Love Untold

13 Pages 3370 Words

nd thought about Jeremy for a moment. Kelly had asked what it was. She wanted to keep it. How could I tell her no, she had no idea what this medal stood for, and I was not about to tell her, not now anyways. Christmas carols were on the radio in the living room and she lost her interest in the medal. She skipped out of the kitchen to join my wife Susan and my mom, who were busy decorating the tree. It was Christmas Eve and I had just been given an early gift. I rooted through the cupboard, found a small glass and filled it with vinegar. I clipped the medal with a clothespin, placed it in the glass, and put it away behind some soup cans and joined my family.

Jeremy was my big brother. He always seemed like a man to me. Even as a young boy he seemed like a man. Jeremy seemed to know everything. He knew how to stop a nose bleed, how to set a fishhook, and how to ice skate backwards. He knew how to do these things without being a show off and he helped me do them without making me feel small or stupid. He was patient with me when my nose dripped with blood, when my hook and bobber flew out of the water as I reeled my line too suddenly, and when I regularly tripped and fell as we skated on the backyard rink.
Jeremy was more like a father to me. Dad was always away, busy working for the government. So Jeremy naturally took over. I can remember hearing him get up well before school started, throwing on his warmest clothes and setting out to check the miles of rabbit trap lines dad had set to help pay the bills. Jeremy never once complained about the added responsibilities. He would do his morning work, go to school, and make his way to Abbot's furniture shop where he would clean up. He was tireless, strong, and quiet, and I loved him without ever telling him.

I was old enough to know that our country was at war. It was always on the radio and our teachers at school talked about it like the Germans would soon be marching down Wate...