A Different Type of Hero

Warren Fitzgerald was only twenty-two years old. He appeared far older, not only due to his mature expressions and somewhat weathered face, but also his extensive vocabulary, unusual confidence and the way he carried himself, in general. His older look actually added to his attractiveness; he seemed to radiate knowledge of a secret to which no one else was privy. His piercing dark eyes and matching hair, neatly coiffed, only added to the effect, He had skipped college (for now), in order to climb the corporate ladder and make his own way.

Warren worked at a local branch of a highly prestigious bank as a supervisor; only two years after his entry level position as a teller, Warren showed admirable qualities. His pragmatic approach to problem solving, resourcefulness, and affable manner with customers and coworkers alike, gained him high esteem at the workplace. In fact, these same qualities facilitated abundance in all areas of Warren’s life.

Women and girls were constantly attracted to him, and men of all ages simply wanted to be around him, hoping his success would rub off on them.

The admiration, devotion and respect that characterized Warren were what made him thrive. In most people’s eyes, Warren Fitzgerald was a superhero.

On this busy Tuesday morning at the bank, a woman was telling him how he was the perfect man. “You have no flaws,” Mrs. Peabody gushed, her face flushing with embarrassment as she continually threw compliments at the amused man.

Warren smiled at Mrs. Peabody. “Everybody has flaws,” perfectly straight teeth of gleaming white belied his statement. But Mrs. Peabody just giggled nervously like a schoolgirl, despite her sixty-five years.

Not wanting to leave, the woman told Warren how he must be prepared to buy a house by now, to build a family. That she knew he’d be promoted any day to an even higher ranking. After all, he could do anything.

Warren, who was not one to tell one iota of his personal business, just smiled again and said, “We’ll see, Mrs. Peabody. Have a wonderful rest of your day.” The sting was taken out of the gentle dismissal with a heart melting smile and he watched his customer practically float out of the bank.

This behavior toward the young man continued, as it always did, but he was already planning his lunch. Where did he go every day? Nobody knew the answer to that question, but there were plenty of theories within the branch. A beautiful, wealthy fiancée; a group of important friends; a secret society. Warren let them guess and walked briskly out the door as he always did.

Getting in his car, Warren started the engine, ensured that no one was following him, and headed towards home. The one place he never let anyone see. Because this home was not what anyone would expect for Warren Fitzgerald. It was humble and small, dilapidated in parts where he intended to put in work when he had the time to do so. And waiting inside was a boy of nineteen, dark and handsome like Warren, but without the charm, wit or strength. Lucas Fitzgerald was Warren’s brother, best friend…and also his best kept secret.

Walking into the humble abode, Warren signed, “Hello Lucas! I brought you some lunch.” Lucas got up and hugged his brother, smiling from ear to ear. Lucas had been born deaf and mute; his learning was delayed. The two Fitzgerald children had been orphaned as teens due to a fatal car crash involving both parents and, barely eighteen at the time, Warren fought privately to keep his then fifteen-year-old brother in his care. And won. That he worked so hard and kept up appearances to succeed for his future was true. That it was because he was vain and driven for his own happiness was not. Warren was doing everything in his power to give Lucas the life he knew his brother deserved. And as far as Warren was concerned, that was no one’s business but his own.

* * * * * * * * *

Christmastime was fast approaching and Warren realized he had some vacation time that he needed to use before the new year arrived. Deciding that this was the perfect time to work on the house, he stopped off at every hardware store within a twenty mile radius and bought everything he could possibly need for repairs. But first he wanted to get the annual Fitzgerald Christmas Tree with Lucas. Warren always let Lucas pick any tree he wanted from the little tree farm they frequented since moving to town for a fresh start. Sometimes the trees Lucas chose were lacking or lopsided, but Warren always congratulated his brother on his choice and together they always made the tree look prettier than any they’d seen on TV.

As they were heading for Warren’s second car, which was actually an old pick up truck for just these types of endeavors, Lucy Fairfax pulled into their driveway. Lucy had been a teller at the bank for years before Warren had accepted the entry level position. But while Warren had advanced, Lucy had never been promoted.

As Lucy got out of her car and Warren realized who it was, he felt the color drain from his face. He knew that she’d likely gone through documents she should not have in order to find his place of residence. The small redheaded woman laughed. “This is where you live? Our hero and infallible leader? The one everyone says dines with royalty during his lunch hour?” By now, uproarious laughter was escaping from the spiteful Lucy. Warren was furious.

“Get off my property now!” But Lucy didn’t budge. Taking out her phone, she began to get her camera ready. “Stop!” cried Warren.

