AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thank you so much to everyone who continues to support my story, much appreciated. Enjoy :)
Chapter 14- Big brother to the rescue
Casey 6, Heath 13
Brax rushed around trying to make sure Casey's backpack was all set to go and that Cheryl had made his lunch.
"Mum! Mum!" Brax called.
Cheryl gave a groan from the kitchen, "What Darryl?"
"Are you able to pick Casey up from school today? I have to work."
"Augh, can't you let him catch the bus, I'm tired."
Brax huffed. Cheryl had gotten into some alcohol last night after an argument with Danny and had since felt miserable.
"Mum, he can't!" Brax snapped.
Cheryl glared at Brax ready to argue but Heath spoke up, "I'll pick him up."
Brax shook his head. "Heath, Casey finishes half an hour earlier than you; you'd have to leave at 2:30 to pick him up in time," Brax explained.
"And?" Heath questioned, like it was obvious.
Brax knew Heath wasn't fond of school and only went to socialize with his mates, but he didn't push the education thing too much with Heath because he was just glad he was at school, keeping him out of trouble.
Brax thought for a moment. "Alright, it'll have to do."
Brax walked down the hall wondering where Casey was, he'd left to get dressed ages ago.
"Casey, what's taking so long?" Brax called and walked down to Casey's room seeing the little boy pouting on the edge of his bed, looking angrily at his shoes.
The laces were all knotted and one was still floppy on Casey's foot. Brax walked over to Casey.
"I'm stupid! I can't put my shoes on!" Casey yelled frustrated and crossed his arms.
"Hey, you're not stupid Casey; don't say that, you just don't know how to tie your laces properly. Let me show you."
Once Brax got the knots undone he pulled the two ends of the laces out.
"Now watch. First you twist them around then you pull. Make a loop on one side and curl this side around then pull it through like this."
Brax smiled as Casey's right shoe showed a tight bow.
"Now you try the left one."
Casey got as far as the loop, before the laces jumbled and the little boy got frustrated again, kicking his feet.
"See I can't do it!"
Brax pressed his hand on Casey's shoulder. "It just takes practice mate."
Brax finished tying Casey's shoe and gave his brother a gentle shove off the bed.
"Come on, time to go to school."
Casey ran down the hall with Brax following behind.
"Grab your bag Case!" Brax yelled.
Casey ran and grabbed his blue backpack with stars and spaceships on it and Brax helped him put it on.
"Heath, you ready?"
"Yep!"
Brax kneeled down to Casey's level. "Now Casey, Heath is going to be picking you up from school today."
Casey glanced up at Heath with a smile. Cheryl stood in the kitchen door way with a coffee, looking tired. Casey ran up to her and hugged her.
"Bye Mum!" Casey beamed.
Cheryl brushed her hand through Casey's hair and leaned down to give him a kiss.
"You behave yourself at school today, ya hear?"
Casey nodded and pulled away, sensing his mother's unfamiliar behaviour. "Okay Mum, I promise."
"Bye Mum!" Heath yelled.
"Bye boys. Thanks Darryl," Cheryl said, glancing at Brax.
"No sweat Mum. Just rest today okay," Brax replied firmly.
"Yeah: Darryl."
Brax walked outside to where Heath and Casey were waiting. Brax took Casey's hand and the three began the walk to school.
"Brax, is something wrong with Mum?" Casey asked.
Brax knew Casey was referring to Cheryl's demeanor post the alcohol.
"Mum's just having a rough trot at the moment mate; nothing to worry about."
"Do you think she'll feel better if I draw her, a picture at school today?"
Brax and Heath smiled. "I'm sure it will mate," Brax replied.
As the brother's reached the gate of the Primary school, Brax bent down to Casey's level.
"Have fun mate."
"Yeah, make sure you wait inside the gate for me," Heath added.
Casey gave a nod. "Heath, can we go the park after school?"
Heath leaned down and winked at his brother. "Shh not so loud, you don't want Brax finding out our plan."
Brax rolled his eyes and stood up. "See ya later Champ."
Casey waved at his brothers and ran into the school grounds.
Heath waited at the gate for Casey to finish. As soon as Casey took sight of his brother he was running for him and crashed into him in a hug.
"Hey settle down," Heath laughed.
"We go to the park now Heath? Can we, can we?"
"Sure. How was school Casey?"
"Good! Miss Weston said we could have some play time where we could do whatever we wanted and I chose to draw Mum a picture to make her feel better, just like Brax said! You wanna see?" Casey said excitedly, as he jumped around, trying to pull his bag off to show Heath his picture.
"That's great Case but leave your picture in your bag, you don't want it ruined."
"Oh, okay," Casey replied and jumped in front of Heath.
"Hang on, Case, I gotta hold your hand remember."
Casey stopped and waited for Heath to catch up, running around in circles playing until he tripped, falling forward on the cement. Casey gave a look of shock and started to cry. Heath's eyes widened as he'd seen the accident and rushed towards Casey.
