Samuel W. Dyke

© Copyright 2015 Samuel Dyke

Dedication

To my best friend throughout all

of time, I love you, and I am

proud of you.

Perhaps the most beloved stories

Are the ones that come closest to the heart.

Whether real or fiction,

Such life flows through the story

That the two become irrelevant.

All that truly exists in it

Is the reality of the imagination

That put it forward

And the reality of the imagination that

Receives it.

Today was much like any other day. Two

brothers walked together along a shallow creek

imagining life’s greatest adventures and, of course,

lived them out. Tucker was the older of the two and

Cooper the younger. The boys were two years apart

in age and were best friends. On this particular day

they saw a hill off in the distance. This hill was like

many other hills, but this hill, nevertheless, had to be

conquered. As Tucker and Cooper walked toward the

hill they talked and pondered as they often did.

Tucker spoke on his vast knowledge of the world and

everything in it. Cooper listened as was custom.

Tucker told Cooper about the books of school, the

theories he had, and, most importantly, the beauties

of life. Cooper looked on in fascination and dreamed

his own images of all the things Tucker had seen.

“Tucker.” Cooper spoke.

“Yes?” Replied Tucker.

“I want to see the world too.”

Tucker looked thoughtfully ahead.

The boys reached the top of the hill and looked off in the distance.

Something great was ahead of them. Something beautiful stood ahead.

The entire world looked them in the eyes as they saw miles and miles of mountains, trees, and ponds.

“Beautiful.” Calmly spoke Tucker.

Cooper stood in silence.

Cooper stood amazed.

Cooper looked at his brother and stared.

A fascination struck Cooper. The whole world was in front of him, but he only wanted to be with who was beside him. Days would come and days would go, but Cooper realized something wonderful. An endless adventure was ahead of him. An adventure he would never take on alone.

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Today was a rather unique day. Today something very unusual was in the air.

Tucker looked around but could not spot what caused this problem. Immediately Tucker thought and thought to try to solve this dilemma. Tucker came to no conclusion. The sun was sunny and the clouds were cloudy but the problem persisted. Tucker walked through paths he had walked through many times before. Something was different today. Something very bothersome was happening but Tucker could not name it. Tucker looked down at the path. Two sets of foot prints lay in front of him. Tucker only left one set of foot prints as was usual.

“Cooper.”

Cooper wasn’t by his side. Cooper hadn’t left another set of footprints today. Cooper hadn’t seen the beauty of the world today, not with Tucker at least. Tucker was alone but the problem was far worse. Tucker was not with Cooper.

Tucker wandered into town and saw a crowd of people gathered in the town square. Each person boasted of popularity and how many

people they knew. Three strangers walked up to Tucker and one asked him,

“Where are your friends?”

Tucker simply replied,

“I am looking for one friend in particular.”

The three laughed as the same one replied,

“You waste your time looking for one friend. It is simply not wise to use your time looking for a single person. To have many friends is to be very wise because to have many friends is to be popular and to be popular is to be loved!”

Tucker looked to the afternoon sky then replied,

“You see, I have lost someone very dear to me and popularity will neither replace him nor bring him back.”

Tucker continued on his way.

Tucker came to an office on the corner of town. A businessman stepped out from his fancy car and approached Tucker. The businessman looked at Tucker then started to speak,

“When I was a boy, I dreamed of being rich. Now look at me! I have nice things and every day I get closer to having even nicer things! If you stay awhile, I would be happy to tell you about all my things and let you tell me how nice they are!”

Tucker stared on at man-made beauty. Such a magnificently average car, such a brilliantly ordinary suit the man wore, and such an amazingly mundane office building. Tucker spoke,

“Mister, I see that you work and you work just to obtain more things that do not matter.”

The businessman looked on with shocked brows and insisted,

“You do not understand, when I get nicer things then you will understand!”

Tucker replied,

“You see, I have lost someone very dear to me and nicer things can neither replace him nor bring him back.”

The businessman further argued the value of nicer things and Tucker realized there was no more to be said nor to be done.

Tucker continued on his way.

Tucker walked alongside a creek as he came closer to arriving at home. A boy about Cooper’s size stood by the creek with a crown on. The reflection from the water made the crown sparkle in the most extraordinary way.

The boy saw Tucker and said,

“You have come to try my crown on?”

Tucker replied,

“I have not come to try your crown on, although it is an extraordinary crown.”

The boy stared at Tucker and boastfully exclaimed,

“I will be a king one day. I will be in charge of great lands and great armies. I will yawn and everyone will listen. No one will be able to not listen to me.”

Tucker stared on with some sadness,

“I have met a crowd who wanted nothing more than to have friends, and I have met a businessman who wanted nicer things. You appear no different to me. You are no different than everyone else. You have all missed something very important.”

The boy cried back with anger,

“How dare you talk to someone like me that way! One day you will pay for what you have said!”

Tucker simply replied,

“You see, I have lost someone very dear to me and your crown or your power can neither replace him nor bring him back.“

The boy continued to rant and rave, But Tucker continued on his way.

As the breeze gently blew and the sun shined, Tucker thought of how all the people in this life, all the vanities of this world, and all the power of a king could not replace a single friend.

Tucker was realizing something brilliant, something powerful, something wonderful.

Life without love is not life at all.

Tucker walked home only to see Cooper standing off in the distance. Tucker walked forward with a victorious smile. He did not have to live like those people. He had Cooper who was more valuable than all the world could offer. Cooper stood waiting for Tucker while waving with a wave that simply meant,

“And I love you too.”

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Some days find themselves inside our memories forever. Some days shape us for an eternity.

“Tucker!”

“Cooper!”

The excitement was appropriate. It had been hours since the brothers had seen each other. Hours turn to second inside hearts bursting with

joy. Night becomes the median in which emotion communicates. Cooper and Tucker talked.

No.

Cooper and Tucker exposed themselves in a way people dream of. Every fear, hope, and ambition found their way into the boys’ conversation.

“Will we still be friends when I come to school?” Asked Cooper with concern.

“We will always be friends.” Said Tucker.

Uncertainty stood ahead of them. A lifetime of uncertainty to make it worse. Uncertainty loses its worry in the light of love. Forever established his eternity in a day. Maybe two brothers can see eternity together after all.

Of course they can.

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What makes something unique? Why is one brother unique to all the world?

So few would even know of him in a world where people number billions.

Cooper was a soul that embodied greatness. His heart was pure and his

imagination endless. Tucker always remained impressed in his brother’s character. Tucker was a boy of plain ambition and normal desire. His quest so often focused on greatness and perhaps that was the fall of greatness. When one’s pursuit becomes greatness, it seems greatness vanishes. A heart darkens when vanity finds a beat inside.

Cooper’s heart never darkened. His ambitions were the invisible beauties. His pulse pumped for the quiet things that never yelled for attention. It is a fact that beautiful things need only whisper to be heard. The amusing thing about those who appreciate the quiet beauties is this: They begin to have the essence of beauty radiating within themselves. The lover of art becomes the masterpiece.

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A reality we all face is loss.

A day at the beach could mean any number of things. Each pair of eyes has a mind of their own.

Tucker saw a shining sun, a blue sky, and beautiful waves. His family was enjoying a day away from the duties of life on this summer day.

Cooper was off in the distance swimming in the deep blue.

Tucker went to greet his friend as the situation became clear. Cooper had wondered too deep into the ocean. The fear on Cooper’s face became clearer in every second as Tucker desperately approached.

Cooper could not swim. Cooper could float.

The mind is rarely comforted by such facts when it has already realized the danger of the situation.

Panic struck.

Tucker grabbed onto Cooper.

Tucker could swim enough to stay above the water, but Cooper’s fear translated into Cooper grabbing onto Tucker for life.

Tucker was not able to swim with Cooper latched onto his chest.

Panic has a way of spreading. Tucker now jumped up and down off of the sand just to get their heads above water.

Life and death stared down as two boys faced them together.

The boys made it to shallow water. Tucker looked at Cooper now realizing the reality of loss. Tucker walked onto the dry sand beside his brother. Tucker had never been so happy to be with Cooper.

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Cooper was special among a world of people. He was intrinsically great.

He had discovered his own genius.

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Some people never are understood. Some people are never truly loved. This was not the case with the boys. They were opposites yet alike, though sometimes distant they were always close, brothers always. Tucker and Cooper had achieved a bond many never even

envy because of a lack of knowledge of its very existence.

The boys would be friends through life and death. They were born into friendship.

They had achieved an unending bond of love.

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Tucker and Cooper sat down on the rocks by the edge of the road sitting calmly in the quiet. Tucker broke the silence by asking Cooper,

“What is better, obedience or honesty?”

Cooper sat silently as Tucker continued on,

“The logical ones will tell you obedience because obedience will command honesty. I will tell you that honesty is better, and many will say I am wrong. Honesty reaches far deeper. Honesty is vulnerable.

To be vulnerable is a wonderful thing.

You can never forget this. You see, the heart begs to be vulnerable, But the mind begs to protect.

Both are to help you, Cooper.”

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So many people do not do things because they are afraid.

People do not even think sometimes because of fear.

On a night when you feel horrified, when a dark corner or a black forest have you scared, you need only walk into it. Fear is never so fearful when you are not afraid.

You must face your fears. You need to.

You will think of God and who He is, and at times you will be afraid. You will think of life and of your purpose, and you will be afraid of what you should do. You will think of death and of who you will lose, and you will be afraid because people can never be replaced.

But you will think.

You see, people are afraid to think.

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Today was a beautiful day. The sun shined brilliantly, and the clouds moved graciously. The grass was green and the world had a grin that said, “Come explore.” Cooper wandered outside.

He walked along familiar paths and recognizable trees. He felt the warmth of the sun bringing him a certain happiness that can only be enjoyed by one willing to take it in. Cooper took it all in. He saw a path that he had never explored before. Cooper decided to take his adventure further and began to walk down the dirt path. He journeyed and wondered at the world around him.

Cooper came to a sudden halt- he was lost. One moment he was exploring the beauty of all around him, in another moment he was completely disoriented.

Fear took grip of Cooper. Nonetheless he pressed on.

“I wonder if Tucker knows I am lost.” He quietly spoke to himself.

As he walked on he came to an opening where the path continued well past the trees. A deep voice spoke from the trees which were now behind Cooper.

“You are lost.”

Cooper turned with some degree of shock having never expected to hear a voice out here.

“Yes, I am lost. Where are you?” Cooper replied.

A wolf stepped out from the trees. His appearance was grizzly and fearsome yet bold and delightful.

“Why have you come here?” spoke the wolf.

Cooper gazed on his eyes that told stories of the toils of life.

“I saw the beauty in the sky, I walked outside to take it in, and I got lost from the path I know so well. My brother and I have travelled the path many times, but never did I travel the path I travelled today.”

The wolf looked on with a blank stare.

“Your brother, where is he?”

“My brother is back at home I assume. I want to get back to find him. And what may I call you, dear wolf?”

“My name is Dawson. I am a wolf among wolves yet I have lost my pack. You have not realized yet, but

your brother does not care for you. He is not concerned that you are lost. Neither will he search for you.”

Cooper stepped toward the wolf fearing not his powerful presence but instead seeing the heart of Dawson. He gently spoke, “You are wrong dear Dawson.”

The wolf looked on with surprise and replied,

“This Tucker will forget about you. Many unbreakable friendships have been broken before at only the slightest mishappening.”

Cooper undeterred gently spoke,

“You are wrong dear Dawson.”

The wolf raised his voice with anger,

“He will not come for you, Cooper! He will not come because he has forgotten. He has forgotten because he does not care!”

Cooper gently spoke,

“You are wrong dear Dawson. You see, you have forgotten how to forgive. When one forgets how to forgive one forgets how to love. You have forgotten how to love.”

Dawson’s posture fell from its boastful state as his head drooped down into a weak, thoughtful slope. He replied,

“Yes, dear Cooper. I have forgotten how to love.”

Cooper calmly spoke,

“But you can relearn how to love.”

Dawson gently replied,

“Let me show you your way home.”

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When one forgets how to forgive one forgets how to love.

The heart is a fragile thing. It longs so much to be satisfied. It cries during sunny days and smiles during the darkest storms. It is a thing so vulnerable, so explosive, so energetic, so mean, so daring, and so loving. Be aware that there are days when it is but a heartbeat away from failing. Watch for this. The people around you are in pain. The souls around you scream for peace. Put your arms around them, tell them about our friend the Savior, and give them love. You see, beyond even the heart is a wandering thing called the soul. The heart of the soul is the need for God.

