...or most of a year later...
(This has been saved as a draft since 03/27/12 :p)
So life has been a vortex since my last post...but I do want to at least finish the story:
News spread quickly in the little rural town. Folks whispered and shook their heads..."how could his father let this happen? If he know what was good for the boy he would've shown him a thing or two! Maybe even sent him to the Reserves...that would teach him respect!"
When the rancher first came into town, the people expressed a mix of indignation and sympathic advice. But when they could find no comisserating outrage in the Father's eyes...only pity and hope for reconcilation with his wayward son, they soon started to whisper again. "No wonder the boy behaved as he did, his Father was too soft...didn't do right by him, over-indulging him! I'll bet the other son is spoiled too...you just wait and see."
The attitude of the town didn't go unnoticed by the eldest son. He was confused, angry, and embarrassed by his father's actions. Routine errands into town became ackward moments of silence and "knowing looks" from the town folk as the father made his rounds of inquiry after his lost son. Figuring it was up to him to salvage what reputation was left to the family name, the eldest determined to prove the rumors false. And with the college fund gone and times tight financially, the oldest son stayed home that year. Redoubling his efforts, he threw himself into ranching dawn to dusk...and then some.
Years passed with no change to either father nor son's routine...the father still made fruitless inquiry and son still poured himself into the ranch. Matter of fact, the eldest had managed to gain people's respect with his work. Where as they had little to say of the father, they came to honor the hard-working son as one who made something good of himself. This helped to ease some of the bitterness the son felt. He was doing well, and started to regain some modest monetary investments. His personal worth assessment was looking pretty good, all things considered.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Little brother came crawling back, and the eldest had a good idea from where too. As teens, their late-night poker games and taboo magazines had been more then just a pastime...but an addiction for both of them. Both dreamed of the time when they could get away from their conservative father's household and do as they pleased. But as time had passed, the eldest boy had become wise to the social expectations and knew the rewards of complying. Done right, little need be truely sacrificed for gain in both camps. But little brother lacked the forsight and patience it took to develope such skills. So he bailed first chance he got. Which caused minimal grieving on the eldest's part.
