A Kept Promise

It was late July, and summer was almost over. I live with my grandparents on a small

island, just thirty minutes away from the main island where my parents and my older brother,

Tyson, lived. Every summer, I would visit my parents and my brother until it’s time to go back for school. He just recently graduated high school, so he’s taking care of my parents on the main island. It’s always hard for the two of us whenever summer is coming to an end. It was just three days shy from my first day of senior year, which means I had to leave for school tomorrow.

Aside from being my brother and the distance between our two islands, Tyson was my best

friend, role model, and my favorite person in the world. Although it’s hard for him and my

parents to see me go back, they knew they had to let me go.

It was only an hour now before my flight left for Manua, the small island where my

grandparents lived. My parents and my brother came to see me off at the airport. My parents

hugged me tightly, and I saw that my mom was already crying. We spent years doing the same

routine, yet it always felt like the first time. “Have a safe flight,” was all my mother said, as she wiped her tears away. Dad kept his cool, kissed me on the forehead and said “I love you, kiddo”.

Dad always pretended it didn’t hurt to see me go, and he always does a good job at it too. I look over at Tyson, who’s trying to cope with the fact that his sister will be gone for the next ten months, again. I tried to give him a quick hug and save him the tears, but I failed. Mine were pouring down hard. My brother wrapped his hands around me in a big hug and sobbed.

“Trish, I have to stay here to take care of Mom and Dad, but I’ll be there for your

graduation, sis. I promise. Make our parents proud! Make me proud! I love you, Little Sis,” is

what my brother whispered unto me. I just nodded in agreement.

Those were the last words he said before the lady at the check-in announced that our

flight will be leaving in ten minutes. I said my goodbyes, and headed in. I didn’t turn back

because I know that if I do, that plane will be leaving without me. Half an hour later, I was

already back home. My grandparents were so excited to have me back, but I wish I felt the same.

I love my grandparents, but I loved my family just as much, maybe an inch more.

“I see you’ve flooded the airport,” my grandma teased after seeing that I had been crying.

Before I had time to answer, my grandpa laughed and said, “I’m pretty sure it wasn’t as

bad as the time when you flooded the house when I got deployed all those years ago.” I laughed and saw my grandma rolled her eyes at her husband. Grandpa was always on my side, no matter what I did. Some might say I was quite spoiled, but not quite. I just have awesome grandparents.

Trissshhhhhhhh!! I woke up to the sound of my alarm. Yes, my grandma! It’s the first

day of school, and I’m a senior now. I jumped out of bed, ran to the shower, and put on my

school uniform. I looked at the mirror and said to myself, “You’re a senior now Trish! It’s gonna

be your last year in that uniform.” I remembered the promise my brother made at the airport and I got excited. I couldn’t wait to see him at my graduation. I’m all excited, but deep down I know that ten months feels like forever. I miss him already! I rushed out my room and headed for the door. School was just a three-minute walk from my house, so there was no need to rush.

The week went by so fast until I received a phone call that made the clock stopped

running.

“Hey Mom, what’s up?” All I could hear on the other end was my mother’s sobbing, and

I could feel her tears from the other end of the line. “Mom? Is everything alright?” I could feel

goosebumps all over my body as I listened to my mom crying on the phone. I knew something bad had happened, but I just didn’t know how bad; And by the sound of my mother’s voice, I knew it was pretty bad. Fear of the worst swept over me, and I realize that I, too, was crying. The next thing out of my mom’s mouth was like a sharp sword through my heart, “Trish, your brother got into a car accident. He’s badly…” and my body failed me as I hit the ground.

I opened my eyes to see my worried-to-death grandfather looking back at me. “What

happened?” I quietly uttered. My grandfather held my hand and said, “You fainted after hearing the news about your brother.” He pulled me in for a hug as I sobbed like a little baby. Every part of my body aches as I pictured my brother lying in that hospital bed, fighting for his life.

“Your mom said the driver that hit your brother was intoxicated and has been taken in for

interrogation. He’s severely injured and the doctor said that his condition is critical.” My face heated up with anger at the thought that the driver who hit my brother left the accident without a scratch. All I could feel at that moment was rage. A train of evil thoughts filled my mind as I try to take in the situation. I went in my room, crying even harder than before, and isolated myself from my family. I shifted my gaze to heaven and opened my angry heart out to God.

“Why? Of everyone this could’ve happened to, why Tyson? He had just graduated high school and got a long life ahead of him. Why did you let this happen? My brother was a great person, he cared for everyone in this family. How could you put someone like him in a condition like this?” I paused for a second and demanded “Take me! Take me in his place! There is nothing for me here. You can take me, as long as my brother lives.” My words echoed in my room and I just sat on my bed feeling hopeless. I calmed myself down and called my mom. Tyson was her favorite child, I know my brother’s condition was ten times harder for her than it was for me. “How are you holding up, Mom?”

“I’m alright,” was her simple respond, but I knew she was not. For the next ten minutes,

we sat in silence. I was thinking about the best memories I had with my brother: all the times

when he would take the blame for my mistakes, when we went on a family camping trip, when

he saved me when I almost drowned, and the times when he protected me from random guys on the street. My trip down memory lane ended at the airport just a couple of days ago, when my brother made the promise to attend my graduation. He was a man of his words, but with his current condition, I wasn’t sure if that promise will ever be kept. “Mom, please put the phone to my brother’s ear, I have to talk to him for a while.”

