Burden
by
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Every younger sibling has to struggle to come out of the shadow left by their elders. And in Evan's case, the shadow left by his brother -- who was not only a great athlete, but also a renowned partier and practical joker in high school -- was particularly menacing. Evan had long since grown out of that shadow, and he was proud of that. So was his mother, who loved to talk about her younger son.
Although he was glad to have a mother who was so proud, he hated being talked about, especially to strange landscaping salesmen like the one sitting in his kitchen.
The awkward silence continued and Evan noticed that the salesman was looking and smiling at him in identical fashion to his mother. His immediate thought was that this guy must be really hard-up for a sale to act so interested in Evan’s accomplishments. He didn’t know Evan from a hole in the wall. What a phony!
The two men's eyes were fixed on each other as the salesman got up from his seat. He walked towards Evan, who was beginning to feel like a part of a Twilight Zone episode. As he moved closer, Evan noticed the strong features of the man. He was slightly taller and much thinner than Evan. He could tell by the numerous veins in his forearms that the man was fit and muscular -- probably from years of landscaping. The man reached what Evan considered to be comfortable, conversational distance for a stranger and continued to move closer until their noses were less than an inch from touching. Evan was frozen in disbelief that a stranger would come this close to him without saying a word. He was mesmerized by the man's face: his fiery blue eyes, defined jaw and cheekbone lines, tan skin with a few wrinkles around the eyes, his short brown hair and beard, which was scattered with gray.
The man broke the stare and began scanning Evan's forehead.
"It's still there," the man said, pointing at a spot on Evan's forehead. "I'll never forget the time we were playing around and I accidentally threw him into the corner of the coffee table. I still have nightmares about that."
He grabbed Evan by the shoulders and kissed him at that spot on his forehead. The man looked at him and said, "I'm just glad your doing O.K. Evie."
Only one person knew him as Evie. Someone he hadn't seen in four years. His Brother. Richard.
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About the Book
Evan Dubin is a busy young man. A senior in high school, he is attempting to defend his state wrestling championship in one weight class, while taking on his boyhood rival in another weight class. He discovers the love of his life, only after she starts dating his best friend. Then his brother, nine years his senior, asks him to keep an unthinkable secret from his family, straining an already tenuous sibling relationship and tearing him apart inside. How Evan deals with all of these stressful occurrences will determine his future for years to come.
About the Author
Dan Middleman is vice principal at a dual-language charter school in Raleigh, NC. He holds a Master's Degree and National Board Certification in Special Education. In the mid 1990s, Dan was one of the top distance runners in the United States. He competed in the 1996 Olympic Games and 1997 World Championships in the 10,000 meters. He also competed in the 1998 and 1999 World Cross Country Championships and was the top US finisher at the 1999 New York City Marathon. His first book Pain was published in 1998. He lives with his wife Adina and his two sons, Eli and Jesse.