Brothers
The Wilmington School for Boys had been run by the eldest son of each generation for two hundred years. Robert Wilmington could feel the presence of those headmasters looming over him as plainly as he could see their cast bronze busts perched high over the worn opulence of the dining hall.
“Robert, what are you doing here?” Robert heard his older brother’s harsh voice boom through the hall. “Aren’t you supposed to be teaching first year algebra right now?”
“Yes, Alfred. I’ll be there right away.”
“See to it that you’re not late again.”
“Yes, Alfred.”
Alfred would never know that their father had nearly broken tradition when he retired and named Robert headmaster. Six months later, Robert knew that his father had made the wrong decision. He wanted to stay to help protect the boys from his brother’s temper, but he didn’t have the courage. Turning on his heel, he hurried out to his packed Audi and drove away.
Many thanks, once again, to Angela at Anonymous Legacy for this week's Visual Dare flash fiction prompt. For the first time ever, I exceeded the 150-word limit by ten words, but I don't think anyone will hold that against me. Please hop over to Angela's blog to read more opulent stories, and to find out where Angela got this great photo.
