"The measure of love is to love without measure." - J. Johnson
Alan and Daniel Irvington, two brothers originally from Rich Creek, Virginia, grew up together on a small farm with their parents. Their young lives were good, yet difficult ones. They worked tirelessly on the farm with their father as soon as they were old enough to talk: bailing hay, feeding the animals, harvesting crops, and planting new ones. Although countless hours in a day were spent out in the blazing sun, sweat dripping from their foreheads and every inch of their bodies fatigued and full of pain, when it was finally time to recline for the night, the two boys never grew bitter about their situation. They found enjoyment in fulfilling their father's desires that they lend a hand on the farm.
At the close of another hot summer, the Irvingtons sat together as a family at the dinner table, eager to enjoy a fresh meal after a long day of work. Eva Irvington, a woman who was almost never able to slow down with housework and daily chores had diligently prepared the supper time meal, looked forward even more than usual to spending time with her husband and two sons, whom she admired dearly.
Edgar Irvington sat down at the cedar table across from his wife and beamed at her accordingly. The twinkle in his blue eyes spoke what his mouth didn't: he loved her more than anything money could ever buy. The two sons noticed the love their parents shared and hoped that one day they could love someone as much as they did.
Throughout suppertime, Eva continually looked at Edgar, over to Daniel, then Alan, and back to Edgar again. After Edgar finished eating his last piece of cornbread, he smiled at her and said, "Go ahead, darling! Share the good news with the boys! You've been waiting all day for this moment!"
With a sigh of relief, Eva exclaimed, "Alan, Danny! You're going to be big brothers!"
Five months and four days later, Eva died in the middle of childbirth and the child, a baby girl named Anna, did not make it either. The two boys, struggling to cope with the pain of the loss of both their mother and baby sister, tried to console their father, but he was broken beyond compare; Eva was the love of his life, and losing their newborn daughter along with his wife was beyond unbearable.
In the wake of their deaths, Edgar, after letting the boys take over the farm while he grieved manically day and night for eight weeks, gathered his sons together one night after they had spent all morning, late into the evening, working in the extreme cold.
With tears in his eyes, Edgar looked intently at his two sons, as if he was pleading with them to understand what he was going to say next. "Daniel, Alan. I apologize for my lack of involvement since your mother and Anna passed. I thought that I could heal from the pain at least some in these two months, but I haven't at all. Seeing as I don't feel up to running the family farm anymore, I have hired two gentlemen from the church to take care of it."
Danny, always the more sentimental of the two brothers, started to tear up and asked, "Father, why have you done this? Alan and I have diligently labored for you, keeping track of the animals, crop output, and finances to allow you time to grieve. Is all that we have done for you not good enough?"
For the first time since the deaths of Eva and Anna, the twinkle returned in Edgar's eye. "My sons, I have not done this to cause you spite; I am trying to repay you for all of your efforts on the farm. Go, encounter the world! Do something with your lives! The Lord knows the earth could always use as hard-working, caring, and perseverant men as yourselves."
He paused for a second, then continued, "Your mother died in hopes that you boys would find a fulfilling career in life, and ultimately, that you would find out what true love means. Please, don't be afraid to tackle this new adventure in life. I am giving you the chance of a lifetime; fulfill your heart's desires with your life, but never forget your dear father," he winked.
Alan, adept with his hands and well-accustomed to hard work on the farm, decided to move to Charleston, South Carolina, and find work there as a large plantation owner. Upon arriving in Virginia, he found a farmhouse on a plot of green, fertile land and started hiring workers to both plant and harvest cotton, sugar, and other various crops.
Daniel preferred intellectual studies rather than physical labor, although he was certainly more than capable of working long, hard hours. He chose to attend Harvard College and studied political science in the hopes of one day becoming a statesman. While attending college, he also decided to accept a position as a broker.
