One For All

Chapter Twenty-Two: Benjamin

Chapter Twenty-Two: Benjamin

            “There once was a prince,” Nana whispered to Ben as he lay in bed.

            “No, superhero!” he exclaimed. He liked superheroes. Spiderman was his favorite. He looked down at his hands and wished he could shoot webs.

            “There once was a superhero. His name was Ben.”

            “No! No-ah!” he said as he thought of his brother. He frowned when he remembered his brother leaving.

            “You miss Noah don’t you?” Nana whispered and Ben looked up at her. He nodded slowly.

            “I want see him,” he whispered and she smiled.

            “Sweetie you can still see him on TV. You know we see him every Saturday,” she said and kissed Ben’s forehead. He closed his eyes. He liked watching TV and seeing his brother sing.

            “Not enough. I want see him here,” he answered and Nana smiled.

            “He’ll come back soon enough. He’s trying to win, for you,” she said and he smiled back.

            “No-ah miss me?” he asked and felt scared that his brother would forget him.

            “Of course he does!” she exclaimed and rubbed his shoulders. She smiled again. “Actually, I think it’s time for his show again. It should be done recording right about now!” she said and grabbed the remote control. Ben grinned. He loved watching his brother on TV with Nana by his side. He didn’t know who all the people were and Nana would explain it to him. She’d tell him who everyone else was and Ben liked watching Noah have friends. Noah never brought friends home and Ben was scared that Noah was alone at school. But when he saw Noah laugh with his friends Ben wanted to laugh too because his brother was happy.

            “Nana, you sit with me?” he asked his Nana and patted the bed. She smiled and got up from her chair as she got into bed with him. Finally feeling relaxed Ben settled to watch the TV. He saw people crying. “Why they cry?” he asked.

            “It’s Vulnerability Week,” Nana explained softly.

            “What v-v-vulmerbill?” he asked and crinkled his nose. He hated not knowing how to get the words out of his mouth. He knew his Nana had said vulnerability but when it came time to say it, he couldn’t.

            “It’s something that makes a person…not strong,” his Nana explained.

            “I vulmerbill?” he asked and pointed at himself. He knew he had to be. He wasn’t strong. He could barely walk without any help. His Nana’s face looked like she was ready to cry.

            “No,” she whispered softly. “You are the opposite of vulnerable.”

            “I thought I was a singer…but I’m not. So I quit,” the pretty girl from the TV said as she cried. Benjamin gasped. He liked pretty girl. She talked and laughed with Noah.

            “Why she quit!” he yelled and Nana shushed him.

            “I don’t know honey, she just did,” she replied. He nodded and turned to watch the screen as he noticed a guy with blue eyes and black hair running away.

            “He like pretty girl,” Benjamin guessed. He knew the guy was one of Noah’s friends. He noticed Noah and the rest of his friends getting up and running after him too. “Where No-ah going!” he yelled and Nana shushed him again.