Just then, Lucy caught sight of Lucas. “Oh, my, my. Who have we here? Or should I ask what have we here? This is certainly not the charmed life you’d have the whole world believing you’re living, that’s for sure!”

Warren started dialing a number for the trespasser get off his property when a loud cry escaped Lucas and he started running towards the street. “Now look what you’ve done!” Running after his brother, Warren wasn’t present to see Lucy take photo after photo of the quiet, private home…and of the disabled younger brother running into the woods. The one that Warren had told no one about.

* * * * * * * * *

After a long and happy vacation and holiday, excluding the one trespassing incident, Warren once again had to prepare for work. Praying that Lucy had kept her mouth shut and that life could go on as normal, he gave his brother some morning activities to stimulate his mind, and a hearty breakfast. Then he signed ‘Goodbye, I love you’ and headed to his job.

What will they think of me now? Will they know that I’m not the perfect man they perceived me to be, after all? More and more thoughts and fears flooded his mind as Warren neared the bank.

Upon arrival, he pulled into a spot, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. It’s now or never, he thought and headed inside.

Sure enough, his fellow employees were staring at him. He winced. This was the one place where he needed to seem successful so that he could progress in life. But Warren could see in their stares that everyone knew he was a fraud. Going to his office, Warren started gathering up his things when there was a loud knock on the door. “Come in,” he sighed. His usual charm and energy had been replaced with what could only be described as defeat.

Kenneth Beckett, his boss, walked in and studied the young man carefully before talking. “Warren, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m leaving to find another job. To start over in another town. My brother needs me and I may have been ruined here, but I won’t be somewhere else. Even if we have to live in a hotel, my brother and I are going to make it.”

Kenneth asked if he could sit and then did so following Warren’s affirmative answer. “Warren,” Kenneth Beckett said slowly, “I think you’re misunderstanding your place in our establishment.”

Barely able to meet the man’s eyes, Warren lifted his head and said, “No, Mr. Beckett. I understand my place perfectly here. I am not the superhero you’re looking for and certainly not someone you’d want to advance to a higher position in your prestigious branch.”

But Kenneth held up a hand. “Two things, Warren,” he said now. “First of all, at this particular moment, you are not the Warren Fitzgerald that I know. The Warren I know has confidence, integrity and a gift for assisting customers. I never would have expected to see such a defeatist attitude in you, of all people.” Warren started to protest, but Kenneth went on talking, “We need you at this bank; you are a wonderful leader, our best employee. We don’t care about your home life or whether you come from wealth. We care about the way you present yourself and the job you do here.”

That almost made Warren smile. He stopped gathering his things for a moment. “I guess I can handle the gossip that must be going around,” he said thoughtfully. “Maybe I was a bit too hasty in my retreat. It’s just that I’m very protective of Lucas. Of my brother.”

Nodding, Kenneth looked as if he had something important to say. “That sounds more like the Warren I know. And just so you understand, I believe there’s been a misunderstanding on your part.”

Warren looked at him fearfully, but Kenneth continued, “We already know about your history and where you live here at the bank. We knew that when you applied. Your definition of a hero is a little off. Our company doesn’t consider someone who has everything and gives his all to be a hero. On the contrary, it’s someone who carries out a job better than anyone else despite difficult circumstances. Someone who cares so much for his own flesh and blood that he sometimes forgets his own happiness. We don’t hire people based on status or wealth and that certainly isn’t the reason for promotions. It’s your work ethic that matters here. That and your ability to perform your duties while making customers happy every day. That’s invaluable to any business. And that’s what you do for this company.”

Warren felt himself go red. Now he couldn’t meet his boss’s eyes for a completely different reason. “I guess I was being a bit self-absorbed, but I do have a strong sense of pride…”

“As you should. Your work here is impeccable. Lucy has been let go for her unprofessional and despicable behavior. Last I heard, she went to work in a pizza shop. The perfect gossip factory for someone like her,” Kenneth chuckled. “That’s off the record, of course.”

Warren shook Mr. Beckett’s hand and smiled. He realized that he still had a lot to learn about life, no matter how much he’d been through. He was still barely an adult. He was grateful for all his accomplishments in such a short time. And he realized he was a “superhero”, after all, but not for the reasons he’d thought. He was a hero for all the things he’d once been ashamed of, all the things that made him who he truly was.

More important than that, however, was that Warren Fitzgerald understood that what other people thought about him didn’t matter. He felt great about himself and his brother. They were a strong and happy little family filled with love. They were looking at a bright future. And that not only made Warren a hero, it made him the wealthiest man alive.