Life with My Autistic Brother

With all the strength I could gather, I charged at him and punched him squarely in the face. "Stop it! Do you feel proud picking on a kid? I screamed at him. "Let's see if you can protect your dumb brother forever, huh?" He taunted. I turned back to grab Alex's hand, but he squirmed out of my grasp and lunged towards Daniel.

Hey there, I'm Sarah Anderson from Norway, a small European country.

My dad was a lighthouse keeper, and my parents got divorced after my brother Alex turned three. Mom couldn't accept him because he was autistic. Alex didn't have many friends; he often locked himself in his room all day, only really close to me and Dad. When I was 13, something happened that hit both Alex and me hard. That night, Dad went out to sea to rescue a ship stuck off the coast because of a storm. They made it back safely, but my dad didn't. We never heard from him again.

Alex grew even more withdrawn; he thought he was the reason Mom left, and now Dad, too. I had to work really hard to lift his spirits. Alex and I became closer than ever. I took care of everything for him, from meals to bedtime, making sure he lacked nothing.

"The milkshake Sarah makes is the best" He said excitedly. "Good job, Alex!" Abriel said smiling at him. "Finish your milk, and I'll take you out to play."

"collecting... seashells," Alex murmured softly. "I'm almost done building my seashell castle,"

"That's Abriel. He and his Dad are fishermen. They were very close to my dad; I and Abriel grew up together.

"Hey, are you going to tell Alex about your dad?" Abriel asked.

"Not yet, but I have a strong belief that he's still out there somewhere. Above all, I fear Alex might not be able to handle that shock," I confided.

Alex grew smarter as he got older. On his first day of school, I walked him right to his seat in the classroom. He seemed nervous. "Sarah, don't go!" he pleaded.

"Don't worry, little boy. Everything will be alright," I assured him. Still, I knew things would be a bit tougher for a special kid like him.

As I headed back to my class, Daniel blocked the door and acted like a total jerk. "If I were you, I'd just quit school and sit by the beach every day. Maybe your dad will swim back one day," he taunted, accompanied by his gang's laughter. Daniel had been persistently asking me out, but I had turned him down multiple times, which seemed to drive him crazy. He said if I wouldn't be his girlfriend, he'd make me his enemy. What a fool, as if I was scared.

Later that day, Alex and I were enjoying lunch in the school cafeteria when Daniel showed up. "You never mentioned you had a little brother. Let's see... alright, this is why your dad left," he sneered. Daniel's jokes crossed the line, so I stood up and splashed my drink in his face. He seemed shocked. "If you can't say something nice, keep your mouth shut," I retorted as the cafeteria started buzzing.

Daniel walked away quietly, but he wouldn't leave us alone.

In the days that followed, Alex constantly had his books and belongings hidden. One day, I waited for Alex at the school gate after classes, but he was nowhere to be found. He never went anywhere without me. I immediately thought of Daniel, sure that he had messed with Alex again. Then I heard sobbing coming from an empty classroom. My brother was buried under a pile of books and homework. Without thinking, I kicked the door open, and Alex ran into my arms, sobbing.

"Daniel and his friends said I had to do all their homework before they let me go." Alex confessed through tears. I swore I'd crush them all.

I stormed off with Alex and headed towards where Daniel was lounging and bragging. "Well, your little brother is pretty smart, so we had him do us a favor," Daniel boasted, followed by laughter from his friends.

With all the strength I could muster, I charged at him and punched him right in the face. "Stop it! Do you feel proud picking on a kid?" I screamed. "Let's see if you can protect your dumb little brother forever." He taunted

" I will," I declared. I turned back to grab Alex's hand, but he wriggled out of my grasp and lunged towards Daniel. Both fell to the ground as a large branch dropped right where Daniel had been standing.

"Oh my gosh, Alex just saved him!" I exclaimed.

"I... I saw it falling, so I..." Alex stuttered, checking if Daniel was okay.

As Daniel stood there dumbfounded, the crowd applauded and cheered for Alex's brave act.

Well what was that about, our brave little hero here? Alex is God's child, you know. Everyone looked at Daniel with disappointment. Daniel hung his head, apologized to Alex, and walked away.

Ha, finally, he changed his tune.

I was so excited about Alex's achievement that I couldn't wait to get home and share the news with Dad. Then it hit me – Dad's been gone for years, missing out on so many of our happy moments.

Time has flown by; now Alex's all grown up, but his autism hasn't stopped him from pursuing his dream of becoming a successful lawyer in the city.

Meanwhile, I'm still here, dedicated to teaching the village kids. It's been a while since Alex visited home. I wonder how he's doing in the city. It's been over six months since I last heard from him, and his phone is always busy when I call. Worried sick, I decided to pay him a visit. "I'll let you know if anything comes up here," I reassured the people back home.

The city is bustling and chaotic. It took me a while to find Alex's current address, but the name plate says "Allan Smith." Confused, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It opens slowly, revealing a young, beautiful, lady.

"Can I help you?" she asks. "I'm looking for Alex."

