TIME-TO-SEE-67
The huge emotional upheaval behind them, all four boys were tired and ready to quiet down in their room...
They were huddled around the puppy in that one gigantic bed chamber. Murph was feeding the puppy his bottle, and the others sat around, rubbed his soft fur, and talked.
Finally, Nicky could not contain himself and he asked, "Murph, can I feed the puppy now? You've been feeding him for a long time..."
"Uh... It's okay with me if Sean says it's okay." And they both looked over at Sean.
Sean said, "Sure, Nicky, you see how it's done. Just tilt the bottle so that there's always milk in the nipple. I don't want him to suck air, because air in his tummy will give him pains, the pet shop owner said."
"Okay. I'll be careful," Nicky said.
So very carefully both boys managed a mid-feeding transfer of the puppy from Murph to Nicky, not permitting the bottle to shake or lean at all.
Jilder walked over to his laptop, punched in a few characters and said, "Hey! Nicky. I gotta email from Jake and Craig... It's actually from Craig, Listen:"
"Dear Jilder, I hope you and the other guys are all enjoying your trip to Ireland. I'm sure it must be fun and interesting too."
"We really do miss you-- a lot--and so does Dillon. He keeps walking up to your room and pointing and saying, 'Jill-er?' with a big question in his eyes. He wants to know where you are... I explain to him over and over again that you and Nicky and all the guys are on a trip. I show him pictures of airplanes, and he points and says, "Jill-er??" One thing for sure, this kid misses his "brothers."
"All of the dogs are doing just great. They eat and poop and jump around just like they did before you left. We give them as much attention as we can, but I'm sure it isn't a good as when you and Nicky are here."
"I wonder if you would deliver a message to your dad-Hugo. Tell him that the movie studio in Hollywood is eager to have meetings with him and me about their hot project. They sent me the script and a synopsis of the scenes, and they wanted me to send it all to Hugo; so he can prepare some preliminary sketches. I really hate to bother Hugo on his working vacation, but capitalism is a big pain-in-the-butt sometimes; it just never rests... Anyhow, I don't have an address where I could send this material. Maybe you can figure out where you're going to be in the next week or so, and send me a mailing address. I'll get this stuff off when I have the address."
"Please feel free to email me or even telephone if you're in the mood.
"And to Hugo and Kevin: 'You Guys! I really do miss having you near by. I miss our family suppers together; I miss seeing the kids; and I just want my best friends back again. (Okay. So I'm selfish...:-)"
"Oh, and wouldn't you know. Dillon came down with a very mild case of chickenpox, that kept Jake at home from work for several days. They didn't want him to spread the disease to any immune-compromised patients. Jake went back to work yesterday; so I think he feels better when he's working. Neither he nor I ever became ill ourselves, but Jake could have carried the virus on his person... Dillon had almost no symptoms; lucky for him it was a very mild case..."
"Well, Jilder, if you'd tell everybody hello for me, and please let your dad read this message where I tell about the Hollywood work project. I need a mailing address... PLEASE.. "
"Again, I miss you and Nicky and look forward to your return, but I want you to enjoy a long and interesting trip too..."
Be Safe...
Love, Your "Uncle" Craig
"I think he's stopped sucking, Sean. He looks like he's gone back to sleep," Nicky said.
"Yeah. He sleeps almost all the time. And when he's awake, he just squirms around and tries to pick up his head, but even that's too much for him for very long... " Sean said.
"He'll pretty much stay where you put him, Nicky; so you can put him in his bed when you get tired of holding him."
"No, Sean. I like holding him. He's so warm and soft and nice to look at." Nicky replied.
"Suit yourself," Sean said. "But I'm feeling really tired, and I think I'm going to go to bed. (Crying is hard work...) You can come over and climb in when you feel like it, Murph. I'll probably be asleep when you do, but don't worry about waking me..."
"Yeah, I think I'll play with my computer for a while before I go to bed. We can keep one lamp on near the table and turn all the other lights out." Murph said.
