Author's Note: This was an English class assignment for a story called "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Robert Hurst. I was supposed to write a diary entry of Doodle's brother.
I'm Doodle's brother, unfortunately. I've always wanted a brother, and I got one. But the role ends at the name. Doodle is my brother, yes, but he's not normal. Doodle has health problems. In the beginning of his life all he could do was lie on his bed and stare at the vacant ceiling. I was disgusted. How could this body be my brother?
As he got older, I started to see hope. Doodle was talking and moving more, but it was sitting down. His body was too fragile. He couldn't stand up and walk around like normal people would at his age. Doodle wasn't normal, he never would be, his health problems restricted his abilities. So I decided to take matters into my own hands.
Right now, as I write this, Doodle is walking around our house. I taught him how to do that, although I had to teach him how to stand up first. It took an eternity to get him to learn. But that day I showed my parents all my hard work, all that I've done, they were exuberant. Though all the tears and smiles, the never saw the real reason I did it.
I wanted to teach Doodle to walk so he would be a bit more normal. I was embarrassed to drag him around in that cart. All the stares from others, I couldn't take the humiliation. But when my parents saw Doodle standing up, I was filled with pride; I was filled with a feeling that Doodle had a chance at becoming my brother.
After that, I had a plan. I'd teach Doodle to run, swim, and row a boat. Walking was decently easy. Running got harder because Doodle got tired quickly. He wanted to give up, he's lost hope, but I wouldn't allow it. I told him that he could be like all the other school boys if he tried hard. It was like saying those few words gave him the energy to do anything and everything. If I suggested we go out to Horsehead Landing for a swim he'd never refuse.
I always had to be with Doodle though. If I wasn't there he was depressed and invalid. Like I was the other piece to his body, I was the key to his lock. If I wasn't there to open him up, he never would.
Maybe that's where I went wrong. We were finishing our trip at Horsehead Landing early due to a thunderstorm. Doodle didn't do well at rowing that day and I was disappointed. I wanted to let him know somehow, so I began to run. It was Doodle's instinct to run along with me. He ran along beside me, so I picked up speed and ran past him. I wanted to push him. I heard him from behind, "Don't leave me brother! Don't leave!" Now that I look back, I shouldn't have left him.
After a while of running I stopped and waited for Doodle to catch up. I waited for what seemed a long time. I decided to go back and find him. That's when I discovered the worst.
I saw Doodle. Covered in blood under a bush, lying down. I shook him, but he wouldn't move. It finally hit me that my brother was gone. My brother that I loved so much. My brother that I finally accepted as my brother. Doodle was gone. I only wanted to push him, but I pushed him too far.
