A Brother’s Jealousy Shattered His Dream, but an Old Man’s Kindness Changed It All

Jealous Brother Crushes Lonely Boy’s Dream Until an Old Man’s Final Sacrifice Changes Everything — Story of the Day

I had no idea that giving my old guitar to a young man with lofty goals would reveal very deep familial wounds. Before long, I had to make a decision that would alter our entire relationship.

I would play my old Gibson Les Paul on my porch every evening, reliving old memories as my fingers moved across the strings. The only thing I had left from my music store, which used to be my entire universe, was that guitar. I felt as though I had packed away a piece of myself when I closed the store, leaving only this guitar to serve as a reminder of the times when music was everything.

I saw a boy standing by the fence, observing carefully, one evening when I was playing. He was about eleven years old, and he had a curious but hesitant expression.

Tommy, the youngster from next door, was someone I knew. He was constantly about the house or with his older brother, Jason, who raised him in a stern manner that didn’t appear to allow for much affection.

I waved him over and stopped playing. He appeared uncertain as he glanced back at his own home before moving in closer, his gaze riveted on the guitar as though it were a mystical object.

“You enjoy listening to music?” I nodded toward the instrument as I asked.

He whispered, “Yeah, I do… always wanted to learn.” “However, Jason says I should stop wasting time on noise and concentrate on actual work.”

I said, “Music isn’t a waste.” “Even if it’s only for a short time, it’s a way to escape things and be yourself.”

A glimmer of hope lit up his eyes as he gazed at me.

“Could you… instruct me?”

I held the guitar up to him and said, “Only if you’re serious about it.” “Although learning requires effort, you can try.”

His countenance brightened, and he nodded while carefully extending his hands. He looked up with a faint smile as his fingertips touched the strings.

He acknowledged, “It’s… harder than it looks.”

“It is initially,” I remarked, laughing. But if you practice consistently, you’ll succeed. We’ll begin tomorrow if you stop by.

Tommy would always trudge up to my porch in the evening and sit with me in the evening light as the soft strums of the guitar filled the air between us. Even though his fingers were tentative and brushed the strings as though they were delicate, I could see that he had genuine talent below his nervousness.

It was evident not only in the way he held the guitar but also in the silent gleam in his eyes whenever he executed a seamless transition or learned a new chord. I had never seen someone so committed, certainly not a youngster his age.

And then one afternoon he came carrying a glass jar in his hands, its contents clinking as he walked. He proudly held it out.

He said, his cheeks slightly pink, “I’m saving up.” “For my personal guitar. In a month, there will be a talent show. I can practice and possibly play anything there if I can buy a guitar.

He started to twist the jar’s cover off. He poured a stack of coins and a couple of crumpled dollar notes onto the step in front of us slowly and gently.

As I watched him count, my heart tightened as I saw his tiny fingers stack the coins into tiny stacks and tidy each bill.

At last, he looked up and stated, “Forty dollars,” his eyes beaming with pride and anticipation. “I’ll keep saving even if I know it’s not enough. Maybe I’ll have enough by the following month.

The weight of those forty dollars was evident to me. I discovered a spark in that jar and that pile of change that most people never discover: a passion greater than anything I’ve ever experienced. I knew what I needed to do at that moment.

“Wait a minute here, Tommy.”

I entered and made my way directly to the ancient tin box that had housed my savings for many years. It was only a small pile that I had been putting aside in case things went wrong in the future.

However, witnessing Tommy’s perseverance let me realize that sometimes hard work alone isn’t enough to achieve goals. Someone who had faith in them was what they needed.

Although it wasn’t brand new, I purchased a decent guitar since I knew it would be strong, well-made, and have a tone that would win Tommy over on stage. His mouth dropped open and his eyes grew big as I gave it to him.

“For myself?” he muttered.

“For you,” I said, nodding. It’s not a present, okay? This is an investment. I want you to put in a lot of effort, practice, and prove yourself to the world. Do you believe you can handle it?

“I swear, Sam. I will not squander it. I’m going to practice daily. I’ll bring you pride.

I could tell he was serious as his fingertips lightly brushed the guitar’s strings, testing the instrument’s weight.

He was more than a young man experimenting with an instrument. He was someone who had at last discovered a voice and a means of being heard. At that moment, I realized he would not allow anything to stop him. Never, ever.

Tommy started to distance himself after that day.

We halted our lessons. He would always keep his head down or find an excuse to be somewhere else whenever I saw him. I was hurt by his avoidance of me.

He ran up my steps one afternoon, tears streaming down his face. My heart twisted at the way he looked broken.