The heavy door to the room opened and in walked Maxmillian and Brandon together. They spoke to everybody at once: "Hi guys, everything going alright?...(And looking around they asked.) Aren't ANY of you feeling tired yet?"
"I think I'm the first," Sean said from his big bed.
Max went over to one side of the bed, and Brandy went to the other, and Max sat down and said in a soft voice, "You doing okay now, son?"
"Yes, sir. I feel okay. I'm just really, really tired," Sean replied.
"That's not a problem. A good night's sleep will make you feel like a new man in the morning," Brandy answered.
Max said: "Alright, son, if you're sure you don't need anything, and there's nothing more on your mind at the moment, let me give you a good-night hug and wish you good dreams."
And Max leaned down and gave Sean a long unhurried hug; kissed him on the forehead; and looked into his eyes and said, "I'll see you in the morning, Sean. Call me anytime during the night if you want me."
"Yes, Sir." Sean replied, and he kissed Max back on the cheek and said, "I love you."
Brandy said to Sean, "And here's another kiss and a hug to make sure you have a good night. And if there's more distress from where that stuff came earlier, Sean, don't be ashamed to tell us how you're feeling-- not ever..."
"Thanks, Brandy," Sean said returning the kiss. "I love you too..."
And Brandy smoothed Sean's shaggy hair and tucked the bed clothes around him lovingly.
Then the dads said, "Good-night, boys. Don't stay up all night. We've got a big day tomorrow..." And they closed the door behind them when they left.
A Few moments of silence ensued...
Sean spoke quietly: "Nicky, Jilder: I'm happy you're staying here some more. I like it when you are here.. Good-night, Jilder. Good-night, Nicky. Good-night, Murph. I love you guys." And Sean nuzzled under the pillows on his big bed.
"Good night....", "nite, Sean..."
A moment later his head popped up: "And are you going to listen for the puppy tonight, Murph, like you said?" Sean asked.
"Yeah. Sure." Murph replied.
"Then you can move the puppy bed over onto the chair next to this big bed; so you can hear him squeak when he gets hungry again..." Sean instructed...
"Yeah. Sure, Sean, I'll do that."
And Sean went back under the pillows and in an instant was sound asleep.
The universe swirled around, and Sean saw dark blue clouds pierced with beams of yellow lights rising and falling all around him. He felt alone and sad at first, but then happy when he remembered that Murph and Nicky and Jilder were actually there with him; even though he didn't see them in the dark blue clouds, he knew they were there...
All at once two people were in front of Sean. He knew them instantly. There were no words only recognition, and the ideas flowed between them freely. "Dad, Mum...." and Sean leaned in to hold his mother. He could feel her warm body and her breasts as she rubbed him lovingly on his back, and he could feel that she loved him. Then, Sean was looking at the other figure. It was his dad. They smiled at one another, not speaking a word, but somehow saying in a flow of ideas "I love you, Dad...I love you too, son.." and the two embraced. Sean could feel the little belly on his dad and the scruffy half-beard on his dad's face. And Sean was so happy and felt so loved.
The two people faded and in their place was a figure that Sean didn't know. The figure, a man, was older than Sean's dad, and he smiled kindly and asked Sean to come over and sit with him... Somehow, now, the man was sitting in a rocking chair, and he opened his arms for Sean to climb up. Without exerting any effort, Sean was there.
The man said, not in words, but the idea reached Sean: "Hello, Sean. You don't know me... Please allow me to introduce myself..." Sean sat and waited.
He wasn't scared; in fact he felt very happy to be visiting with the old gentleman.
"I'm papa. I'm Kevin's grand-papa, and Nicky and Jilder are my great-grandsons. I want you to know that these boys are good boys, and you can trust them to help you when you need it.... And Murph is going to need a big brother. You can be that big brother if you will..."
Sean didn't speak a word. He didn't ask anything. He only enjoyed sitting with the friendly old gentleman listening to him...
