BIG BROTHER
>
> By Hope
>
>
> "Let me at him, Hoss!" Little Joe cried while trying to
twist and
> pull out of his burly middle brother's strong grasp.
>
> "Simmer down, Joe!" Hoss responded crossly and held firm to
his
> youngest brother.
>
> "No!"
>
> Adam stood nearby but just out of Little Joe's range. "Let him
go,
> Hoss. I'll take him on."
>
> Joe snarled, "Oh, yeah?!"
>
> To which Adam retorted calmly, "Oh, good comeback, little
brother."
>
> Joe squirmed more, desperately trying to struggle out of Hoss's
vice-
> like grip and to get at his eldest brother.
>
> Normally easygoing, Hoss himself was perturbed and determined
to
> keep Little Joe subdued. "Ya got
no
call ta go after Adam. It's
> yer mess!"
>
> Joe grunted from his struggles but managed, "And I'll clean it
up.
> But not when HE tells me to!"
>
> Hoss countered with, "Ya want Pa ta see it?"
>
> "No, but I'll do it when I'm good and ready!"
>
> "WHAT IN THUNDERATION IS GOING ON HERE?" Ben
bellowed as he was
> coming in the front door.
>
> His three sons turned his way, while Hoss maintained his grip
on
his
> youngest brother.
>
> Adam answered his father evenly, "Joe's just being
sat
> down in his blue chair near the fireplace.
>
> Ben shot Adam an irritated look then looked to Hoss and
> Joe. "Joseph?" Ben's glare was now directed to his youngest
son.
>
> "I'm sick and tired of Adam telling me what to do!" Little
Joe
> groused.
>
> Swiping his hat off and throwing it on the credenza by the
door,
Ben
> stomped over to his two youngest sons. "Let him go, Hoss."
>
> Hesitantly, Hoss released Joe and stepped back. Ben once more
cast
> a harsh glare Adam's way then turned back solemnly to Little
> Joe. "What's this all about?"
>
> Joe rubbed his sore arms where Hoss had held him and faced his
> father. "He keeps ordering me around,
> youngest!"
>
> Adam muttered, "And the laziest."
>
> Hoss snickered while, furious, Little Joe started over toward
Adam.
> Ben caught his arm before he got far but cautioned Adam,
"That'll
be
> enough of that, Adam."
>
> Adam just rolled his eyes skyward.
>
> Ben directed Little Joe, "Sit down," and prompted him over
to the
> settee. Still steaming mad, Joe did as his father insisted,
but the
> menacing look he flashed Adam did not go unnoticed. Ben
remained
> standing and hovered over his youngest son. "Joseph, simmer
down
> and tell me what started this."
>
> Little Joe leaned back, arms folded across his chest, and
absently
> put his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. Again
Adam and
> Hoss exchanged looks, waiting for their father's inevitable
response.
>
> "Get your boots off the table, boy!"
>
> Joe instantly removed the errant feet, plopping his boots hard
on
> the wooden floor. He sat up, muttering to himself. "Adam gets
away
> with it." Hoss and Adam grinned, and Joe caught sight of their
> reaction.
>
> "What was that you said?" Ben demanded.
>
> Little Joe looked down and, once more muttering,
answered, "Nuthin',
>
>
> Releasing a heavy sigh, Ben again ordered, "Tell me what
happened."
>
> Joe snatched an apple off the table, not to eat it but only to
toy
> with it as he considered his answer.
>
> Adam rested his head against his right palm and encouraged
> teasingly, "Go ahead, little brother. Tell Pa what
happened."
>
> Little Joe prepared to heave the apple in Adam's direction,
but Ben
> snatched it away just in time. "That'll be just enough out of
both
> of you!" He appealed to his middle son. "What's this all
about,
> Hoss?"
>
> Hoss, ever reluctant to get either of his brothers in trouble,
> stammered while directing his attention toward the floor, "Uh…ya
> see, Pa…uh…"
>
> Now the infamous "Pa glare" was directed toward Hoss. "Go on."
>
> Hoss shifted his eyes to Adam but Adam was no help. Hoss then
> glanced over at Little Joe and Joe subtly shook his head and
his
> eyes implored Hoss to keep quiet.
>
> "Shucks, Pa, I don't remember 'xactly."
>
> Ben set the apple down hard on the table and stalked over to
the
> other side of the room to clear his head. His boys flinched
> readying for the forthcoming tirade.
>
> Hands on hips, Ben opened his mouth to begin but his eyes
caught
> sight of something at that very moment. Little Joe was
expecting
> the discovery and a sick look came over him. Adam and Hoss had
also
> been anticipating this and braced themselves.
>
> "What in blazes?" Going further toward his
study, Ben saw objects
> scattered on the floor, some of them in pieces, and he went
closer
> to his desk to examine the mess. It was then he saw his leather
> chair on it's side and the fencing
sword
protruding out of it.
>
> Adam rose slowly from his chair. "Uh, Pa…"
>
> Joe jumped up at the moment to surge ahead of Adam in order to
> explain things, and Hoss headed over in that direction,
reluctantly.
>
> "Joseph! I've told you a hundred times not to
play with that epee
> in the house!"
>
> Adam maneuvered himself in front of Little Joe. "It was my
fault,
>
>
> Ben yanked the sword out of the chair and held it up toward
> Adam. "This is your brother's sword, isn't it?" Ben asked
between
> clenched teeth.
>
> Adam spread his hands in appeasement. "Yeah, but I was
teaching
him
> a move I learned in college and there was an accident."
>
> Joe and Hoss realized that Adam had decided to cover for his
> youngest brother. Joe's look toward Adam softened immediately
and
> Hoss laid his hand momentarily on Adam's back, though not so
their
> father could see.
>
> But Ben wasn't so easily convinced. "I've told all of you over
and
> over I want no roughhousing in this house!"
>
> Adam assumed a contrite look and responded, "I know,
> should've known better."
>
> Little Joe cut in. "It was my fault,
>
> Ben studied Joe's face for sincerity then looked to his eldest
son.
> Hoss stayed wisely in the background and Ben suspected he had
no
> part in the debacle. Glaring at his youngest and eldest sons,
he
> ordered, "Clean this mess up!"
>
> All three sons chorused, "Yes, sir!" and immediately moved
to
comply.
>
> As the three boys set the damaged chair back in place and began
> cleaning up the broken objects around it, Ben added harshly,
"And
> someone owes me a new chair!"
>
> Bent over picking things up from the floor, Adam replied while
> facing Joe who was also down there cleaning up the mess,
"You'll
get
> one,
> Little Joe nodded with a slight and grateful grin.
>
> Ben watched the three boys work for a short time then,
forgetting
> his better judgment, decided to tempt fate. "Little Joe, isn't
> there something you wanted to get settled?"
>
> Straightening up and glancing back down at Adam who was
looking his
> way, Little Joe answered, "No. Nothing,
> misunderstanding." He smiled at his eldest brother then set a
> picture back on Ben's desk. Hoss now wore a duplicate smile
> directed toward both brothers. Adam got up from the floor and
> clapped Little Joe lightly on the arm.
>
> Ben watched them and, though not at all pleased that his study
was
a
> disaster area, he was relieved that his sons had settled their
> differences amongst themselves - this time.
>
> Eyeing the brandy decanter on the far side of the room, Ben
headed
> over in that direction.
>
> THE END.