The connection between father and son is one like no other, just like the connection between mother and daughter. It is a tricky situation when that connection is stronger with one son. Leaving the brother feeling like he is not quite enough. In our story today, inspired by the readers of AmoMama, sibling rivalry is bound to start brewing. Sure, some competition can be healthy but it is quite toxic when competing for the love of parents. Dan and Jake are brothers who never really saw eye-to-eye. They grew up in a small town in Georgia called Madison with their father, Simon. The only thing is that they grew up at different times because Dan was 20 years younger than Jake.
Their mom had fallen pregnant by surprise when Jake was already in college. Despite the doctor’s warnings over their concerns for her health and the baby’s, she was adamant to see the pregnancy through. She spoke about how she could feel the little soul within her. So, she would rather die trying to bring the baby into the world than abort it. Unfortunately, there were complications during the surgery and she did not make it. But, they managed to save the baby. Simon was heartbroken over the loss of his wife. But, he could not help but fall deeply in love with his baby boy. Jake forever associated his mother’s d=eath with his new little brother!
He could not help but nurture hatred for him. His father never had time for him anymore, so he would spend lengths of time away from home, hanging out with his fancy college friends. Dan grew up to be extremely similar to his dad, they shared many interests and one of them was taking long road trips and exploring new places. Their dad stumbled across an old trailer one day at a garage sale. It was pimped out to function as a caravan would, and he simply could not resist it. From then on out, they spent almost every holiday together in their rustic little trailer. Jake never understood the love of being cramped n a car for hours, so he turned p his nose to the offers so it was just Dan and Simon, father and son.
When Dan was young, his father would often hide little gifts and treats under his pillow while he was at school. So, when he got home it would be a surprise. These gifts would show up on special occasions, and they always cheered Dan up. There would usually be a note attached to the gift that told Dan how much his dad loves him. This was another thing that irked Jake unbelievably. He was too old for these little presents under his pillow, but he could not help but feel left out of the tradition that only became a thing after Dan was born. He even went and took one or two of the gifts from under Dan’s pillow without him noticing, although he would never admit it.
Dan got married to his high school sweetheart, and they shared a deeply passionate relationship. Their passion crossed over to their perception of life, but unfortunately, they were not without their struggles. They were not exactly financially abundant, and with a huge mortgage to pay off, they were regularly strapped for cash. An unfortunate situation happened, where the restaurant that his wife worked at shut down, and Dan’s salary was not enough to get them by and pay all the bills. They faced losing the house they had bought to live in with their two children, and the thought was terrifying for Dan.
Dan’s father, Simon, was an intelligent businessman, and he owned an IT company that earned a great revenue each year. Dan had considered asking his dad for some help, but he was putting that off for as long as he could. He did not want to be a burden to his father, who was a busy man when they were not off on a road trip. Dan was often very overwhelmed, but they did manage to keep out of his father’s wallet. Jake was more business-oriented than Dan, which was the one thing he had that was similar to his father. After he had finished college, he took a job with his father’s company. He would brag about the lunch dates he had with their father, but Dan knew that Jake was just glad he had something in common with their dad.
Another reason that he didn’t want to interfere – his brother was already so indifferent toward him, he did not want to make that any worse than it already was. Dan was out running some errands with his wife in town when he received a phone call that bore some bad news. His father had been dealing with cancer and he had not told either of his boys. According to the doctor he got worse very suddenly and he passed away the night before. He had not wanted to worry his sons, which was why they ever knew. Dan was heartbroken, he had so many regrets for not calling his father often enough to check in.
All of the memories of their cross-country journeys in that old trailer of his were flooding his head, and tears welled up in his eyes. Dan dialed his brother’s number, wanting to reach out because they were all each other had right now. The rest of their family had passed away, and he felt that life was too short to squander on trivial quarrels. Jake sneered as he answered the phone. He asked Dan what he wanted, claiming that he wasn’t in the mood for a sob story. Dan was upset because they hadn’t spoken in years and this was how he was greeted. So when Dan asked how he was coping with their father’s death, Jake responded that he was great, then muttered something about Dan not caring.
Dan informed him that he loved him; after all, they were brothers. Jake asked Dan what he wanted again, this time a little more impatiently. Dan stated he didn’t want anything, and Jake hung up the phone without saying goodbye. Jake ended up getting the firm once their father’s will was resolved. Dan didn’t care about that, so he let his brother brag all he wanted. The lawyer informed Dan that his father had abandoned the ancient trailer in which they had been traveling. Jake felt this was humorous, claiming that he had gotten the better deal. Dan towed the trailer to their residence after picking it up. They had to keep it in their garden, much to his wife’s chagrin.
He walked inside to investigate the damage and found himself in a time warp. He was suddenly 15 again, waiting for his father to light a fire for a BBQ on one of their travels. Dan walked up to the bed and sat down, his nostalgia palpable. He felt something beneath the pillows as he leaned back against them. He reached under the pillow with his hand and found a small package with a message inside. Dan couldn’t believe it when his father told him that even in death, he remembered their small practice.
The note detailed how his father had treasured the memories of their vacations together and thought Dan could make something useful out of the trailer rather than waste it. There was also information on a bank account with enough money to pay off their mortgage. That took a lot of pressure off their shoulders. Dan and his wife decided to turn the trailer into a food truck, serving his father’s famed meals. He was well-known for his delectable clam chowder, which quickly became their best-selling meal.