"And now you even have a wonderful new puppy to help you to remember how much love there is in the world waiting for you..."
Sean's thoughts flowed immediately to Papa, "I love my new puppy too, but I must find a name for him."
Papa responded, "What name would you like, Sean?"
"I think I want him to be called Spirit."
Papa commented, "That's a wonderful name; after all, he brings the Spirit of Love..."
And the two sat quietly while Papa rocked Sean back and forth.
"I want you never to doubt how much your mother and father both love you, still, Sean, and they will be present as you go through your life, but they also want you to know, that Brandy and Max are two very kind men who can be wonderful parents, and your mum and dad will be happy if you allow Brandy and Max to carry on where they could not."
"Sean felt that he never wanted to leave papa and his mum and dad. He felt so peaceful and loved in the blue smoke."
"Your mum and dad allowed me to join them tonight when they visited with you, because they know that I have a special interest in watching over Kevin and Hugo and their boys. Now, because they love you, and Murph and your dads, I will be around to help you ALL understand and see the love that is all around you, and that you deserve."
Sean listened as papa spoke, and he knew that he wanted to be with his new dads and all of his friends... He loved them very much, and he wanted to stay with them... No words passed, but Sean knew that Papa understood, because he said, "Sean, you ARE WITH ALL OF THEM, just open your eyes and see..."
Somehow, Sean knew that if he actually opened his eyes he'd wake up, and he didn't want to wake up and leave Papa or his mum and dad... "Papa, will you come to visit me again, with me mum and dad?"
"If you like..."
"Oh yes..." and Sean hugged Papa and felt completely safe in his arms, in the gentle rocking motion of the chair...
And then Sean heard the chimes, like the great Tower of London, and blue smoke billowed up all around Sean; the yellow lights shone as golden edges on the dark blue clouds; and Sean felt supremely peaceful and very, very sleepy; then he sank deep into no consciousness at all."
The night dissolves all cares and all potentials in its nothingness... Sean was deep in the arms of sleep, patiently awaiting the miracle that occurs for everyone, each morning, when sleep releases us back to ourselves...
Cock-a-doodle dooooo...
Sean opened his eyes with a perplexed expression on his face: for an instant didn't know where he was.
Then he looked over and saw Murph sleeping soundly next to him, and his face relaxed; he turned over and snuggled up closer to Murph.
The morning was beautiful in its peace and quiet, marred only by the duty bound rooster getting his house in order for the day, before any humans were about.
Sean didn't really go back to sleep; he merely lay there enjoying the feel of the soft sheets, listening to the silence, and feeling very good.
Before long, little squeaks joined the morning symphony of rooster crows announcing to Sean that his puppy was hungry and ready for breakfast.
Sean moved carefully away from Murph, so as not to wake him, and then slipped soundlessly out of bed and out of the room, to go down to the kitchen.
"MATILDA! DO WE HAVE ANY FRESH WARM MILK FOR MY PUPPY?"
"OH THAT WEE PUPPY IS SO SWEET...HE'S AWAKE YET? YES? ... I GOT US SOME FRESH MILK FOR HIM JUST THIS MORNIN...BUT IT'S STILL IN THE BARN... SEAN, WOULD YOU GO OUT TO WHERE WE KEEP THE COWS AND BRING IN THE LARGE MILK CAN. IT'S A WEE BIT HEAVY; SO BE CAREFUL YOU DON'T HURT YOUR BACK OR SPILL THE MILK..." Matilda said.
"YES MAMA. I'LL GO RIGHT NOW." Sean replied loudly, so that Matilda would know that he understood.
Just as Sean was turning to leave the kitchen, Hugo and Kevin walked in: "Goodness, you're up early, Sean," Hugo commented.
"Yes, Sir. The puppy started squeaking for his bottle; so I came to get warm milk from Matilda."
"But you look like you're on your way out of the kitchen with no milk, where are you headed?" Kevin asked.
