Looking back, I used to be frightened and get upset when things didn't turn out the way they're suppose to. Later on though, I found out that the greatest challenge is not the situation itself but how you bear and react to it. It was a long awaited Friday afternoon. I trudged inside the house with my bag hunched over my back. I was ever so glad, until a few minutes after when my parents came into the room. They wore huge smiles. It was obvious what they wanted, but it wasn't fair. After a dreadful week at school and I'm left with this? My little brother Benjamin, was a menace. No one smart would be willing to spend a whole day, let alone one minute with him.
With soft leather cushioning my back, I flipped through the channels on the TV. In the distance, I heard my parents bid goodbye and eventually, the slam of the thick wood door. Tap, tap, tap. I whipped my head around, and starred deep into his beady wide eyes. I knew right then, that this was going to be a long night.
After just one hour, the cookie jar emptied out like it was sucked by a vacuum, colorful dots were sprawled out and purple blobs stained the carpets. I stood there in awe as I gazed upon the wreckage. How could such a little boy tear up a house like a devil? My fists were clenched as I stomped over to his lair where he was happily amused with his good friends Mario and Luigi. After I unleashed my frustration, his stare looked upon me without a blink until his eyes shut. Tears started to trickle down his face, I ran over and held him in my arms, my heart sunk like an anchor. After a round of "you are my sunshine" the drops stopped dripping.
Through the contagious howls, clicking of the buttons and the revving of the engine coming from the game a dreaded sound turned it all silent. Was someone outside? I was the only one who heard it first, Ben was lapping me, but my mind was occupied somewhere else. All of a sudden the doorbell rang and he jumped in excitement. I quickly tugged him back down and whispered to him "No, it's not Mom and Dad". There, I sat trembling. They weren't suppose to be home until eleven thirty, it was only nine, and why would they ring the doorbell? I turned the TV louder in paranoia to oust the sounds from the outdoors.
That plan was quickly defeated, when I overheard a loud bang coming from the back door. Terrified, I instructed Ben to go upstairs and stay there. As i walked over to the door, i listened carefully for the pitter patter skedaddling up the steps to ensure he was doing what I told him to do. It opened with a creak. A gust of wind blew right through me and chilled me to the bone. "Hello?". No response. "Who's there?". More silence.
My toes froze the moment they grazed the patio. As I creeped around the perimetres of the Russell terrain I couldn't help but to regret not grabbing a jacket. At every corner that bent and darkened, my heart thumped loudly like a fast paced pendulum swinging through my chest. I saw nothing, but the ordinary.
Relieved that whatever was making the sound outside has disappeared, I turned the knob to go back inside. At this moment I realised, I didn't lock the door. Taking strides as long as a giraffe's neck I scurried up the stairs and bursted into the room. "Ben?!". There he sat innocently and frightened, and I rushed over to give him a hug. His heart and love warmed up mine, which was just what i needed. For the rest of the night we played calmly.
My parents told me when they came home, that they found us encircled in each other's arms with peacefulness emerging from our faces. After that night, I came to conclusion that it's not Ben's fault or any others' and not even the events that happened, that affects greatly. It's how one deals with the situation and their decisions on what emotions to release. When I acted irrationally about babysitting Ben, it showed through later events; there was more frustration and tension. This is a challenge which sometimes I still have to overpower anger with optimism, or fright with confidence, within myself to bring out the light of day. Due to following my philosophy, I've created a priceless bond with Ben which is something I am greatly apreciative of.
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