"You bastard. After all what your father has done for you, you still have the guts to go against him."
"Haha. Even going as far as letting a man put his cock in your pussy. You ain't got a fucking pussy man. It's a cock you've got down there. Accept reality."
"Even knowing your father hates homosexuals, didn't you for once think of what your father would do to you when he finds out you are gay?"
"Too late to think. We wouldn't be beating shit out of him if his father didn't give us the go ahead."
Bram heard them all. His father, the man they all looked up to, had asked ten of his men to beat up their eldest brother, all because he had a male lover. But even if it was just to beat him, that would have been better, but what was it their father said?
"Hmmph, since you seem to have a fetish for dicks, I will give you a once in a lifetime opportunity to suck all the dicks you want."
These ten men were not to only beat him, but they were to also rape him, time and over again. And that they did, after beating him, and they didn't stop until he lost consciousness.
*****
Bram was by the bedside, holding his brother's palm in his, when he saw him open his eyes.
"Oliver" he called out loud, happy to see his brother once more. Oliver looked at him with such gentleness, even though he was in pain. He gestured to Bram to come closer, and Bram did. He stroked Bram's hair gently for some while, to probably calm himself. Bram took notice of this and ended up rafting his head on Oliver's chest.
Bram did his best not to talk about what happened. His brother had been unconscious for a while week. He was sure Oliver would not want to touch that topic.
"What about the rest?"
He heard his brother say. He raised his head up, but surprisingly, Oliver took his head down.
"Oh!" he said out of surprise and not in response to the question asked.
"What of your younger ones?" Oliver asked again.
"They left not so long ago. I asked them to go get some sleep. They are both worried about you."
He didn't raise his head up as he tried to earlier, but Oliver could hear the pain in his voice.
"Tell them I love them."
Bram forcefully rose his head and he looked into Oliver's hopeless eyes.
"Why don't you tell them that yourself."
Oliver just chuckled. He looked away and looked outside through the windows. The sky was as dark as his hopelessness.
"Bram" he called, but still refused to look at him.
"Yes" Bram replied as he held Oliver's palm in his again, but this time around, Oliver slipped his hand away and intertwined his own fingers together.
Bram looked sad. He could tell why Oliver did what he did, but he could not bear to point it out.
"When you are ready to be in a relationship, find a girl from a noble family, one who won't tarnish your good image. Give our parents beautiful grandchildren. Take good care of your younger ones. Protect them from themselves. Be the good big brother I was unable to be to you all. Make sure they live a better life."
Tears were pouring out of Bram's eyes. He was not liking this a single bit.
"Are you planning to leave us?"
He was not foolish, neither was he going to pretend to be foolish. It was very obvious that Oliver planned to leave.
Oliver finally looked at him. His eyes were watery, he was doing his best to hold back his tears.
"I hope you live a happy life."
*****
Bram facepalmed himself as tears came rushing out of his eyes. That memory was a memory that haunted him. He could vividly remember how his brother would look sad, beaten and raped, time and over again, there was no end to the pain. But Oliver had proved there was a way, and he chose the easiest way.
Bram could never forget seeing the body, the lifeless body of his elder brother dangling in the air. The rope with which he committed suicide, tied round the barricade of his window. His body was out there, for all eyes to see. He saw his father give around orders for the body to be brought down without any sign of remorse on his face.
The only thing Bram was glad about was the fact that his younger ones did not get to witness such a sight when entering the compound, they didn't get to see that their father had never seen them as humans with emotions, but as objects that were to be discarded once they lost their worth.
Oliver once used to be their father's favourite, since he was the perfect son, the only thing that he had disappointed their father in, was his sexuality choice, and that ended up being the death of him.
The promise Oliver made him promise was what kept Bram going.
"Make sure they live a better life."
That was a promise he was determined to fulfill. And even if forsaking his own happiness was the cost, he was ready to let go of his happiness. All he wanted was for his younger ones to live a happy life without fear of what their father might do to them. He wanted to set them all free from their father. It all, was just a matter of time.