The two made sure to always send home their extra money each month to their father, writing him almost daily. And so their lives went for the next six years, Alan a wealthy plantation owner, and Daniel a broker for one of the most prestigious companies in Cambridge.
The assurance of their routine every day life shattered in the midst of the Civil War. Alan, a well-respected plantation owner in the south eagerly joined the Confederate Army in hopes that he could keep his plantation and wealth. This is not to say that he had slaves; he simply did not think it was fair for the north to dictate what the south did.
Daniel decided to join the Union army, hoping that doing so would make him an easily recognizable leader and more likely to become elected in various political offices. His dream was to eventually become the president of the United States!
The Civil War officially began on April 12, 1861. From the time the battles started taking place, the two rose up in rank, eventually residing with the title of Captain. All of this time, they had no clue that the other was lurking in a battlefield as well. Daniel was rewarded for his abilities to snake out enemy lines and give orders to his men, resulting in very little casualties. Whereas, Alan was given the name Captain because he was courageous and unwavering in his commitment to being victorious over the north.
On September 17, 1862, as fate would have it, the two brothers were in charge of commanding a small infantry of their men when the Battle of Antietam occurred. The fighting was bloody; shrapnel flew everywhere, and the best of men were shot without mercy by the enemy. Alan and Daniel kept advancing, reminding their men to be brave and shouting, "Victory will be ours! Fight like you have never fought before!"
Alan was near the frontlines riding his horse when he saw a man hiding behind a stack of bricks launch a large grenade at his men. Before he could say a word, it was too late - sixty-three were instantly killed or rendered incapable of fighting any longer. With a roar of anger, Alan chased after the man, determined to kill the person who took the lives of his dynamic men.
He ran to the stack of bricks, careful to dodge any bullets by ducking, jumping, or rolling, and when he reached the bricks, he crouched down ever so quietly. By peeking over the side of the brick, he could see the outline of the man who had thrown the explosive. He decided that he wanted to see the man's life flash before his eyes and felt like God had given him a special glimpse at seeing the silent killer of so many for this very moment.
"You, the coward who threw the grenade. Turn around now!" The man jumped quickly, turning and placing his back against the wall. In a split second, Alan realized that this man was his brother, Daniel, but the rule of thumb in war is to not show mercy to one who takes the lives of many. Alan pointed his gun at his brother and, voice shaking, said, "I do not want to have to kill you, but I saw you take the lives of my men, and you must pay for it!"
Daniel, after pointing his gun back at Alan, eyes wide and tears streaming freely down his face replied, "My brother! This was never meant to be! We should be embracing each other, not hesitating whether or not to kill the other!"
At this very instant, a Union soldier heard Daniel's voice, and took aim at Alan. Daniel saw what he was about to do, and shouted, "No!" He leapt toward Alan, shoving him away from the direction of the bullet. Alan hurriedly sat up and searched for his brother, finding him in a pool of blood. The bullet went straight through his heart.
Daniel sat up with what little ounce of strength he had left, looked Alan dead in the eye, and whispered, "I love you." With that, his head fell back, and his chest heaved one small, final breath.
Alan crawled over to his dead brother, feeling the pain of a bullet in the shoulder which went through his brother's heart and lodged in him. He wept, crying loudly, not caring if anyone finished him off.
The Confederate Army cordially released Alan, realizing someone as emotionally heartbroken as he felt was no longer fit for military life.
Alan moved back to Rich Creek, Virginia, where he stayed with his father. One day, Edgar, rocking in his chair, looked at his son and said, "My son, you have truly experienced true love. It does not occur often in life that someone is able to experience true love like you did with your brother Daniel. Remember what the Scripture says? 'No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.'"
Alan started to cry, realizing just how much his brother loved him. Alan was overwhelmed that Daniel took a bullet for him when he was prepared to take his life.
Upon reflecting about what Daniel had done for him, he thought, "Above all, to love someone, truly love someone, requires sacrifice."
This is a fictional story about two brothers.
