An image appeared and Jaden sees his family and friends around him. He sees his birthday cake he remembers that it said Jaden 13 on top of it. His older brother is at his side cheering for him.
“Make a wish, little brother!” Douglas yelled.
Jaden smiled and was so happy. He blew out the candles. His father, mother, aunts and his friend James are around him. He missed a candle, so Jaden blows harder.
‘I remember wishing my family stayed together that year. I believe this was January 14, 1994. There was so much fighting between my parents that year. I miss my older brother so much.’
“Thirteen punches! Thirteen punches for Jaden!” Jaden’s best friend James yelled. James a chubby, white boy that has cake all over his mouth, punched Jaden’s arm thirteen times.
“Come on James, we are getting too old for the thirteen punches thing,” Jaden said.
“Yeah, but I figured we could keep doing this until we both have girlfriends or married,” James said.
James ran towards the backyard in the house with more cake in his hand. Jaden’s five years older brother Douglas walked over to him. Douglas a brown-eyed, ladies man with a smooth voice, placed his arm around Jaden. Douglas wore an Aerosmith sweater, winter coat and blue jeans.
“You know little brother you’re getting older and older each year. You’re going to have to look after mom soon, with pop working so much. How’s your karate class going?” He asked.
“They are going well I’m going to make brown belt by next year. What do you mean; I’m going to have to look over mom soon?”
“I wanted to tell you first,” he paused and swallowed, “Listen younger brother, I’m going to joining the Marines when I turn 18 in June. I didn’t tell mom and dad yet.”
Light blue-eyed Jaden looked down at his ice cream birthday cake melting.
“The Marines? Why? Why can’t you just go to college? I don’t want you to go into the Marines,” teary-eyed Jaden said.
“Don’t worry Jaden, I’ll be back twice a year and I’ll have my own money for college. You know mom and dad are going through a financial situation now. I’ll definitely be back to take you to your first strip club when you turn 18.”
“Strip club? What’s in there?”
“When you’re 18, you’ll know all about it.”
“I don’t want you go Douglas,” young Jaden said.
“You’ll be okay, I want the chance to explore the world and do something with my life,” Douglas said.
Douglas walked to the backyard, by the apple tree while Jaden followed. Douglas pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lights one.
“Douglas, why do you smoke cigarettes?”
“They relax me when I’m stressed and it’s something I’m used to. They are not for you though. Don’t smoke these, they are bad for you kid,” Douglas said.
Jaden admired the white smoke floating away into the air. Jaden hugged his older brother and looked him in the eyes.
“If I had your eyes Jaden, the women would be all over me.”
“What’s so good about blue eyes?”
“It’s something that women love and it creates a nice look for you. Us being bi-racial it’s also not that common. You got pop’s eyes, and I got mom’s eyes.”
Douglas took another pull of the cigarette and 4’8” Jaden hugged him quickly.
Douglas coughed up the smoke. “What are you doing little man?”
“Don’t go Douglas; I don’t want you to join the military. Please don’t go, don’t go, please don’t go,” Jaden said as the vision fades away into stars.
The UFO’s and Jaden’s molecules are traveling faster than light through subspace. Jaden is looking through a nanoscanner as it passes through a never-ending tunnel covered in light particles. He sees thousands of stars passing by all around him in different sizes. Everything is inverted like a negative filmstrip that is not developed. Then he sees many different inverted colors. It is very quiet as Jaden is flying through sub-space. The stars have a purple bright grey color.
His mind has another flashback.