"Mom, I'm going outside!" Alex shouted up the stairs. Even though he put it like a statement, he was really asking her for permission. His mother replied, "OK, Alex, but you have to bring Mikey." Alex didn't want to bring his little brother Mikey, who sucked on his fingers and got Alex's toys covered with drool, but he did want to go outside. He sighed and then pleaded, "But Mom, I'm going to the woods with A.J." His mother replied in a practiced manner, "A.J. or not, you will bring Mikey with you or you will not go." Alex huffed and then got out Mikey's coat.
As the brothers walked down the empty street on the cool autumn day, the younger brother extended his hand to the older and said, "Hold my hand, Alex." Alex sneered at Mikey and said, "Your hand is covered with spit and holding hands is for babies." Mikey wiped his hand on his pants and shot back, "Is not. Mom and Dad hold hands and they aren't babies." Alex considered his brother's words for a moment and then decided to step up the debate, "Look, don't do this baby stuff when we get to Alex's. Just keep your mouth shut and mind your business and I won't clobber you."
When they got to A.J.'s house, the three boys were dispensed with the introductions and ran immediately to the woods. A.J. carried a thin stick as though it were a sword, and he swiped off the tops of weeds as they ran through the trails. Alex held a stick as though it were a machine gun, and he shot imaginary round after round deep into the woods with great bravado. Mikey held his hand in his mouth as though it were a pacifier, and he struggled to keep up with the other boys.
Taking his hand from his mouth Mikey shouted, "Wait up, Alex," but Alex did not wait. Alex and A.J. were fighting a battle to save the universe, which required them to pass over creeks and logs, jump deep trenches, and climb over thick brush. Alex was having so much fun playing time warriors with A.J. that he had forgotten about Mikey. The two boys played until A.J. defeated Alex in a dramatic duel on a log. After suffering this crushing defeat, Alex called for his brother, whom he thought that he could beat in a duel, but there was no response to his call. Alex scanned around the forest for Mikey. "Mikey???" he shouted again. Alex’s heart dropped as he realized
Panic swept over Alex's face. He shared the problem with A.J., who confirmed his worst fears by
saying, "Uh-oh... My dad says that there are wolves in these woods," and the two boys began a
frantic search through the forest, backtracking and shouting for Mikey while imaging a roving
pack of grey wolves waiting around every turn. Alex thought back to all of the good times and
that he had shared with his brother. He realized that he loved him and he wanted nothing more
than for Mikey to come back.
The boys looked by the thick brush, the deep trenches, and creeks and logs, but there was no sign
of Mikey, so Alex and A.J. decided that it was time to tell an adult. As the boys approached the back door of A.J.'s house, they heard a scuttle coming from behind the shed. Much to their surprise, Mikey came rolling out and poked Alex in the belly with a stick. In the joy of the moment, Alex did not mind that he had lost another duel, or that he had been poked with a spit-covered stick. He was just happy to see his brother again. Alex laughed as he picked up Mikey and gave him a great big. Alex would go back to beating on his little brother Mikey and calling
him “slobber paw” the next day, but for the rest of that day, Alex treated Mikey like a king.
