish work until at ten o'clock at night when many had already had dinner Sam still had little or nothing to eat but his brothers would never go hungry nor would they lack anything as promised to their mother before she died.
The years passed Sam was already in his twenties and his brothers were already much more grown up helping me around the house to take care of things and even doing some errands, but they were too young to be able to work much.
Something happened in Sam's life and sometimes we're lucky too, but we have to do it and Sam fell in love with a 22 year old girl who was the daughter of the owner of the store where her mother worked before she died.
This girl called Juliet was very beautiful with long braided hair, fair skin and fine and above all very humble and kind she also liked Sam.
Juliet's mother did not approve of this relationship at first, as she wanted her daughter to marry a boy with more possessions and who could give her a level of life, but love was stronger and Sam and Juliet ended up getting married after dating. about three years.
At first Juliet moved in with Sam and her two brothers, but the house was too small for so many people, Sam had to buy a new house.
While walking through the village he found a house that he could pay little by little but it was also a house that only had enough for two people, it only had a bedroom and a small kitchen although it was a good price Sam couldn't abandon his brothers.
Sam searched and searched then found a house that everyone could fit in it already had two bedrooms and a kitchen for everyone but it was much more expensive and Sam didn't know how to pay his money it wasn't enough even though he already had a new job as a kid merchant at the village market.
He decided to meet the brothers and Juliet at home and tell them what he had found.
They did the math but it wasn't enough for that house, but Sam's brothers now grown up said "We want work, count on us, together we can pay for the house".
And so it was every day Sam and Juliet went to work at the village market and Sam's two brothers would leave early and run errands for people and shine their shoes too and often still take people's shopping bags home.
So they managed to buy that house and lived together.
Sam's brothers grew up and also had their relationships and after a few years they also dated and married, thus increasing their family, but they all stayed in that village to live.
Sam never abandoned his brothers as he promised his mother, and today they are united living their lives but together in an infinite love.
"Sam the night looking at the sky said.
Mom, I hope I kept my promise.
If today I am what I am, it was for everything you taught me.
nothing was lacking nor will be lacking to my brothers.
I love you mom until one day."
Despite it being very hard for a young boy to take all that responsibility at such a young age, he kept his promise to his mother, and she surely was a great example he followed.
Thank you for sharing that touching story with The Ink Well, we appreciate your engagement with fellow writers in the community by reading and commenting on their posts.
His mother raised them well. Keeping such promise to her wasn't that easy for young Sam.
Now their family will grow larger and larger, united and loving eachother.
You tell this story with feeling. I was deeply move when when the mother died. You describe the scene well, but you don't make it overly sentimental. I think that is what I find charming about your story. You don't tell us to feel sad. You describe a circumstance that makes us feel sad. There is saying, Show don't tell. You show a lot here.
Thanks for reading my story
@silentbot star 4
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@jayna I'm sorry, I changed it, I hope it's okay now. once again I apologize