"Oh, I be goin to where the cows are, to bring milk in for Matilda. She said that it's in a milk can. I just need to go fetch it. I need for her to warm some of it for me puppy," Sean replied with a little smile.
He appeared to be quite relaxed and cheerful, and apparently none the worst for wear after his tumultuous evening before.
Hugo said, "Can we go with you? We haven't seen where Max keeps his cows."
"Sure. Follow me. I'll show you," Sean said, waving to the guys to join him as he continued on out of the kitchen.
Down a very long hallway and several turns and a small stairway later, the three guys found themselves outside just behind the main estate house.
"We have to walk a wee bit down that dirt lane over there," Sean said, pointing to his left; you see the stone building way out ahead? Well, the cows are inside when they are either sleeping or being milked. Otherwise, somebody takes them out into the hills, and they get to eat grass and lick salt blocks all day..." Sean explained. "You ever seen a salt block?" Sean asked.
"Not me," Kevin replied... "I'm a city boy, Sean. Besides, I thought milk came from waxed-paper cartons, not from cows" Kevin added for effect.
Sean laughed at Kevin. "You Americans don't have a lot of basic experience..." Sean said.
After walking for a while, out in the distance where the stone building that housed the cows was situated, the three guys could see a wagon pulled beside and partially concealed by the building. The wagon contained hay and was driven by someone wearing a big, floppy hat and large coat.
"It doesn't seem cool enough, even this early in the morning, for such a heavy coat," Sean thought.
As the three got closer to the building, they could see that it was a woman sitting up on the seat of the large wagon. The wagon was drawn by a short, gray muscular horse which just stood motionless in front of his load.
"I wonder what she's going to do with the hay?" Sean asked.
"Probably put it in the building for the cows to sleep on or maybe they eat it? Good grief..." Kevin suggested, laughing.. "Don't ask ME!"
Hugo laughed at Kevin but didn't venture any suggestions of his own. He was California-City handicapped too when it came to cows...
Sean noticed a large, shiny, white metal can, just outside of the barn door. "That must hold Matilda's milk," he thought. It was the sort of milk can he'd seen many times before, and it was sitting just in front of the main door to the building.
"Good morning!" Sean called up to the woman who was driving the wagon.
"Good mornin, Sirs," she replied. "Either of you be Mr. Maxmillian Murphy?"
Kevin answered, "No, no... We're Mr. Murphy's houseguests, and we've come out to fetch the milk with Mr. Murphy's son. What do you need? Perhaps we can help you."
"Maybe we will have to wait until we can talk to the Owner of the Estate."
"Well, suit yourself," Kevin said. Then he thought for a moment and said, "May we carry a message to Mr. Murphy for you?"
"Yes, that might be very helpful," the woman said to Kevin.
Then she turned to the back of the wagon where bails of hay were fastened in place two-deep with wide straps.
At the very rear end of the wagon there were no bails of hay, but there were some covers, like one might provide for bedding should one wish to transport a small animal, like a dog or a lamb or the like.
The woman spoke out, "Lliam, what do you want to ask of Mr. Murphy? These men are visitin him, and they can take a message to him for you."
It wasn't at all clear to whom the woman was speaking, but a weak voice answered from the rear of the wagon: There was a long and protracted fit of coughing just preceding the reply, and when the coughing finally subsided, a man's voice could be heard coming from the wagon:
"Perhaps Mr. Murphy can tell us whether there be a young man who calls himself Sean who is working here for him?"
Kevin became alarmed immediately when he heard the question, now understanding the full implications of Sean's tumultuous life.
Hugo spoke to the woman, "Might I ask, just why are you searching for this young man, 'Sean'?"
He posed his question in as casual a tone as possible, not wanting to raise any concern with the people in the wagon, but hoping to discover the meaning of this definitely unusual inquiry.
"Who would think that there was someone named Sean at the Murphy estate?" Hugo thought to himself.
