Tears for a brother

He sat there on the brick wall, heaving a very heavy sigh. It was a sigh of emotion, of regret, of hope and shattered hope, of longingness and a bit of everything else. The cool night's breeze whiffed by, rustling the leaves of the trees he learnt to know so well, the perspirating grass all damp with dew as damp as his heart can be.

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"Give a man a fish, he eats today. Teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime"

"you sure about that? what if theres no river or sea to fish in?"

"find one then"

Izanagi gently patted his little's brother back. This little kid will grow up one day and be a man of himself. He is lost now, lost in the pool of identity, in search of someone or something to set his standards, to idolise and to cling on to that will spur him on for years to come. Its not easy to be an idol, to teach, to set an example and to lead. But he completely realises his task and marches on.

Dai waited for each chance to cling onto his big brother. He always thought that his big brother was the best in the world. He could do anything and everything. In particular, he always had been awed and fascinated by Izanagi's brilliance in football. It was his dream to play alongside his big brother.

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"My little brother needs a little shaping up. Unlike me, he will take a longer time to develop but I insist he joins us"

"well, bring your little brother along then. We'll see where he'll fit in."

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Dai's heart jumped with joy knowing that Izanagi will be introducing him to the club where he practices football. He never actually thought that Izanagi would eventually take him there since to him, he was in an absolutely different league than his big brother was. But Izanagi knew what was needed by Dai and wanted him to develop into a person at par to him, if not even better. Thats the only wish a big brother can have eventhough at times rivalry between brothers might get intense.

Dai got his kit ready for the biggest moment in his life; a recommendation by his star brother.

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"Brother! Let's go practice at the club!"

"I can't Dai, I've got a match coming up. But by all means, that doesn't mean you should take a day off! Push yourself harder Dai. You are your only limit."

"But brother, you said you'll always go with me!"

"I'm sorry Dai, I can't always be there for you. The best I can do is show you the way. It's the home stretch that you must run yourself now. My part is done. But you never know, we might be able to train together next time", said Izanagi as he ruffled his little brother's hair and smiled.

Dai sulked and felt hopeless. Again his brother was advancing and leaving him behind. He was always the one who needed to catch up and do better. He felt like a loser.

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Dai's mobile rang as Izanagi called from the stadium.

"What do you want?"

"Hey, are you still sulking? Cheer up little man! I'm done here and I scored. We lost though, 2-1. That means I'm going to have to work harder! The team is heading for the hotel to rest but I'm coming home straight so we can train together. How does that sound?"

Dai felt a surge of guilt but his face lit up like a pufferfish the very next moment.

"Do you mean it? OK! I'll get my kit ready and I'll see you there!".

There was no one happier in this world than this little boy who won the attention of his big brother.

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I can't make it. Love you little man.
the last few words from Izanagi's mobile.

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The brick wall overlooked Izanagi's grave. It had a fine tombstone, so big it hid almost the whole row of tombstones behind it. He was a man to remember, a loving brother, a responsible son, a super athlete and last but not least, a man true at heart.

Dai wiped the tear that trickled down his cheek. If only he had gone to practice without making Izanagi come back for him.. If only he'ld...

Face in hand, Dai bellowed out the longingness he had for his brother. At the top of his lungs, he screeched and cried for he will never again see his idol. Trees, grass, moon and star all bore witness to this episode of grief. The crave for a brother's attention filled the night air with tiny sprays of crystal clear tears. Tears for a brother.

At the back of his head, Izanagi's word echoed:

"teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime"