In 2018, on the 14th of February, what happened to be a regular day at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School located in Florida, turned out to be tragic. It was because of the shooting incident that took place that day, but despite the chaos and fear, two brothers exchanged heartfelt messages.
Sam, the older brother, was 18 back then, whereas Matthew, the younger sibling, was 14, and while the gunman was inside the halls, roaming around, shooting blindly, the brothers checked up on each other through messages to make sure they were safe. Samt extended Matthew, asking if he was okay, as it was at that moment all he cared about was his brother’s life.
However, Matthew’s reply to the text overflowed the conversation with emotions and showed the beauty of family and brotherhood. In the text, Matthew replies that he hopes he will be okay and tells Sam that he loves him and is the best brother. With teary eyes, Sam read the message and assured him that they would be able to get out safely from school and everything would be fine.
The conversation did not just end there as Matthew continued to tell how the shooters had killed his teacher, and the teacher’s dead body was lying just on the doorway, in the room where he hid. He also asked if there were any signs of the police arriving. Upon reading the message, Sam, a protective brother, instructed Matthew not to do anything, no matter the circumstances. He repeatedly wrote the same message. It was clear that Matthew was scared for his life, and the young boy was stuck on the third floor of the high school.
Thankfully, both brothers safely escaped the incident and were unharmed. After a few days of the incident, Sam tweeted about everything from the day, including how he felt and what they saw that day. He also mentioned that what scared him the most was the fear that, despite his brother being on the floor above him, he did not know if they would ever see each other again.
Sam agreed that he couldn’t give Matthew, his younger brother, the affection he should have been treated with, but the relief Sam got upon getting out that day was what he had never experienced before. It was the love and the purity of their bond. Moreover, Sam also sent in prayers for the families that were affected by the incident, as many people were injured and killed. Sam also revealed his fears for the future and how he would always be worried for his other brother, who was in grade six, as all he wanted was for the siblings to be safe.
After reading Sam’s tweet and seeing the screenshots of the chat between brother from that day, people sent him love and praised his efforts and bravery. Any person in that situation would have panicked, but he fulfilled his elder sibling’s responsibility despite being stuck. Their story shows how, through tragedy and fear, humans realise a lot, too!