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Cooper had a mysterious ability to captivate people. He was a person who drew attention from many people. He had a creativity that ran through his blood. He had a love that flowed from his life to everyone he knew. Cooper was, of course, a soul that embodied greatness. Cooper had an adventurous spirit that refused to see things as everyone else did. He saw the hidden beauties all around him. He saw

the good in everything. He saw the potential for true greatness.

Tucker and Cooper walked through their home playing and looking for adventure. They walked into a guest room that was mostly barren. Only a bed, some furniture, and a few fixtures decorated the room.

A tall mirror stood off the ground in the corner of the room. The boys walked toward the mirror as they looked into it. They loved to talk and pretend. They imagined themselves as great people doing great things. They dreamed impossible dreams that were never impossible.

Cooper ran to the bed and pulled a small, red blanket from the end of it. Cooper put the blanket around his back and tied it on his chest. He stared into the mirror with his chest puffed as he stood on his tiptoes.

He turned toward Tucker with a smile and asked,

“How do I look, Tucker?”

Tucker looked on with a gentle smile. He had realized it all.

He knew what the people saw in Cooper. He saw the gentle power of the creativity flowing

through his brother. Tucker saw the purest strength. He looked on royalty. He saw something great in the making.

“You are a prince.”

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*babump* *babump*

It was an ordinary day. Tucker walked with Cooper through the town on cobble roads that now seemed so familiar. They looked through windows to see all the shops that boasted of

untold happiness in each possession. They came upon a building that they did not know. Tucker and Cooper pushed their faces against the window pane to stare in. Just then a tall, slender man in a white coat stepped out the shop’s front door.

*babump* *babump*

“It is you two! I have been looking for you both!”

Tucker looked on with a great deal of confusion.

“What?”

The man leaned in and thoroughly examined the boys’ appearances.

“I have heard you from afar! The sound has been growing so much louder.”

Tucker looked at Cooper and realized Cooper was just as clueless as to what was happening. Cooper spoke up and simply said,

“You are a strange man.”

The man leaned back and quickly replied,

“I have been very rude. Forgive my lack of introduction. I heard you from far away

and still hear you now. I am the Doctor. My specialty is doing heart transplants. I notice you two have quite the heartbeats! Neither of you are in need of a heart transplant. Who was your surgeon?”

Tucker looked on with even more confusion,

“I do not know what you mean Mr. Surgeon.”

The Surgeon looked up to the sky with a bit of anguish then looked down.

“Many of the people here are heartless. They walk around without a beat. You two have beats that are quite strong.”

Cooper smiled and said,

“Well of course we have hearts. Why would we not?”

The Surgeon looked down at Cooper and smiled,

“To have a heart is a wonderful thing. Everyone you see here at one time had a heart. They gave them up in the name of being strong. They pulled them from their chests to avoid being vulnerable. They reminisce of when they relied on such fragile things and laugh.”

Cooper looked at the Surgeon and shrugged,

“Mr. Surgeon, those people have forgotten how to love. They have forgotten how to love because they forgot how to forgive. They wanted to protect themselves, but they have really hurt themselves.”

The Surgeon had a look of astonishment,

“You are correct my boy. You know things that others have long forgotten. You know things that adults have chosen to forget. I now see why your heart beats so strongly. You are one who has truly learned to love.”

Tucker and Cooper continued to walk through the town.

*babump* *babump*

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It was a cold day. A rather cold day indeed. Cooper put on a jacket and walked out the door to his house. The clouds blocked the warm touch of the sun, but the sky was still filled with color. Cooper pulled the cold air in his nostrils and breathed out. He walked out in the front lawn and stared at the clouds passing by. Cooper looked down and saw a man who was a good distance away. The man was walking down the road looking straight ahead and waving his arms around. He was obviously in a great deal of thought. Cooper walked to the edge of the road to see the man closer.

The man spoke to himself loudly,

“What of love? What of passion? What of God? What of man?”

Cooper looked at the man until suddenly the man saw Cooper and came to a stop.

“Who are you, young sir?”

Cooper was intrigued by the man and happily replied,

“My name is Cooper.”

The man looked around then spoke,

“I have come from a faraway land called Denmark. I am a philosopher looking at the world all around me. You may call me Hagen.”

“Hegel?”

“No, Hagen.”

