The Seven Virtues of Life | completed

Charity

June 2013

Maddox Vinay was a stereotypical rich kid, who was never going to suffer through anything in his life, at least that's what I saw. Axelle, of course, had a different perspective. She saw the stereotypical rich kid, who had never been exposed to the other side of life, all things that could be remedied. "T, come on," Axelle pleaded. "Let me do something."

I sighed. I had to let her do something, I always did. "Fine," I grumbled.

********

"Maddy!" his father called.

Groaning as he set his phone down, the 13-year-old boy stumbled out the door and to the railing. He peered down and answered, "Yes, Father?"

"Sahana and I are going on a business trip tomorrow, and we'll be staying for most of spring break, so you'll be staying with your Uncle Lowell," his father informed him.

"Why can't I stay with Isidore?" Maddox moaned.

Gareth Vinay narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Isidore is 21 years old, and he wants to hang out with his friends from college this week."

"I don't want to go," the boy whined.

"Pack your stuff." And it was final. His father walked away, and Maddox stomped back into his room to pack. Serves that brat right.

"Ha. You have to go with Uncle Lowell," Isidore Gifre, his older step-brother, snickered as he returned to his room. "You're going to have to go to the Red Cross with him."

"What's Red Cross?" Maddox asked, confused.

"It's this place where weird poor people work for no money to give even poorer, mentally ill people food and clothes because they can't take care of themselves, so you'll have a wonderful time," his stepbrother said.

Maddox made a face; he clearly didn't want to go help out the Red Cross. I knew it was because his father was the CEO and his stepmother the lead accountant of his grandfather's company, and his grandfather had started out as a farmer. As a naive 13-year-old boy, Maddox believed that everyone could do that, but they couldn't. He was going to see firsthand what people have to go through after a tornado, the Moore tornado precisely, the EF5 tornado had ripped through the city, destroying everything in its path, killing 24 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.

********

"Maddy!" his Uncle Lowell yelled, his arms engulfing the boy in a bear hug. As glad as he was to see his uncle, Maddox couldn't get past Isidore's warning about the Red Cross.

"What are we going to do this week, Uncle Lowell?" he asked nervously.

Lowell put his hand on his chin for a moment and thought about it. "Well, I offered to volunteer at the Red Cross just for the weekend, and I was planning to take Maddox with me, if it was alright with you?"

Maddox's father nodded. "I think it would be good for Maddy to go to the Red Cross; I just wish you could take my stepson, Isidore, as well. He needs it more than Maddy."

Lowell smiled, while Maddox's chin nearly dropped to the floor, obviously less than enthralled with the prospect. "Why are we going to Red Cross?" he asked.

"Because I volunteered, and people need our help, Maddy," Lowell replied. "I'll see you around, brother."

Maddox's father hugged his son once and then waved goodbye to them both. "I'll see you in a week, Maddy. Have a good time."

In my opinion, Maddox's face was as white as a ghost, and I knew what those looked like for sure, but some people could argue that it was yellow, like he was going to throw up. No matter which color it really was, Maddox's face displayed the portrait of dread. I agreed with his father; it would definitely be good for him. "It's getting late," his uncle said, ushering him inside and into the spare room. "You should get some rest; you'll need it if you're going to help me tomorrow. Goodnight."