"Wrong address," she replies, but then calls out to someone inside. A guy steps out, and it takes me a moment to recognize him as my brother. He freezes for a few seconds, "Uh, who are you?" My heart sinks as Alex fails to recognize me. "Alex, I'm your sister," I tell him. "I'm Allan. I don't have a sister, sorry," he says, dismissing me.

I'm utterly shocked. Could autism have caused him to forget me? No, he has an excellent memory. Then maybe he suffered a head injury causing memory loss. I have to find my brother somewhere in there.

The next day, I follow Alex and see him enter a cafe. This is my chance. "I'll have a milkshake," I tell the waitress, smiling brightly at Alex, hoping it would trigger memories of our childhood. "Black coffee, please," he responds. Alex never liked bitter things. Has he really changed everything? "Alex, do you remember the seashell castle?" I ask, showing him his once-favorite childhood toy. He stares at it, then swiftly knocks it to the ground, shattering it. "You leave, or I leave," he says coldly. Alex's actions crush my heart. He has changed – no longer the shy boy always clinging to my arm. As whispers start spreading around us, I run out of the cafe in tears.

Why does everyone I care about drift away from me? What have I done to deserve this torment? The brother I once cherished doesn't even acknowledge me as his sister.

"You're so lucky," a lady said. "Oh, please," another replied in jest, "I'm just here for his money."

Isn't this the lady living with Alex?

"Some woman came looking for him yesterday," she said to her accomplice. "How strange. I better grab the loot and scram," she added.

"How dare you!" I exclaim.

"Oh, uh, didn't you also pretend to be his sister to deceive him?"

"Guess what? Your games are over. I am revealing everything to Alex," I exclaimed, waving the screen showing the video I had taken earlier of her and her accomplice's conversation.

The lady angrily advanced towards me, attempting to snatch the phone from my hand. As if I'd let that happen! But unexpectedly, I slipped and fell towards the busy road.

"It's Alex! Allan! Whatever! Whether you're my brother or not, I can't stand to see you deceived. I need you tell you something. The lady you are with is....".

"I'll tell you the truth," Alex cuts me off. He had to change everything because he was part of a witness protection program, even pretending not to know me that day they saw me. But who? I don't understand. "While working as a lawyer, I was investigating the mysterious disappearance of our dad. Dad's alive! He was captured by a pirate ship!"

"What?" I gasp. "Then we'll find Dad together," I resolve.

"It's too dangerous," Alex warns. "And they don't stay in one place either. It's hard to find them. The police are also investigating."

"But how long do we have to wait?" Alex falls silent, having pondered deeply. "I know someone who can help us find them," I continued.

We returned and knocked on Abriel's door at midnight. Hearing the story from Alex, Abriel is incredibly shocked. "It's too dangerous for you," he frets.

"You know how much we've suffered since Dad left," I pleaded. "I can't wait any longer. He's out there somewhere, longing to come home."

Finally, I convince Abriel. The three of us rushed to the Old Lighthouse that had been part of our Dad's life to look for more clues. With Abriel's experience and Alex's intelligence, we pinpoint the potential stops for the Pirates. Tracing their steps without being a sea expert, one could never track them down. The night air chills our skins as our small boat stealthily approaches the dim silhouette of a pirate ship.

I signal to Abriel to head back while Alex and I swim towards it. Clouds obscure the moon, casting sparse rays of light, revealing the old wooden planks as we step onto the deck. The creaking noise alerts the men gathered on the deck. "Who's there?" they ask. Alex and I hold our breaths, fearing even the slightest sound might give us away. Our hands clench tightly, trembling.

"Ah, probably just a fish jumping against the hull," one of the men dismisses. Their conversation resumes. Just as we were about to move on, a hand reaches out and covers my mouth. But it's my dad! His bushy beard almost concealing his face, yet I could still recognize him. A silent reunion follows, and we hug tightly. "We'll leave together quietly," my dad whispers.

But the joy is short-lived as a tall shadow looms behind us. "Intruders! We've got intruders!" the voice booms. Immediately, Alex crouches down, covering his head in fear. The last time I saw him like this was when he was bullied by Daniel years ago. "Alex! I'm here! Alex is God's child, remember?" I reassure him.

I grab my dad's hand and shout, "Dad, take Alex, he needs you! I'll hold them off!" I stand up and move forward, determined to protect my family no matter what. No one is allowed to touch my family. Rushing past me, Alex charges into the ladder, causing them to tumble. He grabs a flare gun and fires it into the sky. A bright orange light tears through the night sky. In the distance, the flashing lights of a Coast Guard ship are visible. The pirates panic and jump overboard, trying to escape, but it's too late. The police arrive and apprehend them.

Dad said the pirates had taken him because he was a sea expert to navigate for them, but it's all over now. Everything's okay; we are safely brought back home after years. My family is reunited, and now I can tell Dad how proud Alex and I have been of each other,

"Sarah, me too. I'm so proud of you." Dad said with a smile.

"I've missed you so much, Dad." I said with tears in my eyes threatening to fall.