Sean remained silent watching the wagon carefully from a distance while Kevin and Hugo conversed with its occupants.
The woman called back to the man again, "Do you want to say why you are lookin for the young man?" she asked over her shoulder.
"I don't have much time, Cora, I think; so I'd better try to get on with it," the voice said. Then he coughed again repeatedly, making it impossible for him to speak further.
The woman spoke to the three, addressing them all at the same time: "My husband, Lliam, was in the terrorist wars in the North. He has suffered a terrible injury, that doesn't give him much time to get in touch with this young man, "Sean", to tell him something very important, before... It is VERY IMPORTANT to my husband for him to talk to "Sean" before... before... it won't be possible any more."
"Miss, I didn't understand the urgency of your husband's situation," Kevin replied. "May we call an ambulance to get emergency medical care right away? I have a cell phone right here...Please, Miss. We'd be most eager to help him and you both."
Then the man spoke up, unseen, once again. This time sounding a little stronger: "Please, Sir. I have been in the paramilitary fightin in the North. And I have direct knowledge of the attack on Sean's family. It is my duty to speak with him as soon as possible, before I can't any longer. Would you PLEASE ask this young man to come out to my wagon, if he be working here?"
The man coughed but continued speaking: "I'm too weak now to walk very far... We have been searching for two months, and our journey has stretched from Ulster in the North, to Dublin, then to the Carlton Powerscourt in Wicklow Hills, and now out here to the estate of one Mr. Maxmillion Murphy, who may have seen the boy, Sean, or perhaps have the boy in his employ."
Hugo walked around the end of the wagon where he could see the man who had been speaking. The man wore a scruffy, two-month old beard and filthy clothing; he lay on cloths and hay; and he motioned for Hugo to come closer. Hugo glanced at Kevin indicating that he would like him to come to the back of the wagon too.
Kevin joined Hugo and saw the man lying defenseless, imaciated, and filthy in the wagon. The man would not have been able to lift himself from the wagon, even to relieve himself.
"Please, Sir, allow us to call an ambulance. You need emergency care at once," Kevin said.
"I'm good for a little while longer, I think," the man said. "Please, just tell me whether we can find the boy, Sean, here? If not, we must be off to look elsewhere. I don't have a lot more time..."
The woman got down from the wagon and opened a crumpled bag containing black bread and cheese, which she took back to her husband.
Sean went over to the milk can and scooped up a cup of fresh milk in a tin cup and took it over to the woman who was feeding her husband.
"This is fresh milk, mama. It would be good for your husband, if he's sick..." Sean offered.
"Oh thank you, Sir," the woman replied. And she took the cup and offered it to her husband who drank it eagerly.
"Thank, you, Son," the man said.
"And you be Mr. Murphy's son?" the man inquired?
"Yes, Sir," Sean answered, offering no words beyond being polite. He was still wary of these two strangers in search of himself...
"What if these are revolutionists trying to kill me because they missed me before?" Sean thought, his heart pounding now.
The man addressing Sean said, "And do you know this young man, Sean?"
"Be he the boy who worked at Wicklow Hills?" Sean asked.
"The same, I think," the man replied.
"What do you want with him?" Sean asked.
"Well..." and the man was taken with a coughing fit that threatened to end his conversation for good, it seemed. Sean just stood there in dreaded revulsion of the horrible condition of the man in the wagon.
When the coughing subsided, the man went on: "I cannot be evasive, Sir. My energy is going fast. "And then he spoke at length to Sean and his chaperones, Kevin and Hugo.
"Two years ago, one night, I was with me para-army unit when we made an attack on the director of a revolutionary commander in his home: That would be Sean's father. It was a horrible attack, Sir. It was my first such combat experience, and I nearly didn't get through it... My commander sprayed the inside of the house with automatic rifle fire, not giving anyone in the house ANY chance to survive... I became angry at once, because I had been told that this attack would not hurt anyone, only tear up the house and such, but my commander was a mean bastard, and he killed everyone in sight..."
