“You are taking on a huge responsibility my boy”, said the judge in a grim voice.Not knowing what to make of the nearly 18 year old, dressed in a black jacket and tie, perhaps the same clothes he wore to his parents funeral a few weeks back.
“Yes sir, I know!” replied the young man with his head bowed. The old judge looked on sympathetically.
“Ok then! I grant you four months to present before this court how you can manage to bring up three young children and manage your
father’s estate.”The judge signed the papers and handed them to the boy’s legal team.
The boy finally looked relieved, bowing this thanks to the bench he replied “I’m so grateful Sir, I’ll try my best to be back in front of you in three months with the paperwork sorted.”
The judge nodded and left the bench.Looking somewhat jubilant and defeated the boy walked out of the courthouse with his lawyers.
The elderly lawyer turned to him and said “You see son you don’t have to do this, your siblings will be taken care of. Your father was a wealthy man, you are very young to take care of your brother and sisters.”
Looking up the boy gave a weak smile “I understand your predicament, but from the rubble of my parents accident the only thing I found is the love for my family. Now I intend to keep close what is left of it”.
The old man looked on with wizened eyes “I hope son, one day these kids will understand what a huge sacrifice you made for them.”
“Sir, please don’t for a minute think I’m doing them any favours.” Getting in the car the boy stopped and turned around “Actually I’m doing this for myself. You see these kids are all I have left and THEY will keep me from drowning.”
I can still clearly recall that day 20 years later, sitting across the dining table with my siblings and our families.
The boy, my older brother, that day got in the car and held us three scared kids close. Tears streaming down his cheeks he kept repeating “We will be fine!”
Since then he has held us close and we have all kept each other from drowning.