The Black Heritage

Chapter 2: His Two Brother

"Excuse me, two kind brothers. Who really are you? Where am I?" Before Logan and Brayden could answer him, Ethan's body flinched and uncontrollably shook. He screamed that more like a scream coming beneath the ground's surface. It was because of the localised sharp pain occurring in his head. 

The always calmed Logan panicked. He held Ethan's hand more tight and tearfully asked, "Little Brother, what is wrong? What is happening to you?"

Brayden also bawled, walking back and forth while clasping his hands. "Big Brother, what to do? What to do? Little Brother seems in so much pain. Oh, I am going to go and get the physician here."

"Alright. Hurry up!" Logan shouted. Brayden disappeared from the hut instantly. 

The pain Ethan's felt in his head didn't last. It was just a short relapsed of forcing to remember things. Afterwards, someone's memories sank into his brain. Specifically, it was the memory of Ethan in this world. He discovered that he wasn't on his own body but at someone else. It only proved that the two men with him were really the real Ethan's brothers. 

'How lucky the Ethan here is.' Ethan's mind said. He couldn't help not to feel envious of him. 

In his own world, he didn't have a family of his own. He was totally lonely and an orphan since he was young. So he struggled a lot before he reached what he had now but unfortunately, he seemed no chance to enjoy the fruit of his hard work anymore because he was driven here. He was driven in this new world which he knew no one. But as he thought of it through, he realised it wasn't bad at all because he gained two handsome and loving brothers who were looking after him.

Although he met a lot of people, he never found a spark of brotherhood or friendship to them. That was why he stayed alone. 

Seeing the love and warmth in their eyes, he couldn't help but become greedy with this newly gained family. 

He liked the feeling of having a family to call. At that very moment, he swore to cherish it. 

This kind of travel or reincarnation thing wasn't a surprise for him. He might have grown up in a modern society but he believed in paranormal things. Him having been given a chance to reincarnate in the body of his own parallel self, was already a rare proof. Everything has a reason and fated. 

Now, he knew everything. He decided to live with Ethan's identity here since it was what the situation needed but he would live as himself. He hated to pretend as someone else. 

Ethan was curious. Since they mistook him as their little brother, the two of them might have looked alike. So he revolved his sight to look for a mirror and indeed, near the bed, he found a brown mirror in which he could see his face. Though expected, he was still surprised seeing how alike their faces are. They didn't just have similar faces but also shared the same name.

How exciting and amazing.

He thought not to add worries to the two brothers so he chose to let them know that he already remembered everything. "Brother Logan,  is that you right?" He carefully rolled those words on his mouth not to make it sound like asking, but he failed. 

"You remember me now? Thanks goodness!" Logan whooped in joy. 

Brayden was right back with the doctor so he heard Ethan call Logan. He approached the bedside joyfully. "You remember us now Little Brother?"

Ethan hummed. 

Brayden clapped his hands. "This is great. Oh Uncle Simon is here." Brayden led Uncle Simon, the village physician and head at the same time, inside the hut with a wooden box kit for herbs medicines. "Uncle Simon, please re-check carefully if our brother is really fine."

Uncle Simon sat at the edge of the bed and checked Ethan's wrist pulse. After a minute, although there was confusion in his expression, he stood with a wide smile. "You two don't need to worry about him. He is now fine. His pulse already returned to normal. Although, it is hard to believe but he is healed."

Brayden held the physician, "Uncle Simon, are you sure?" 

"Yes." 

Brayden's eyes crinkled as he looked at Logan. "Big Brother, did you hear it. Little Brother is fine." He turned to the physician again and bowed to him. "Uncle Simon, thank you so much. Here, let me send you out."

"Oh thank you. Thank you."

"Little Brother, you must be hungry. Give me a few minutes. I will cook porridge for you." Logan stood up and went to the kitchen. 

From the bed, Ethan could watch Logan and he witnessed that Logan had difficulty in starting a fire in the sand stove. He even accidentally swallowed a lot of smoke so he kept coughing until he finally lit up the fire woods using a match. 

Ethan plastered a contented smile as he closed his eyes to take a short nap while waiting for the porridge to be done. 

*********

"Here, here, here. The porridge is coming." Brayden joyfully brought out the medium size bowl of steaming porridge to Ethan's bed.

