Week 4 Story: Brothers Until the End
"LAKSHMANA!"
Rama saw the arrow just as it pierced his baby brother's armor. Well, to be fair, Lakshmana wasn't a baby. He was a warrior, tried and true. Lakshmana had fought by Rama's side for years now. There was never a more noble, courageous, kind, or supportive comrade. But as Rama fought his way across the battlefield, he didn't see another wounded soldier. He saw his little brother.
When Rama finally reached Lakshmana, both brothers knew the situation looked grim. Lakshmana did what he always did when he was scared or hurting: he pushed through the pain and focused on the task in front of him. At least, he tried to. But the arrow was too deep, too close to his heart. Lakshamana hardly made it two steps before collapsing to the ground. He tried to get up again, to rejoin the battle and fight for his brother. But Rama held him close, trying to find some way, any way, to heal his brother's fatal wound.
The battle raged around them, but the brothers just sat there, knowing this would likely be there final moments together.
"Lakshmana," Rama said, "I'm so sor-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lakshmana said with a strained chuckle, "You're sorry. You love me. I know, I know. And I love you too. But right now, I'd rather not get into all of that. I'm actually getting pretty tired..."
Lakshmana shut his eyes. He was still alive, but only just. Rama felt helpless, numb. He didn't know what to do. He knew there was nothing he could do.
Suddenly, a great shadow fell over the battlefield. It was Hanuman! Rama's loyal best friend had seen Lakshmana get wounded, and knew the only thing that could save him was the herbs from the Himalayan mountains. Hanuman immediately left the battlefield and went to the mountain. He wasn't exactly sure which herbs were needed, so he just grabbed the whole mountain and brought it back to where Lakshmana lay dying. The physician found the herbs and mixed a healing salve together and began applying it to Lakshmana's woun-
"Lucas! Why are you putting mud all over Owen's shirt?"
"I'm the doctor, Mommy!" Lucas called back.
"Yeah Mom! Can't you see I'm mortally wounded?" Owen shouted, his new shirt completely covered in a mess of mud, leaves, and grass.
"He needs this medicine if we're ever going to defeat Ravana!" Beckett explained.
"Well," the brothers' mom replied, "I think that's enough medicine to get the job done. No more mud."
"Yes ma'am!" Beckett, Owen, and Lucas called in unison.
-began applying it to Lakshmana's wounds. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening. Then, slowly, Lakshmana's eyes opened. He looked down at where his wound had been, then with a mischievous grin he and Rama leapt up from the ground and continued their adventure.
Author's Note: I was inspired by the story of Ravana and Lakshmana. Ravana takes revenge on Lakshmana for killing his son and nearly kills him with a dart, but Hanuman saves the day by yet again brining the healing herbs of the Himalayas. I chose to zoom in on the brothers in the moments where they thought would be Lakshmana's last. I wanted to include my nephews in the story somehow, so I interrupted the episode with a flash to "reality," where three young brothers are simply playing a game in the backyard.
Rama saw the arrow just as it pierced his baby brother's armor. Well, to be fair, Lakshmana wasn't a baby. He was a warrior, tried and true. Lakshmana had fought by Rama's side for years now. There was never a more noble, courageous, kind, or supportive comrade. But as Rama fought his way across the battlefield, he didn't see another wounded soldier. He saw his little brother.
When Rama finally reached Lakshmana, both brothers knew the situation looked grim. Lakshmana did what he always did when he was scared or hurting: he pushed through the pain and focused on the task in front of him. At least, he tried to. But the arrow was too deep, too close to his heart. Lakshamana hardly made it two steps before collapsing to the ground. He tried to get up again, to rejoin the battle and fight for his brother. But Rama held him close, trying to find some way, any way, to heal his brother's fatal wound.
The battle raged around them, but the brothers just sat there, knowing this would likely be there final moments together.
"Lakshmana," Rama said, "I'm so sor-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lakshmana said with a strained chuckle, "You're sorry. You love me. I know, I know. And I love you too. But right now, I'd rather not get into all of that. I'm actually getting pretty tired..."
Lakshmana shut his eyes. He was still alive, but only just. Rama felt helpless, numb. He didn't know what to do. He knew there was nothing he could do.
Suddenly, a great shadow fell over the battlefield. It was Hanuman! Rama's loyal best friend had seen Lakshmana get wounded, and knew the only thing that could save him was the herbs from the Himalayan mountains. Hanuman immediately left the battlefield and went to the mountain. He wasn't exactly sure which herbs were needed, so he just grabbed the whole mountain and brought it back to where Lakshmana lay dying. The physician found the herbs and mixed a healing salve together and began applying it to Lakshmana's woun-
"Lucas! Why are you putting mud all over Owen's shirt?"
"I'm the doctor, Mommy!" Lucas called back.
"Yeah Mom! Can't you see I'm mortally wounded?" Owen shouted, his new shirt completely covered in a mess of mud, leaves, and grass.
"He needs this medicine if we're ever going to defeat Ravana!" Beckett explained.
"Well," the brothers' mom replied, "I think that's enough medicine to get the job done. No more mud."
"Yes ma'am!" Beckett, Owen, and Lucas called in unison.
-began applying it to Lakshmana's wounds. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening. Then, slowly, Lakshmana's eyes opened. He looked down at where his wound had been, then with a mischievous grin he and Rama leapt up from the ground and continued their adventure.
 |
| Lakshmana the Warrior (Personal Photo) |
Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).
I enjoyed this story a ton! Thank you for the creativity and the heartwarming qualities so beautifully presented here. I enjoyed the twist you put on it for a more modern story and relative to issues happening today. You really portrayed the sacrifice made by both brothers ever so well. You spoke in your author's note of how you "zoomed in" on the brothers and focused on the positive aspects. Thanks for sharing! I look forward to reading more of your work!
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica! I really enjoyed reading your version of the story. I like how you intensified the emotional scene between the brothers to show how much they care for each other. I also like how you added your own twist to it by bringing in your nephews. Your dialogue does a wonderful job of setting the scene, especially when the words break up or falter because Lakshmana could barely talk anymore.
ReplyDeleteHey there again Jessica. It was really neat to see how your influences affected the original story here. I think your rendition is very well done. You definitely added some needed creativity to this story and put an interesting flare to it. I thought that your use of dialogue was great and that it was broke up nicely throughout the story.
ReplyDelete