The man paused and took a sip of milk to delay his coughing: "My commander ordered me to search the rest of the house, the upstairs, and to kill anyone I found there. I ran up the stairs and opened the door only to see an empty bed, which MUST have recently contained someone, a child, perhaps. But I didn't want to know if there be anyone in that room. I didn't want to kill anyone; so I reported that the room was empty without even searching it. And I ran down the stairs again."
"The Captain and the three other men in our attack group left the house at once. Everyone was yelling, and the neighbors had come out and started returning fire. We just ran to our vehicle and drove off as fast as possible."
"Well, Sir, I am ashamed to say that I lived in that town, and in very little time I heard reports and gossip of the attack in which I had participated... There were reports that while the mother and father had been killed, no children were found. Everyone surmised that their one son, named Sean, had somehow escaped the slaughter.
"There was a terrible backlash, and the people in the neighborhood mounted attacks in retaliation. Somehow, they learned that I was among the original five who plundered that house; so, one night, they came crashing into my home. My wife and I were asleep in our bedroom, and our children-- three of them-- were asleep in their beds too.
"Instead of looking for the adults in the house, these revenge seekers sought the room containing the children, and when they found it. They likewise showered it in automatic rifle fire, hundreds of rounds in seconds, and all three of my babies were slaughtered. They deliberately left me and my wife un harmed." Oddly the man betrayed no emotion... He continued speaking as if in a trance.
"But when I realized what was happening, I grabbed a pistol that I kept next to my bed and ran after the attackers, firing single shots at them. I took a round or maybe two-- I can't tell-- in my chest and upper ribs..."
"When I realized that I had been rewarded for my part in the earlier, vicious attack by me and my friends on Sean's family, I made a vow: it would be my one remaining goal in life: I would find that boy, Sean, and tell him how bad I know I am, and how sorry I am that I had a part in the death of his mum and dad. I want to give him a chance to kill me! I am helpless now; I can't run, like his parents couldn't run. I want Sean to know that I understand: revenge is HIS~!"
While the man spoke, the woman returned to the seat of her wagon and pulled down a small package that she had wrapped in a handkerchief and kept on her seat. She walked back to where her husband was speaking with the men, and she opened the handkerchief.
Inside of the little package was a coil of three brightly colored ribbons: one yellow; one blue; and one red.
She said, "My husband and I decided we would give these ribbons that our children earned in their graduations just this year, to the boy, Sean.
The ribbons are so he would know how WE KNOW that there isn't anything good we can do to UNDO the evil we made; but we want him to have these ribbons which is the most important thing left to us in this life. And, maybe when he has babies, he can give these ribbons to them, saying "We was trying even though it wasn't enough..."
And she handed the ribbons to her husband.
The man uncoiled them lovingly and then reached in Sean's direction, offering them to Sean.
"Why are you offering them to me?" Sean asked, believing that his anonymity remained in tact.
The man looked into Sean's eyes and spoke, "You be that one, Sean? Isn't that so?"
Sean was shocked that the man knew who he was, and he stepped back away from the wagon toward Hugo and Kevin.
Hugo moved very close to Sean, actually stepping between him and the wagon, and Kevin closed in stepping up next to Hugo, in front of Sean too.
With that, the man grasped the barrel of a gun he had concealed under his covers, and offered it-- hand grip first-- to Hugo. "So the boy can have his revenge...," he said sadly.
Sean pushed around in front of Hugo and Kevin and grabbed the gun out of the man's hands, and with all of his strength he hurled it off into the distance beyond the barn among the weeds.
The Sean yelled: "I DON'T WANT NO REVENGE! THAT'S LIKE ALL KILLIN... IT'S WRONG, AND I WON'T DO IT!"
