Brothers

At fifty years old, Alex Drag has been a businessman since he was twenty. Alex is always busy with meetings, rude clients, and papers that are usually due the next day. He is almost the exact opposite of Chad Drag. Chad is Alex’s older brother. He is fifty-one years old but he acts as if he is still ten. He won the five billion dollar lottery when he was thirty-two years old. He quit his job and bought a mansion. Alex and Chad always see each other when they can, which is only holidays since Alex’s job is so time consuming. When they do, Alex usually stays over for two or three days on the weekend. 

This winter break, after a major snow storm, Alex arrives at Chad’s mansion. Chad is waiting at the front door smiling a smile so big it looks like the corners of his mouth are touching his ears. 

“I have the most, best, awesomist, greatest, idea ever!” he says at speeds a squirrel’s brain would understand.

 “Slow down. First, awesomist isn’t even a word and second, that’s a terrible greeting for your younger brother,” Alex complains.

“Blah, blah, blah. Stop talking and just come with me,” Chad says in annoyance as both of them speed walk through the house. “Oh, also, how are you doing bro?” 

“Great, thanks for asking. My boss...”Alex says being cut off by his exhilarated brother.

“Now, LOOK AT THAT HILL!” Chad exclaims proudly as they reach the backdoor.

“WOW!” Alex exclaims as he takes in the blinding white surroundings.

“I know right? After that blizzard I got so excited!” Chad blurts out with so much passion and quickly turns to Alex.

“For what?” Alex questions.

“For that,” Chad says and points to two expensive looking pro toboggans sitting against the house with snow covering the bottoms.

“No,WAY!” Alex shouts.

“Yes, way. This is what we are going to do this weekend!”

“But, I don’t have any snow gear,” notes Alex. 

“Got it covered for you bro. I have many different sets to choose from. Remember, I’m rich,” Chad replies knowing his brother always has an excuse.

“Well I can’t remember how to sled properly.”

“Really?”Chad says totally unimpressed. “That is the worst excuse I have ever heard.”

“Welp, I tried,” as Alex acknowledges his fun-loving brother.

“Alright, let’s hit the slopes!”

The two brothers hurry inside to get ready for their epic sledding adventure. Chad hurries to his extravagant dressing room (one of many in his mansion) and chooses his 3-ply Helly Tech professional fabric powder suit - the rocket blue one, of course. Alex shuffles around trying to read the map to his designated room.  After 15 minutes, Alex finds his room and attempts to unpack quickly before Chad yells at him to hurry up. Alex, like a shot, runs out of his room forgetting the map.  For the next 20 minutes they play Marco Polo in an attempt to find each other. As Chad rounds the gym corner so does Alex. BANG!!! There is a big collision with lots of “Oops,” and “Sorry” coming from both brothers.  Chad lends a hand to help his brother get up.

“Here’s your gear, hurry up, we’re losing the light bro!” Chad gently scolds and gives Alex his ugly orange, fuschia and brown snowsuit. “I’ve been saving this one for you.”

Alex looks at the snowsuit and comments sarcastically on how he is so touched, while Chad runs off to start hiking up the steep hill. Alex puts on the gear, goes outside, grabs a sled, and starts to slowly walk up the hill as Chad reaches the summit.

“What took you soooo long you slowpoke? It’s only a ginormous hill. Any fifty year old could climb it,” Chad taunts.

“Ha ha very funny,” Alex sneers. 

Alex looks down the hill to see a ramp that Chad had made before Alex came.

“Oh boy, I don’t know about this,” Alex hesitates.

“Hey bro, it’s okay, I can go first” Chad appeases Alex’s caution.

Throwing his sled down on the fluffy snow, Chad gets on with some difficulty because the sled keeps slipping away. Then he inches forward slowly catching speed. 

WHOOSH down the hill he goes! 

FWIP over the ramp into the brisk air. 

PLUNK! Chad lands perfectly into the fresh powder with exhilaration.

 “THAT WAS AMAZING,” Chad yells happily up the hill at Alex. “Your turn.”

“I don’t know about this, what if I fall and hurt myself? I have a very important meeting in a week that I can’t miss” Alex shouts nervously as he crouches down on the ground.

“Just do it. Come on. The worst that could happen would be a broken bone. That isn’t bad is it?” Chad asks.

“Oh yeah, that doesn’t sound bad at all,” Alex shouts back rolling his eyes.  He was always the cautious one he thought and maybe he should live a little. Dusting the snow off his ugly suit, his fifty year old body struggles to get up. “Okay, throw caution to the wind, here I go anyway.”

Alex forcefully puts his sled on the ground and flops down with a lot of difficulty. Then with all his might he inches forward slowly. Little by little, the sled picks up momentum. WHOOSH down the hill he goes!

FWIP, over the ramp into the brisk air.

CR---ACK! 

“OW,” Alex painfully moans. He shouts again and again. “OW, OW, OW, OW!”

“Are you okay?” Chad gasps and panics as he runs over to his brother’s side.

“OW, heh, heh,” chuckles Alex. “Got you! FINALLY, I GOT YOU!  Before I went down, I grabbed a brittle stick that broke when I landed.”

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT?” shouts Chad with irritated impressiveness. “That! That! That was awesome! Mean, but awesome.” The brothers collapse in the snow laughing like they are ten again.

After that trick, the two look at each other and immediately run up the hill thirsting for competition. With an icicle length between them, Alex is first and Chad is second. As usual, Chad complains that it isn’t fair because Alex is a year younger than him. They continue to sled one after the other the whole afternoon until dusk. Sometimes they race, going together at the same time. Chad wins then Alex and then Alex again.

WHOOSH down the hill they go! 

FWIP over the ramp into the brisk air. 

PLUNK! They land and glide so far they almost hit the back door.

The brothers clamber to stand up and decide to call it a day. They shuffle inside the warm house and take off their gear. Chad runs ahead to the kitchen. 

“Guess what comes next?” Chad asks with so much excitement that he stumbles over himself. “Guess!”

“I don’t know what comes next. All I know is that you have a comfy couch right there and I am tired,” says Alex slunking to the couch.

“Okay, it was just going to be some caramel hot chocolate, and some ooey, gooey, s'more cookies. That’s all,” says Chad as if his idea is pure gold.

“That sounds awesome! Can I have it over here?” asks Alex.

“Fine. I guess you can,” chuckles Chad. “Milk or water?”

“Milk obviously,” answers Alex.

“Good choice. I will go with that too,” agrees Chad.

Chad makes the hot chocolate adding ten marshmallows per cup, then licks his lips, plates the cookies and sits down beside Alex.  Slurping and snarfing up the treats, they watch Elf together.

“Man, I haven’t gone sledding in so long and my back KILLS!” complains Alex.

“Yep ditto,” says Chad. “But you’ve got to admit it. It was fun.”

“Yes, it was Chad, yes it was,” agrees Alex.

“So,” suggests Chad. “You want to do it again tomorrow?”

“Of course! I was hoping you’d ask,” eagerly replies Alex. “But tomorrow we can make the ramp bigger.”

“Sounds good,” Chad smiles as he takes a sip of his hot chocolate. “I can’t wait.”

THE END