“Tommy? Son, what’s going on?

His face was wiped. He doesn’t want me to play guitar any more. It’s Jason.

Knowing that he needed to express things in his own words, I waited.

“Some old man is someone I shouldn’t be looking up to,” Jason says. He believes that he is the only person who can teach me how to live. “I should stop coming over here,” he adds.

Tommy had always looked up to his older brother Jason, who had essentially raised him since their parents died. It was important to him that Jason approved. As much as Tommy craved the music, he also wanted his brother’s approval.

The boy’s little shoulders trembled as I stared down at him. How about we visit your home and speak with Jason together? Perhaps if he understands how important this is to you.

“All right, Sam. Perhaps he will listen to you.

I kept thinking that this talk might not turn out the way we had intended as we made our way to his place. Jason was already resting against the doorframe when we entered.

“Why is he in this place?” Jason stared at me and spoke in a chilly tone.

I said in a steady voice, “Jason, I just wanted to talk.” “Tommy has discovered something that he finds meaningful. He’s also skilled at it. I believe it’s worthwhile to support.

“Supporting?” he sneered. “You believe that this child needs your guitar, your old stories, and your unfulfilled dreams? Sam, he doesn’t need you. He has me.

“Please, Jason. All I want to do is play. Sam has been instructing me, and I’m picking up knowledge that brings me joy.

“Happy?”

Before I knew it, Jason grabbed the guitar and slammed it down hard on the ground in a single, frantic action. The air was divided by the sound of wood splitting. I saw the instrument break into fragments that were all over the floor.

Tommy collapsed on his knees, collecting the guitar’s shattered fragments.

“No… no!” he screamed, his tiny fingers shaking.

With my own rage barely contained, I met Jason’s gaze.

“Jason, you didn’t simply destroy a guitar. Your brother’s dream was dashed by you. He had hope and something to look forward to because of the guitar. And in front of him, you smashed it.

Jason averted his eyes, reluctant to look me in the eye.

I didn’t see Tommy or hear from him for days, and the silence was more profound than any loneliness I had ever experienced.

When I returned to Tommy’s residence, I discovered him in his room with the guitar’s broken parts all around him. His eyes had lost the light that once illuminated them.

I whispered, “Tommy, things break sometimes, but that doesn’t mean we have to stay broken either.” Whatever happens, I’m always here for you. Come on. I have something I would want to show you.

Tommy and I walked back to my place. I went directly to the closet in the living room’s corner after entering. After a moment of hesitation on the handle, I opened it and grabbed my vintage Gibson Les Paul.

The moment I gave it to Tommy, his eyes grew wide. “This is your guitar, Mr. Bailey.”

I softly corrected, “It was mine.” However, I believe it is now yours. Tommy, you have the talent and the heart. Nobody should be able to take that away from you.

As though it were the most valuable item in the world, Tommy was clutching the guitar.

“I’m grateful.”

Tommy rehearsed like never before throughout the course of the following few days, giving his all to a song that held great personal significance for him. In order to remind him of the infrequent times they had spent together before life became complicated, he picked a song that Jason used to play for him.

As we waited backstage on the day of the talent event, Tommy was restless and anxiously looking around. As he tuned the Gibson, his fingers trembled a little.

“You’re capable,” I assured him. “Keep in mind that you and the music are alone. Nothing else is important.

Tommy stepped out into the bright lights as his name was called. As he began to play, I held my breath. He was amazing, expressing feelings that were well beyond his eleven years of age.

I saw Jason sitting close to the rear, staring at his brother. He waited until Tommy approached him after leaving the stage.

He said, “How about we play together?” “Remember, I know that song pretty well?”

“You mean it?”

Jason held out the instrument and nodded. Indeed. Let’s demonstrate the proper way to do things.

They returned to the stage together and started playing. Jason had played the same song years before, when Tommy was still a young boy and still gazed up at him with big, adoring eyes.

The audience’s cheers were even louder when they were done. Jason gathered Tommy into a tight embrace.

“I apologize,” he muttered. “I wanted to be the best brother, but I know I haven’t been. I believed that I had to be your father, but perhaps I should just be your brother instead.

“No one could ever do more for me than you have. I am aware of the sacrifices you made for me.

The announcer walked up, declared Tommy the winner, and gave him a tiny trophy as the crowd fell silent. A scholarship to a music school was also offered, which would be a great beginning for his aspirations.

Jason’s hand was on Tommy’s shoulder, and his eyes were full of pride as his face glowed with sheer excitement. As I watched him hold the trophy, I knew he would be prepared wherever his journey led.

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