Burbury business tycoon dies due to heart failure; buried by his trusted servant after none of his five sons showed up for the funeral.

Father Directionoles gazed long at the headline in the morning newspaper.

“These days kids are so selfish, that they have no family value systems at all- all they care for is themselves!” said the clergyman to him, grimacing in disgust.

“That man, he was so rich, funded our church too, but see the days God showed him. Jesus! Never let anyone see the day their kids renounce them!”

Father Directionoles smiled wryly.

“No, no, Apostolos, not everyone has to see this. I tell you, if the kids leave the parent, then the parent is responsible too. There has to be some lack of good upbringing from their end. Values come from the family. God does not punish the innocent- remember that.”

Saying that, he went homewards, smiling inwardly for he thought about his own children. He knew how well he’d brought them up. He bought a few sweets on his way home, making sure to buy an extra one for his eldest son North. He remembered how, previously; North had happily given away his share of the sweets to West after the latter had thrown a few callous tantrums.

Upon reaching home, the four progenies of Father Directionoles greeted him. While South became busy in serving the sweets, North bowed before his father and wished him evening.

The twins West and East rushed down the stairs and took their share of sweets. When East took his share bigger than his twin’s, West grunted, “Yeah, take away everything. You always want the biggest of everything, don’t you? You insatiable big mouth! Everyone, everything is unfair to me!”

“Nobody is unfair to anyone, my dear West,” North began placidly. “You and only you- are responsible for your actions. Complaining makes people prone to overlooking their responsibilities. The result you face is always the consequence of your actions—”

“Oh! Please, brother North! Put your didactic verses to hold at least for once. You’re preaching me on sweets!” West scoffed menacingly.

“I am preaching you on life. Small things make a huge difference West. And as for the sweets, you can have mine. I am quite full today.”

When North walked back to his room, West muttered to East, “He’s been training to take over father’s duty at the church pretty soon. It’s so tough to see his real intentions and insinuations under his mask of humility.”

“North doesn’t fake humility, brother. He’s just trying to feed some to you,” South said, sighing irritably as she walked towards the kitchen.

“I am quite happy with the sweets, don’t need any more feeding!”

Standing near the kitchen sink, she breathed heavily to calm down her irked nerves.

How could anyone be rude to North?

But deep in the recesses of her heart, only one question beseeched for an answer:

How could someone be rude to her North?

She closed her eyes as she let that sink in. She had thought of the same question when she’d seen him for the first time. She still remembered the day North had come into the family- he was a diffident young kid with ruffled hair and sparkling blue eyes. Father Directionoles had brought him from the street two blocks away; he’d said that somebody had abandoned North. That day, he had announced North as his son.

However, South soon realized she couldn’t see him only as his brother. Deep in her heart, North’s kindness, humility and goodness had strung cords to tie her in a very difficult, almost sinful, position- Love. She had fallen in love with North, who also happened to be her brother. How could she even dream of saying such a thing when her own father served the church! And so, she had hidden that secret all along the twenty-four years of her life.

But, how could she stop her blood from boiling when her own brother said things to the man she loved?

She had resented West, not only because he loved to be the rebel of the family, but also because it was his birth that killed their mother.

Everyone else apart from West got along extremely well with North. East, though ill-tempered, still had the proper sense to respect his eldest brother’s teachings and actions.

But to Father Directionoles, North was the most esteemed of all his children. The most wise, civil and compassionate son in all the world.

The next day, at the church, he heard a few clergymen talking about preparing a will lest any unforeseen circumstance should see them gone, leaving a large asset open to bitter altercations among their children for possession. And so, he got the will drafted and called upon his children one day to announce the details. It came as no surprise that he’d left the largest portion of his assets to North’s name.

Of course, no surprise to anyone, except West.

Upon hearing about his ‘snub’, he got up with a look of horrifying disbelief.

“What? To North? You’re giving away your assets to him?”

Father Directionoles looked at West’s incredulity and said peacefully, “West, you and everyone here, knows that North is the most deserving, just and kind among all of you. He deserves to take over the reins of the things I leave behind. And it’s not true that I haven’t left you considerably too.”

“Yeah?” West spoke with disdain. “You’ve just left me tid-bits father. Why on earth do you think he deserves anything more than me? I am your true blood; I am your true progeny. I was born from you, and not picked up from dark streets of ignorance!”

North looked up to meet West’s eyes. Every muscle on his face winced with deep pain.

“West!” Father Directionoles screamed. “How dare you say such a thing? Have I not made it clear that nobody shall ever talk about this? North is my true and able son, as much as you are.”