Cooper pondered then asked,

“Dear Hagen, what was it that you spoke of before talking to me?”

Hagen turned back to look at the path he had just traversed then raised his eyebrows with enlightenment,

“I spoke of passion and purpose!”

“What of them?”

“Of passion how it drives purpose.”

“What do you mean?”

Hagen took off his hat and stared at the sky. He had quaffed hair that reflected the rays of the sun that sneaked past the clouds.

“I mean, young Cooper, that ‘our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.’ This means that the thing you make your desire will become your purpose.”

Cooper looked back at his house and thought to himself. Hagen looked at Cooper and said,

“What is the matter, young Cooper?”

There was a pause in the conversation.

Cooper responded,

“I am afraid to chase something that may not be worth being my purpose.”

Hagen had a face that showed complete seriousness.

“That is a possibility for us all. To truly live for a purpose and not merely for a desire is a rare thing. Too many people chase their desires without ever thinking of their purpose. The result is a purpose that has no purpose. ‘It belongs to the imperfection of everything human that man can only attain his desire by passing through its opposite.’ Look ahead to your purpose, not down at your desire.”

Hagen and Cooper looked each other straight in the eyes as Hagen continued to speak,

“What you believe changes what you do.”

Cooper thought for a moment, pulled his fist to his chest, and stated,

“And what you do shows what you believe.”

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This is the beginning of the end.

There is a place inside all of us that resists change. A part that is scared of uncertainty. A part that is scared of loss.

“Dear Cooper, I am afraid I have to go soon.”

It was a cold fall day. The leaves had made their majority on the ground, and the breeze left a sharp shiver on the faces of anyone staying outside.

Tucker and Cooper walked on the scattered leaves as they recounted thousands of memories. Cooper looked over at his friend and quietly spoke,

“Where are you going?”

The wind blew harder as the boys continued walking.

“Cooper, there is a place I am going that you are not allowed to go. There will come a day when you come with me, but today I go there alone.”

Cooper looked at Tucker and realized that everything he said was thought out and important.

“Tucker, I do not want you to go.”

The boys walked and suddenly Cooper noticed something very unique. There was a path in front of Tucker, no matter where he walked. The path behind Tucker would dissolve with every step. The path in front of Tucker changed constantly as if it was leading him to a specific place. Cooper stood in amazement. He had a sense that he should not speak or ask any questions concerning everything happening.

“The path is taking me to a place I have never been before. There is a door at the end that I have to go through.”

Cooper stared down and gripped his fists tightly.

“Stay here, Tucker! I do not like the way you are talking!”

The thick clouds drifted over the sun and made the whole sky darken. Tucker spoke,

“Sometimes you have no choice but to go.”

The path in front of Tucker began to glow with a fervent blue and green shine. Both the boys knew this meant they were very close. They walked and approached a hill. As they went up the incline, Tucker reached out his hand and touched Cooper on the shoulder then gently spoke,

“Do not be afraid.”

They arrived at the top of the hill and saw nothing but a small building. The building was made of brick and stood all by itself. The building had a large door but no windows. Tucker began to explain,

“That is the place. It is the door to adulthood. It is my time to walk through it.”

The dark sky was lit by the blue and green light of the path that now danced through the sky.

“Dear Cooper, we must all grow up, but we choose if we keep the happiness that we have had so simply now. It is a great thing to remember where you came from and who you are.”

Cooper cried and desperately grabbed Tucker’s hand.

Tucker hugged Cooper and smiled as a tear ran down his cheek,

“Dear Cooper, this is not the end. This is a new beginning.”

They hugged each other tightly, and Tucker began his final speech,

“When you step through the door, never forget the days we spent adventuring the world together. I will be waiting on the other side. I am just two steps ahead of you. You will always be my brother. You will always be my best friend.”

Tucker and Cooper let go of each other, and Tucker walked forward. The door slowly opened and light shined brightly through the doorway. Cooper squinted as tears continued to roll down his face. The only thing he could see was the silhouette of Tucker standing in the middle of the light. Cooper saw him turn around one last time as he took his final step through the door.

Tucker softly spoke,

“You are forever a prince.”

Tucker and Cooper is the story of two brothers who adventure all the beauties of life together. It is a story of a bond between two friends that knows no end.

This is the story of a boy who wanted to be a king and a boy who was a prince.