"YOU DID BAD, AND YOU KILLED ME MUM AND ME DAD! THEN OTHER PEOPLE KILLED YOUR BABIES... YOU KNOW HOW BAD KILLING IS.... THE KILLING HAS GOT TO STOP... By now Sean was shouting through tears...
"You can't be bad... 'cause you hurt when your babies died, just like I hurt when me mum and dad died... You gotta GO BACK home and tell everybody that the killin has GOT TO STOP!!
"Please, Mister, GO BACK HOME AND TELL EVERYBODY THAT THE KILLIN HAS GOT TO STOP!"
"NO MORE REVENGE!!!!" Sean screamed as he bolted and ran back toward his father's great house.
The ambulance pulled away from the barn, backed up, and sped down the dusty lane with it's lights flashing. The man and his wife were on their way to the dispensary.
Hugo spoke to Kevin: "We've gotta find Sean? I'm really afraid of how he's taking this."
"Isn't there ever enough suffering?" Kevin asked under his breath...
As they began hurrying back to the main house, Max and Brandy stepped from the kitchen door and paused looking out in the distance. When they recognized Hugo and Kevin, Max waved to get their attention, and both Brandy and Max began running out to meet them.
Brandy said, "Sean was hysterical, but we helped him to calm down. What in the world has happened now? Sean's with all the boys, and Murph won't leave his side."
"Oh, my God," Kevin said. "We'll explain to you while we're going back to the house."
"Is there anything that we can do, you think?" Hugo asked.
"I'm sure Sean would like to see you both. He's become completely uncommunicative. He won't speak to anyone. He will only respond to Murph. Maybe, I hope he'll talk to you," Max said.
Hugo and Kevin reached the heavy door to the boys' bed chamber. They opened it quietly, knocking softly at the same time... "May we come in?" they asked.
All of the boys were sitting there together...
"Hi, Kevin; Hi, Hugo... " Murph answered, ready to see them. "I'm glad you're here. I'm really worried about Sean... He don't want to talk to nobody but me. And that's not very good," Murph continued.
"Well, Murph, your brother Sean just had to do something really, really difficult, but he did it better than any full grown man could have done," Kevin said, looking directly at Sean.
Sean was listening as Kevin spoke with Murph, but his eyes were cast down, fixed on the puppy that he held and rubbed softly; he didn't cry nor say anything at all; he just listened.
"What was that, Kevin?" Murph asked.
"He told the man who tried to kill him that the murdering had to stop. Sean would NOT take revenge by shooting the man, even when the man said he knew that he did bad and expected to be killed in revenge."
"The man wasn't prepared for Sean's kindness and understanding: Sean told the man that he understood how bad the man had to feel when his three babies were killed by terrorist soldiers too-- just like Sean did when he lost his parents."
"Sean took the gun that the man brought for Sean to kill him with and threw it way away in the weeds and told the man to go home and tell everyone to stop the killing! And, Murph, that was the most extraordinary act I've ever witnessed in my whole life. Sean has more courage than any man I've ever known..."
Murph looked over at Sean and reached out to rub his hand. "Gosh, Sean. How did you know to do all that? I would a never known what to do... You must be really special..."
And for the first time since Sean came in from the barn, he spoke: "No, Murph,.... Please, please don't misunderstand... I AM NOT SPECIAL... You see, it's BECAUSE I'M NOT SPECIAL that I knew what I had to do...
I felt horrible when me mum and dad was killed; so when the man told me that his babies were killed, I KNEW HOW HE FEELED, because it's like I was him... I'm NOT special.... I'm just like Lliam... We both cried and thought our life was over... But now I know that because I'm not special, then I'm NOT ALONE... I'm just like everybody else. I don't want to kill nobody... for ANY reason... And the man felt really, really bad for killing; so much he wanted ME to KILL HIM!!! That was wrong, Murph!"
"Yes, Murph." Kevin said: "Sean did something that most men would have been unable to do."
"Gosh. Sean, I'm glad you are my brother, 'cause maybe I can learn how to be like you..."