Special Chapter 15 Artaxerxes Wilton Part 2

I didn't bother them. I got emotional when I heard mom, she accepted me wholeheartedly like her own son. I didn't expect that I'll be able to have a whole family while before, I asked my mother where is my father. Why is he not around on the important days of our lives?

*After my mother's death, Dad came to bring me home. I don't want to talk to any of them, until one day… Mom hugged me tightly.

"It's okay to cry. You lost your mother, it's okay to cry." Mom said. The way she hugs me, I felt the love that my mother never let me felt. Right there, I cried… she also cry with me. From that day, I called her mom but not as often as other kids and especially not in front of her son.

The next day, someone knocked in my room then suddenly went in, it was Red. He brought his chess board game. "Do you know how to play or do you want to play other games?"

"It's okay, let's play that," I replied.

We're in the middle of playing when she suddenly looks at me. "I'm jealous of you." He said. "Dad always bought toys then send them to you while I… he only give me books as a gift."

"You're always with them."

"Not really. Dad is always in the hospital."

"Do you want to switch places?" I asked. We were like kids who are talking where we are already in 5th grade.

"No need. Let's ask them to give us an entertainment room in the middle of our rooms so we can play together."    

"Whoa! That's okay!"

"I told daddy about it but he doesn't want to, he said you might get jealous."

"But why? You just said that you want to play with me."

"Yes, it's boring playing alone. Mommy said she can't give me a brother or sister, it won't be good for her health, she might die if she'll give me a sibling. I don't want mom to die. So, when mommy told me that daddy will bring you home, I'm so happy! Thankfully, you are also a boy like me at least we can play basketball. I won't going to play alone anymore!"

I'm taken aback by what I heard. I never felt that they don't like me at all. I cried, all I thought was they won't like me being here.

"What? Are you hurt somewhere?" he asks in a panic. "I think I said something that hurt you, please don't cry." He said coaxing me. I felt nervous when he suddenly stood up.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'm going to call mommy, she might be able to stop you from crying. Mommy hugs me whenever I cry and it's effective, she was able to stop me from crying."

I couldn't help but cry, I remember the moment his mom hugged me. He suddenly hugs me. "Okay, I won't call mommy anymore. I guess, you remember your mother that's why you're crying…" he said tapping my back.

It was my first week in school but we went home with wounds and bruises on our faces. Mom got mad at us.

Red frowned. "Why wouldn't I fight, Mom?" he asks. "They don't know anything, so they don't have the right to say that!" he irritably said. "They were bullying my brother and I'll just let that happen?" he said with annoyance. "You! Why didn't you fight back? They were all attacking you at once and yet you didn't fight!" he said with anger.

I was stunned by what he said. Yet what they said is true about me so why would I fight back?

"Don't look at me like that Art! You're my brother, you aren't adopted! You're not a bastard! My mom is your mom too! They don't know anything so they should just shut up!" he said. "We'll just take a bath." He informed mom then clicked his tongue. "I'm not going to wear this uniform anymore, it's torn, yours too!" he said then pulled me to his room. We bathed together; he didn't stop from his sermon during our bath time. "Wear this, I think it would fit in you."

We were a bit afraid when we saw dad who was waiting for us as if he'll shout madly asking why we did fight those kids. Red ignored him and pulled me into the kitchen. "Mom, can you take care of Art's wounds?" I dropped my jaw when he said all of the wounds I had on my body, now I know why he said we should take a bath together and why did he ask me to wear his clothes. We went to the living room. Mom and I heard a loud slap.

"Daddy, I won't allow anyone to bully Art! We haven't had our first fight like the normal siblings, I haven't experienced the moment that Art and I will punch each other because of a toy or gadget then we'll end up laughing and act as if nothing happened after that fight then those kids will have the guts to punched and kicked him?"

"Who punched those three kids? Why did they end up like that?" mom asks me. They already saw the kids we fought with earlier in school. I pointed to Red as an answer.

"Daddy, how about you? If you saw me being punched and I'm not even fighting back, what are you going to do?" Red courageously asks.

"I'm going to get you out of that place." Daddy replied.

"Then, we're different, daddy. I'm going to have revenge first and let them feel what they did to you before I let you out of that place," he said. "Sorry, if you got called from work just to come to the school because I saved my brother from being bullied and let those kids taste their actions." He sarcastically said.

"That's not the reason why I'm mad, Red. You made us worried." Daddy said.

We were in the dining room, Red proudly said that we ran when he saw what happened to the kids who bullied me.

"Art, you're not adopted. You are my son." daddy said. "You are our son," he added.

"I told you!" Red said then bumped his elbow on me.

"Ouch!" I winced from the pain.

He also winced when he realized what he have done. "Sorry."*

"Were you there all along?" I asked Red.

"Yes. You have a lot of things in mind, hmm?"

"Not really. I just got frightened earlier  after I saw Storm outside his room." I replied.

He chuckled. "It's in the garden, still in the vicinity of the hospital. What if she gets her out of the hospital?" I stared at him. "Rackie promised Storm that when he finally gets better, they will go to the beach." I just blinked my eyes in disbelief.

"I don't know what to do to that girl! She removed the headache I'm having with Dr. Allie but in exchange, she became the reason for my headache!"

"Hmm… Dr. Allie is now the reason for my headache, he always follows Rackie." Red said pouting.

We laughed together. "Let's go and play the Xbox. Let's unwind and let the stress get away from us." I said.

"I'm in! The one who will lose will buy some snacks later."

"Sure! Should the lost one buy everything that the winner will ask?"

"Game!"

This is our vice. The only thing that we fought for was when he cheated but after the long and tiring punch I gave to him and all night crying we did that day, it seems like nothing changed but it was so obvious on his eyes and face due to the bruises he had from me.