"Pssssst! Lower your voice. Little Brother is sleeping." Logan rebuked the noisy brother. 

Brayden put down the bowl in a counter with a little bang. "Ouch, this is too hot."

"i***t. Why don't you use a rag to hold it instead of your palm?"

Brayden brought his hands to his ears, "That is right. Why did it not occur to me?"

"Because just like what Brother Logan said, you are an idiot." Ethan was only half-sleep so he heard every noise the two brothers created. 

Brayden, instead of getting mad, he slouched a bit forward towards Ethan with a grin on his face, "Little Brother, your porridge is ready. Get up now and eat some."

Logan hit Brayden's head. "Where is your brain going? You know he is injured yet you are asking him to get up. Are you out of your mind?"

Brayden rubbed his head. As always, a charming smile never left his face. "Yes. Yes. I don't have a brain. I'm sorry. Is that alright, Big Brother?" 

Ethan laughed, ignoring the pain in his body. "Brother Logan, can you help me lift my upper body a bit?" 

"Of course. But-- can you take it? I mean, do you think you can endure the pain in your injured body if you sit?" Logan asked to assure he was fine. 

"Yes. I can."

Brayden also came around at the opposite side and offered a hand. "Here, let me help you, too."

"Thank you Brother Brayden."

"Take it slowly. Don't push yourself too hard." Logan said. "Brayden, add two more pillows behind Little Brother's back."

"Okay.Okay." Brayden immediately pulled  the hand made cotton pillow of the villagers at the counter above the bed and placed it on Ethan's back. 

"Here, I will feed you." Logan lifted the bowl and scooped a mouthful of porridge. He blew it first before he brought the spoon closer to Ethan's mouth. "Open your mouth."

Ethan, though feeling a bit awkward, opened his mouth and let Logan feed him. 

"Hmmm, this is yummy. This is the best porridge I ever tasted." Of course, this was the first time Ethan tried porridge because no one had cooked it for him from his world. 

"It's good you like it."

Brayden moved and also opened his mouth to Logan. 

"Brayden, what are you doing?" Logan wrinkled his brows. 

"Feed me too Big Brother. I am hungry too." Brayden grinned. 

Logan threatened Brayden to hit him with the spoon, thus, Brayden quickly retracted himself. He laughed. "I am just joking. I can feed myself if I want to." Brayden stood. He tapped Logan's shoulder before he walked outside. 

"Where are you going?" Logan yelled at him, enough for him to hear from outside. 

"I heard fish here are fresh and taste different from the city so I am going to catch some fish in the river for Little Brother." Brayden yelled back and waved his hand. 

"Be careful. Also, don't come back late."

"I got it."

Logan returned his attention to Ethan as Brayden already left. To see a porridge in the corner of his mouth, Logan used the hem of his sleeve and wiped it. 

Ethan didn't expect that. So his face flushed. 

"Little Brother, why are you blushing." Logan asked. "We used to be like this since you were young, so don't be shy anymore."

Ethan nodded. He could not think of anything to say to cover his embarrassment, hence he decided to inquire more about the place he was in. "Brother Logan, what place is here?" 

"This is Matiwasay Village. It is far from Antonio City."

Matiwasay Village? Antonio City? 

Ethan seemed to hear these places before. So, in this parallel world, the names of the city were also the same. 

"Oh. Then, what year is it now?" 

"2013."

"2013?" Ethan moved out of surprise. "Ouch, I forgot my injury."

"You are really making us worry. Here, eat some more. Eh eh eh, stop moving. You won't recover fast if you don't listen. Don't move if I told you not to move. Okay?" 

"But Big Brother, are you sure it is still 2013 now not 2020?"

"What? Are you in a hurry to grow up?" 

"No. No. No. Just answer me."

Logan put down the bowl. "We are still in 2013. 2020 is way too long for us to go yet."

Ethan mumbled. "Does that mean, I travelled seven years back?" 

"What did you just say?" 

"Oh nothing Brother Logan." He pondered again. "Does that mean I am 17 years old now?" 

"Yes. But in a couple of months you will turn 18."

"When?"

"August 10"

"We also have the same birthday?" 

"Who?" Logan looked at Ethan with confusion. 

Ethan simpered, disregarding Logan's inquiry. "Brother Logan, feed me more."

"Oh, I'm sorry. My bad, I forgot."