“Yes? Then why not give me what is yours? I deserve it. Or are you so senile that you’ve lost your mental faculties to take correct decisions? You old idiot!”

Father Directionoles gasped in horror.

“West,” North said firmly. “You will never say things like that to our father. Have you forgotten your manners? Our father is our God and we choose to serve him in the best way possible.”

West scoffed maniacally. “Serve?”

“Stop wearing the veil of goodness that you always do North. Take it off and show your real face to the world. Don’t give me the nonsense that you’re not interested in the money of my father. That’s pretty much the reason why you act so goody-goody before him. All righteous, all just. My foot!”

“West, hold your damn tongue. You’re crossing the line!” South screamed.

West walked towards her stealthily and whispered in her ears, “You’re going to stay quiet, my sister, or else I’ll open my mouth to reveal all the secrets and passions you’ve been harboring for North, which, I am sure neither you nor father would like. You know, he’s very old and the heart is pretty weak in these times. I am sure you don’t want to be responsible for bleeding his heart to death with your sinful ventures.”

South gasped in horror, stupefied- not just about knowing that West knew, but because of the ominous signs he was radiating. He cared absolutely nothing about anyone. And so, she kept quiet, only to regret it later.

“And you- North. The Almighty North- does that feed your conceit?” he asked to North who stood quiet, taken aback by the insensitivity of his brother.

“You always wanted to be superior, to exercise your will, control and supremacy, to show the world what a golden heart you have. The idol of sacrifice, benevolence and greatness. You hated me from the beginning because I never submitted to the clever maneuvers that you exercised to get my family to like you. Some must have been quite charming I’m sure,” he said, passing a malicious grin to South. “You did all that with me too- gave me everything- extra sweets, extra attention, extra boring moral lessons! You remember, don’t you, the yellow sweatshirt I liked in your wardrobe that father bought for you after you passed the exams? I had begged father to get me the same, but he didn’t- said I wasn’t good enough—”

“Brother North gave that to you the moment you asked him, West. What nonsense are you even talking?” East said, confronting his twin.

“Yes, twin. He did. But do you know why? To add to his grand renouncing image. North, you gave me anything I asked for, but you know what?

“You suffocated me through that. You made me believe that I was so incapable of achieving things in life that the only way to get them was to beg before you. You made me a bloody beggar, all my life!”

“West, please stop son!” Father Directionoles wailed in pain. “Say no more.”

“Why? I have said nothing my life, just submitted to his crafty, evil intentions and seen the others submit themselves happily too. North- you can give me anything, no? So, give me your share of the will. I want it. Will you give it to me the way you gave me your sweets or your stupid sweatshirt, eh?”

North stared into West’s rebellious eyes and the resentment and the hatred in his eyes killed him a thousand times over. SUFFOCATE. How could he say that? He had always earnestly loved his siblings. They had all lived so harmoniously and happily together as kids. He had never meant to hint of any malice in any of his actions or words. Then how can his brother West declare him an orphan and spew such poison against their own father in such a ghoulish way?

With some thought, he finally said, “Yes, brother West. I am ready. I never knew you were keeping track of sweatshirts and sweets while we were young. I can give my entire life if you ask for it too, then what is money to me? I was brought into this family by our father with a lot of love and affection, that for me, is the biggest honor, then what is money to me? I was brought up with such lovely siblings as yourself, East and South,” he said softly, just on the edge of choking on his unshed tears, and passed a solemn look at South who wept under her breath, helplessly. “I can’t ask for anything more. If this will, the money, these assets make you happy and content, you can willingly take it all. I assure you, dear West. I love you all more than I can ever dream of loving these paper materials.”

West considered for some time and said, “Which means, if I ask you for something, you’d give it to me?”

“Yes, of course brother,” a sparkle of hope made North’s eyes glitter.

“Okay, I ask you to surrender your share to me- all of it.”

North nodded to agree.

“And,” he continued. “I want you to leave this house, forever.”

A stillness fell in the room. Nobody was capable of perceiving anything anymore. Father Directionoles fell unconscious the moment he heard this, wishing to God to take him away that very instant.

“West! What are you even saying?” his twin remarked in rage. “Brother North is our elder; how can you—”

“I have asked what I wanted. He said he’d give me what I ask for. Let’s see now, Morals and ethics!”

“I’ll leave, brother West, if that pacifies the rage in your heart,” North said, muffling his silent sobs. “I’ll leave the property in your name and go away.”

