Big Brother Alibaba chapter one: The Mysterious Child Aladdin
Alibaba sighed as he headed back to his house. It wasn't really a house in all honesty, but a dump. It was more like a rented out room.
It was all Alibaba could afford. Let's face it, Boodle doesn't pay much, and Alibaba often thought about moving on. He wanted to be rich, so rich that he'd even use gold coins for pillows. It may not sound very comfortable to you, but to Alibaba gold was a dream...literally.
He was almost home, just a few more turns before reaching the door. But then he had a funny feeling that he was being watched. He looked around, but saw no one. However, the feeling was still there. He tried to ignore it, probably some drunk sicko who was looking for trouble. He shook his head and began walking again.
Then he heard a sound like someone sneezing. He turned around again and thought he saw someone watching him from behind a corner. Confused, but also curious, Alibaba walked over to the corner and saw a child.
The child stared up at him with cloudy blue eyes. It was a boy, perhaps around the age of six. He had filthy dark hair and dirty skin. His clothes were dirty and he was wearing a flute hanging on a string around his neck.
"Hey, are you okay? Are you lost? Where are your parents?" Alibaba asked the boy. The boy made no response as he continued to look up at him. He had a hand covering his mouth, probably from trying not to sneeze. He looked scared as he looked up at the older teen before him.
Alibaba noticed how scared the child looked and knelt down so he wouldn't intimidate the child and tried to smile.
"Hey, it's okay. I won't hurt you. I just want to help you. See?" he asked as he held out his hand for the child to touch. The boy looked at Alibaba's hand for a minute before putting his own small hand in the teen's. Alibaba smiled again and nodded.
"That's better. What's your name? Can you talk?"
The boy looked away, but nodded.
"Uh-huh...I'm...Aladdin," the boy stammered.
"Aladdin, huh? Nice name. What happened? Why are you so dirty? Are you lost? Where are your parents?" Alibaba asked carefully.
Aladdin didn't answer as he wrapped his arms around Alibaba and began crying in the older teen's clothes. Alibaba was surprised at first, but then he hugged the child too. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he should help this boy. He didn't know how, but he knew he had to. He felt connected to him somehow.
"Hey, it's okay! Don't cry. I'm here to help you, remember?" Alibaba said as he tried to calm the crying boy. He shushed him and rubbed his head. "Come on, no more tears. You can be strong, right?"
Aladdin sniffled, but he nodded and wiped away his tears. Alibaba found himself beginning to smile again.
"That's better. I don't know what happened, but why don't you come stay the night with me? I can't leave you out here all by yourself," he suggested. Aladdin nodded.
Alibaba stood up, but rested his hands on his knees so he could still see eye to eye with Aladdin. He held out his hand and Aladdin took it hesitantly. Alibaba lead the way back to his place with the child following beside him.
He opened the door and they walked in. Alibaba got a small knife and cut a piece of meat.
"Are you hungry?" he asked as he offered the food to Aladdin. Aladdin nodded and accepted the offered food. Alibaba cut his own piece and began to think about what he was going to do with this kid. He needed a bath, that's for sure. He didn't have a lot of pillows to sleep on, so they would have to share. He needed a place to stay, but Alibaba wasn't sure if he could take on the full responsibility of taking care of a child. They were a lot of trouble sometimes, and they often got sick.
Alibaba finished his meal and rubbed the back of his head, he'll have to worry about that tomorrow. He was tired, and the child needed a bath.
He had Aladdin follow him to the tub and prepared the bath for the child. Once it was all ready, Alibaba smiled.
"Okay, Aladdin, time for a bath!" he announced. Aladdin looked at the bathtub and shook his head.
"Uh-uh!"
"Why not?" Alibaba was confused and put his hand in the water. He began to smile as he splashed his hand around to make bubbles. "See? It's nice! And it feels good, too!"
He began to peel off the child's clothes, but Aladdin shook his head.
"I don't wanna!"
"It won't hurt, you'll like it!" Alibaba promised.
He picked up the child and put him in the tub. Aladdin wanted out at first, but he started to giggle as Alibaba began scrubbing his hair with shampoo.
As Alibaba scrubbed the child, he noticed that the child's black hair was actually blue...and really long. The dirt from his skin was washed away to reveal milky white skin. Even Aladdin's cloudy eyes seem to light up, turning into a bright blue. He looked clean, and seemed to be in a better mood too.
"Okay, Aladdin, time to get out!" Alibaba smiled as he grabbed a towel. He wrapped it around the child and took him out of the tub. As the dirty water drained away, Alibaba rubbed the child's body with the towel. Aladdin giggled when Alibaba rubbed his hair dry.
"Alright," Alibaba said once he had the child back in his clothes. It was a blue vest with white Arabic pants and a golden sash. "Now, let's see about what to do about your hair."
Alibaba luckily had a spare brush and began to brush Aladdin's hair. Aladdin didn't like to sit still for very long and began to fuss. Alibaba tried to be patient with him as he attempted to braid the child's hair.
"Aladdin, stop it."
"No, I want Ugo!"
"Ugo?" Alibaba questioned. "What does that mean?"
Aladdin pouted and crossed his arms, seeing as he had no choice but to sit there until Alibaba was finished with his hair. Alibaba was still confused at the child's outburst, but he soon finished braiding Aladdin's hair.
"Now it's time for bed!" Alibaba said as he gathered the pillows to make a bed for him and Aladdin.
"I want Ugo!" Aladdin yelled. Alibaba was surprised at the boy's yelling.
"Aladdin, don't yell. It's late and you might wake up the neighbors," Alibaba said as he put a finger to his lips and shushed at the child.
"I want Ugo!" Aladdin said again, ignoring Alibaba.
"Who's Ugo?" Alibaba asked with a sigh.
Aladdin didn't answer as he pointed towards a flute. It was the same flute the child had been wearing before. Alibaba had put it on the table while he had been giving Aladdin a bath. Still confused, Alibaba picked it up and pointed to it.
"This?"
Aladdin nodded. Alibaba handed it back to Aladdin, who swiped it away from the older teen.
"It mine!" he said as he held it close.
"Uh, sure...," Alibaba said. He didn't understand why Aladdin wanted the flute so much. Maybe it had belonged to his parents? Wherever and whomever they were.
Alibaba lied down on the pillows with a yawn. He was exhausted. Aladdin only watched him, maybe he wasn't sure if it was okay to sleep beside Alibaba.
Alibaba looked at the child with sleepy eyes.
"Come on, I won't bite," he said as he patted at the pillows beside him. Aladdin nodded shyly and carefully lied down beside Alibaba. Alibaba smiled as he put a blanket over himself and the child.
"Goodnight, Aladdin," he said before drifting off to sleep.