Jonathan

"You killed him."
Jonathan looked up at his father.
"You killed my son. You killed Mathew."
A mother started screaming in the background. Crying and sobbing hysterically.
"Mathew! Mathew! MATHEW!" He eyes desperately looking, trying to find her son.
Her eyes found someone. Someone who looked identical to him. Who could be him.
"Mathew?" She asked before collapsing.

Mother had always been a sensitive soul. Bless her heart. She is not to blame. May she find peace. But why did she have to do this? Why couldn't she accept the devastating truth?
Unable to accept the fact that her Mathew had died. She decided that he hadn't. This is all very well. But Mathew wasn't there. You could only pretend someone isn't dead for so long, because they're not there. Once you realises this you are forced to realise the truth.
But this mother could pretend. Because she had someone who was exactly like her deceased son.
So from then on, Jonathan was called Mathew. On Mathew's grave it said 'Jonathan', friends and family were told the news about Jonathan's death. But not on any account, do you mention this to Mother. Yes she's going through a difficult time at the moment, she doesn't even remember Jonathan. No, we don't want her to see a doctor. I'm sure she'll get better soon. Just make sure you don't mention Jonathan to her.
That's right.
Jonathan doesn't exist anymore.

At first he couldn't cope with it. He would curl up in a corner and mutter "My name is Jonathan. My name is Jonathan." There were a couple of close calls, were mother almost heard. One day she heard him and asked "Who's Jonathan?"
Father grabbed his son by his back collar, and dragged him to another room. Where he shut the door firmly.
"Are you not satisfied?" he spat.
"What?" The boy muttered with confusion.
"First you kill my son. Now you are planning to break Mother. Do you want to destroy everything around you? You disgust me. Listen, this is what I want of you. We will move town soon, and when we do you will become Mathew. You are no longer Jonathan. You are Mathew. You don't deserve the name, but it will have to do. You will also look happy and act happy. There is only one emotion you are now allowed to feel. That is pain. Sadness, anger, depression, excitement and love. You will not feel them, because you do not deserve them. You murderer."

So that is what happened.
They moved to a new town, were he was introduced to the class as 'Mathew'. He looked happy and acted happy. But inside he felt nothing but pain. Funny enough, this had a weird effect. Whenever he saw someone in pain, it was like their emotions were loaded onto him. One day, he saw a girl crying alone in the classroom, and he thought:
"One day, I will go to hell, because I killed my brother. I have sinned greatly. But I wonder, if I was to help this girl, would I be able to go to hell, knowing that I did some good. Even though it doesn't make up for my sins?"
So he went in, and comforted her.
And soon, he became a kind of saint in the school.

"But no matter who I help, no matter what others think of me. It will not change the fact that I am a murderer. I cannot be sad, angry, depressed or excited. There is no love in me, there is only pain."
She had listened to all of this. Plainly and fairly. And had this is say.
"Jonathan-"
"My name is not Jonathan."
"Yes it is."
They looked at each other stubbornly. She continued.
"Jonathan. You sit to the left of me, a couple of seats ahead. I know nearly every expression on your face. I have seen you over the years, and there is no way that you do not feel sadness, anger, depression or excitement. I do not know about love...."
He turned away from her, again looking at the sunset.
"This is not right. I do not think you are a murder, but even if you were. Even if you had killed Mathew with you bare hand. I would still love you. Even if I didn't love you, I would think that you have received a punishment to hard for anyone to bare. Listen to me Jonathan. You have payed your debt. So why are you still in your shackles? You have felt pain, just like Mathew asked you to; You have worn the name Mathew, just like your father asked you to. I will now come."
She walked over to him and grabbed his wrist.
"And I will release you from your shackles. You are now free."
He looked at her in amazement and disbelief.
"LISTEN EVERYONE! JONATHAN IS NOW FREE!" She shouted to the world.
"Jonathan is now free." She told him.
He looked at her and smiled, love in his eyes.

"Thank you Anna."