“Brother!” East murmured, in tears. “I am not staying in this house. I can’t stay with the devil that my twin has become. I’ll relinquish all my property too and leave.”

“As you please, East,” said West, with unimaginable narcissism.

After the two brothers left, South announced to leave too, but the disposition of her father concerned her very deeply. West had no sympathy left for anyone.

But soon after learning how his two sons had left, Father Directionoles lost sight of the world. He couldn’t believe how quickly the tides had turned one brother against the other. The once happy family wasn’t a family anymore; it had been fragmented beyond any chances of reconciliation.

In his last moments though, he was reminded of his own words in the church.

“… if the kids leave the parent, then the parent is responsible too. There has to be some lack of good upbringing from their end. God does not punish the innocent…”

Maybe, he had sinned too. There had been a loophole in his upbringing that he had been seeing such a day. Closing his eyes that night, grieving about his ultimate fate, he closed his eyes to life and the world that day too.

“You can have all the money now, West. But you would never find the peace! You broke our family, you broke brotherly ties and abused them. You killed our father and showed him Hell before he even died. What for? For money? Have it, have every bit of it. All this house and everything, but you’d be alone. You’d never have a family, never find love. I, a daughter, a sister and an unrequited lover, curse you to never find happiness in life.”

Saying that she left the house too.

Several years passed after Father Directionoles’s death, but none of his children ever met again. All contact was lost. West continued to live in the large house and with loads of money, until one day, while in the market, he saw a young girl. She looked deeply famished and malnourished. Only one look at her was enough to tell she hadn’t eaten for at least two days. However, what caught West’s attention was the way she was feeding her younger brother coarse bread and milk. He heard the brother ask her if she wanted to eat too, to which she placidly replied that she had already eaten on her way, which of course was a vanilla lie.

Seeing this, West was intrigued to know why she had lied. He called her out and asked it to her.

“You haven’t eaten in a long time, girl, have you?”

The girl shook her head.

“Then, why did you offer your brother the food that you found? Why didn’t you eat?”

“Because,” she said. “He is my brother.”

This baffled West deeply.

“Yeah, but why did you sacrifice? You don’t have your own stomach to fill? Why go overboard with so much affection?”

“It isn’t sacrifice,” she said softly. “It is love- that every sibling should have for the other. It is empathy. It is not a sacrifice; it is my responsibility as an elder to do what I can to make my younger one happy and safe.”

This very answer from such a young girl caused an epiphany for West.

Could anyone be as petty when drunk on conceit and money as he had been?

He might’ve been loaded with jewels, money and expensive apparels on outside, but, deep inside, he was just a shell- an empty, hollow, shell of a person.

He immediately despised himself, loathed his stupidity and cursed the day he had said the venomous things to a brother, who though not of blood, was superior to him in every regard, more benevolent and loving than any relation of blood could vouch.

That day, he picked up the courage to call his brother. Upon hearing his voice, he broke into a cascade of tears- of grief, pain, anger, guilt- everything.

On the fifth anniversary of their father’s death, the four siblings met in the same house. West apologized profusely to North and East, but more specifically to South.

Though still hurt and in deep pain, West declared to undergo deep penance for his sins.

“Sister South, I know I am not capable of uttering words of apology, but I had been blinded, by love for material gains so much that I pushed the happiness of my own family down the abyss of eternal darkness, only to make a final attempt to retrieve it. My ignorance and rigid blindness took away our father. I am a terrible human, a terrible son and a terrible brother to my worthy siblings. I never made a one of you proud.

Brother North, that day, when I met the young girl, I recollected your words from five years ago- ‘The result you face is always the consequence of your actions.’ I have faced my results, my demons, brother. I have sinned. But, please forgive me brother. I know not how to live in this huge house all alone. The money is nothing to me without having anyone to talk to.”

North smiled and forgave West.

“Brother, there’s another thing I wish to tell you that Sister South has never spoken of,” he said. “Sister South loves you brother. She loves you a lot. She knew it’d be a sin to ‘love’ one’s brother the way she does, but I reckon now how important it is to tell how much you love someone. I never told father that I loved him, instead, I abused him, his will and decisions and, he’s gone now. I disappointed him so deeply. Brother, please accept South’s love and marry her.”

South looked at North with bashful eyes. She didn’t know what to say or do.

North walked towards her and lifting her chin, he said to her, “South, I value your emotions to me very deeply. I know, we never grew up as siblings, but as friends. I accept your love for me.”

With that, North, South, East and West became unified once again, thus transforming the large house of Father Directionoles into a warm home.