I can hear my mother’s dragging footsteps, and then I heard her said, “Tyson, your sister

wants to talk.” That was clue that she had the phone closer to him because I could hear myself on speaker.

“Why are you being like this, Bro? You know I can’t do this without you. You promised

that you would be here for my graduation, and yet you’re lying there fighting for your life. You

must keep your promise, Tyson! I know this is not your fault, but if you can hear me, please

wake up! I need you to be strong and wake up. You got this. You always do. How can you make

me feel this way? You’re the only brother I have. If you’re gonna be like this, who will protect me on the street? Who will cheer for me when I graduate? Who will take care of Mom and Dad? Please Tyson, wake up! I haven’t made you proud yet.” It was hard to conceal the pain in my voice.

It was even worse because school had already started, and I had to be in Manua for

school. School has always been a big deal to the two of us. He would pressure me in doing good

in school, and I know that even with his condition, he would be upset if I had left school to go to the main island for him. So, at this point, all I could do was cry, praying that he would wake up.

That night, I knelt by my bed and offered a sincere prayer to God, asking forgiveness for

my selfishness. I felt a powerful sense of peace embracing me from every corner of my being,

and I knew that He was listening. Days turned in to weeks into months, and his condition had

still not changed. Those endless days had been filled with nothing but meaningful prayer, piles of homework, and endless one-sided conversations with my brother on the phone. Time flew by so fast and graduation was just around the corner. All I could think of were my brother’s last words to me at the airport.

My dad had flown over for my graduation the day before, and I ran and threw my arms

around him and cried. “Your brother loves you, but things just didn’t go according to plan,” my

father said, but I could not find the strength to say a word. My mom had to stay behind and take care of my brother. Graduation day arrived, and I didn’t feel like going at all. My dad comforted me and as if he was reading my mind, he handed me the phone, and said, “Go ahead and call your brother”. I hesitated for a while, and just sat there with the phone in my hands. My hands were shaking, and it took a minute to realize the phone was vibrating. My mom’s caller ID appeared on the screen, and I put myself together and answered, “Hello?”

“Trish,” said a weak male voice on the other end.

It took me a while to realize that it was the sound of my brother’s voice. “Tyson? Is that

you?”

“Yes, Little Sis…It’s me…” My brother was gathering the strength to put his words

together. “Congratulations Sis…you’ve made us all…proud” I could see the smile on his face, as

he said those words. “It’s your big day today, and I may not be there physically, but spiritually, I am there with you… Every step of the way, Little Sis… I love you!” And the line disconnected before I could say anything. I was gathering my thought process as my grandmother peeked in the room telling me that it was time to go, and that everyone was waiting. I was a straight A student, and everyone knew that I would be valedictorian. It meant the world to my family that I had received such a great honor, but for me, it was keeping my end of the bargain. Without my brother there, that achievement and honor meant nothing but a piece of paper and a scrap of gold.

As they call on me to receive the valedictorian award, I could hear my brother’s words

linger in my ear “You’ve made us all proud…I may not be there physically, but spiritually...” I

could feel a hand holding mine, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stood, yet I was not afraid. And I felt a voice whispered unto me “I am HERE with you, every step of the way!” My principal handed me my diploma and trophy, and I looked around to the crowd, and saw my brother’s face where my father stood. He waved and gave me two thumbs up, and again I felt tears rolling swiftly down my cheeks. I looked away and back at my father, but I could no longer see Tyson. It had been my dad all along. I thought I was going crazy for a while. I said to myself as I walked down the stage, “Get it together, Trish. He’s doing fine now”. I thought to myself, “If he wasn’t doing fine, he wouldn’t have called me this morning.”

The ceremony ended, and it took a while to get home because everyone wanted to take

pictures and bid farewell. I pulled out my phone to see a message from my Mom’s phone. I opened it and it reads: I told you I would be there. I love you. The message was sent a quarter after eleven o’clock this morning. It was the exact same time when I had walked up to receive my award as valedictorian. I immediately called my mother, and there she was again, crying. “I was just about to call you,” I could barely hear a thing she was saying, but as loud as a bell, I could hear the words, “Your brother passed away.” I fell to my knees, looked up to heaven and quietly said, “I love you, Brother”. My grandma saw me, and she knelt beside me and pulled me in her warm embrace. My father heard my mother’s voice calling my name from the phone that is now lying on the floor. The news of my brother’s passing silenced the entire house. And finally, my father broke the silence and said, “Trish, you should come take a look at this,” as he handed me the camera that he had used to take pictures of me earlier at the ceremony. I took the camera from him, and there I saw it; A clear picture of my brother Tyson, standing next to me smiling, as I held my trophy in the air.

“This whole time he was waiting for me to graduate, Dad. He wanted to walk me down

that aisle to receive my diploma and trophy. He wanted to see how proud you and Mom are of

me. He wanted to be there. He kept his promise, Dad. He held on for ten months because of me.

He bore the pain just to see me graduate, and now he’s gone. He knew that even with his

condition, I could live with the hopes of tomorrow. But now that I’ve graduated, he is free.”

My father just simply smiled. I know that all that Tyson ever wanted was to see me

happy. He knew that being at my graduation would mean the world to me, and although he was only there in spirit, what matters most was that he was there. He lived to fulfill the promise he made.

And I know that even after his passing, he promised to walk with me every step of the

way. Tyson taught me that even with death, there’s always a chance for a promise to be kept.