Eyes closed, focusing on the spirit of breathing, Adam begins exhaling through his nose.
Slowly he opens his eyes and gazes at the far away spot.
Extending his arm he stretches and points toward the spot until the exhalation begins to wane. He allows his eyes to close and relaxes his arm, allowing it to fall to his side.
Adam inhales deeply, beginning ki breathing as he focuses internally now.
Until he feels a touch on his shoulder. Without altering his breathing, Adam reaches up and grasps the wrist of the hand that’s touching him. Turning evasively while breaking free of the shoulder grip, he puts his attacker on the mat.
His brother angrily protests, “Hey!”
Adam stops and blinks, releasing the wrist. “What are you doing here?”
His brother shakes his head and says, “We’ve got to stop meeting like this. Could you maybe try to remember that I live here too?”
“But you snuck up on me.” Adam is annoyed to hear the whine in his own voice. The problem is that his brother always makes him feel like a little kid.
There has never been any doubt that Adam was the smart one. But his brother has always had the far more valuable gift of sociability. Sometimes Adam has to quell a touch of jealousy for this older sibling who glides so effortlessly through life, as suave and charming as any Hugh Grant character.
Adam extends a hand and helps his brother up.
“I wish you wouldn’t keep doing that. I just want to work out. That’s why I put in the weight room.”
“Sorry.”
“You wanna spot me?”
Adam nods, “Alright.”
Adam loves his brother. He just doesn’t like to be startled.
