Why I Can't Rule The World

No. 2

"The meeting of two
personalities is like
the contact of two
chemical substances:
if there is
any
reaction
both are
transformed."
--Carl Jung
<<<<<<<<<<

The sound of an awful hacking woke me up. At first, I just thought it was my dad snoring, but then it became irregular and loud. Groaning, I rolled over and looked at my clock. It was four-thirty, a whole two hours before I needed to get up.

I tried to bury my head under the pillows and ignore it. Someone probably swallowed wrong or whatever. They'll live. It just wouldn't stop. It sounded a little painful, as if someone was throwing up.

Sighing, I got out of bed and opened the door to the hall to see if anyone's light was on. Nothing. The coughing still went on and I realized it was small, high pitched even. With that, I went into Asher's room, the one across from mine, to see if it was him.

"Brofer," he whimpered as soon as I stepped in. His small hand reached for me and he grabbed at the air as he stood up in his crib. "Tin."

"What's wrong Squirt?" I asked softly, flipping on a lamp and walking over to him.

His cheeks were bright red as he coughed again, sticking his little tongue out a bit. I picked him up out of his bed and he hugged me around the neck.

"Do you have a cough, huh?" I asked, taking his blanket out of his bed and handing it to him. He clutched it tight in his hand and snuggled his face into it, coughing again.

"Throat hurts," he said as tears started to roll down his cheeks.

"Is Asher okay?"

I turned around to see Pearl, my sister, standing in the doorway. Her wavy brown hair fell over her shoulders, parts of it still wet from her shower only hours earlier. Almost instantly I was annoyed. Sometimes I could tolerate her, but since she was closer to my age and went to my school, I see enough of her that my patience runs out when she bothers me.

"Yeah, he's fine," I said shortly, hoping she would take the hint and go back to bed.

"Can I help?" she yawned, crossing her arms over her old softball t-shirt.

"No," I said, patting Asher on the back.

"I'm his sibling too," she stated, raising her eyebrows in irritation of not getting her way.

"Yeah, well, I'm his brother and I'm older. Plus you need to go to bed, you're younger."

"That's not fair," she mumbled.

"And why's that? I'm giving you a break, I'm taking care of him. Dad's wanting you to babysit him after soccer is over, you'll get enough of him."

"Girls are more mother-like," she pointed out.

"So? Just let me handle it, go back to your room," I told her.

"Fine. But don't come crying to me when you can't figure out how to give him his medicine," she finally spat, turning away and closing the door behind her. I rolled my eyes in her direction.

Asher sneezed, causing a huge glob of snot to come out of his nose. I made a face and tried not to gag for the sake of the little guy's feelings. He could get offended if I threw up because I thought his snot was gross, which it was. He didn't need to think I wasn't going to take care of him.

"That's a nice... Uh, nice product there, Squirt," I said, crinkling my nose. He giggled a little at my facial expression and poked my nose.

I took a tissue from his dresser and wiped his nose.