"Uh oh: up you get. No need to cry, just an accident."
Casey sat up and saw his grazed palms and felt a pain on his leg. Heath checked over Casey's hands.
"Heath, my leg hurts too," Casey cried.
Heath had a look at Casey's slightly grazed knee. "It's just a scratch," he brushed off, trying to calm Casey but Casey didn't settle. Heath knew Casey was mainly crying out of shock and had to cheer him up.
"Aw looks like big brother Heath to the rescue!" Heath smiled and Casey looked up at him with tears.
Heath pulled Casey to his feet and lifted him off the ground; twirling him around in the air.
"Wing Commander Casey flying away from those mean trolls who knocked him to the ground, threatening to hurt him, and when Wing Commander Casey's big brother heard of this, it was Wing Commander Heath to the rescue! Will the two free themselves from the clutches of the trolls?" Heath said playfully.
"Yeah!" Casey shouted; his sobs quickly turned to giggles.
Heath swung Casey back onto the ground.
"Ah: safe at last. You think we got past them Wing Commander Casey?"
"Uh huh, they won't get us now!"
"You know what?"
Casey shook his head.
"I think Wing Commander Casey's big brother needs to give someone a piggyback; what do ya say?"
Casey gave a big smile and Heath pushed Casey onto his back.
"Next stop...the park!"
"Oh no: Heath, the trolls!" Casey yelled loudly hitting Heath on the back.
"You're right Wing Commander Casey. Let's get out of here before they get us! Hold on tight!"
Casey clung onto Heath's neck and Heath took off running down the street towards the park.
Reaching the park, Casey hadn't stopped laughing since Heath started running. Placing Casey on the ground Casey grabbed Heath's hand.
"Come on, Heath!"
Casey ran off towards the gym set, climbing up the bars; Heath following behind.
Casey stood at the top of the slide. "Can we go down together?"
"Sure, I'm coming," Heath replied.
Casey sat on Heath's lap.
"Ready?"
"Go!" Casey shouted.
Casey and Heath laughed as they reached the bottom of the slide.
"Let's go again!"
After several turns of the slide Casey ran across the wooden bridge and yelled out to his brother.
"Let's pretend were spacemen protecting the world from monsters!"
Heath rolled his eyes as his brother's imagination and how quickly he could change his thoughts, but played along for awhile until he got tired and glanced at his watch. They had already been at the park for two hours.
"You're not playing, Heath!" Casey whined.
"I know. It's time to go home."
Casey slumped; he was having so much fun he didn't want it to stop.
"No!"
Casey took off running into the gym set.
"Casey, come on: stop it. I know you're having fun but we have to get home," Heath said firmly and walked up the gym set until he found Casey sulking inside a hollow dome.
Heath reached for Casey but he pulled back. "Don't."
Heath sighed, "I thought you wanted to get home to show Mum the picture you had drawn?"
Casey shrugged.
"Come on out."
Casey shook his head.
"Casey: I'm getting serious, come out now or I won't take you to the park ever again, or give you a piggy back," Heath warned, but turned his back encouraging Casey to hop on.
A few seconds later Heath felt Casey climb onto his back. "Can you give me a piggy back all the way home?" Casey whispered.
Heath raised his eyebrow. "You drive a hard bargain...but okay."
"Can we go down the slide one more time too?" Casey asked.
"Sheesh; I'm gonna start calling you Casey the demanding, huh?" Heath joked and Casey laughed.
Heath put Casey back down at the top of the slide.
"Can I sit on your lap this time?" Heath laughed.
"No!" Casey laughed, giving Heath a shove to go first.
"Why not; you sat on mine all those other times. I think it's my turn."
"No! You're too big!" Casey laughed.
"Oh well that's nice to say about your dear big brother who does everything for ya," Heath joked.
"Heath!"
"Come on squirt."
Heath pulled Casey onto his lap and the two went down the slide a final time.
"Grab your bag over there Case, and let's go."
Casey grabbed his bag and jumped onto Heath's back.
Casey burst through the door and saw Cheryl lying on the couch. He quickly rummaged through his bag and pulled out his picture.
"Mum, look what I drawed for you at schools!" Casey held out the picture for his mother, "I drawed it to make you feel better."
Cheryl smiled at her youngest and sat up, giving Casey a kiss.
"Thank you. You're such a sweet boy."
Casey sat down next to his mother. "You really like it Mum?"
"It's wonderful Casey," Cheryl replied, feeling touched by her youngest son's warm heart.
Brax came home at 6pm with some dinner he picked up on the way.
"Did Heath pick you up from school okay Case?" Brax asked.
"Uh huh," Casey nodded; shoving food in his mouth.
"Heath and I went to the park and we played on the gym set and pretended to be Wind Commancers and...and..."
Brax smiled listening to Casey attempt to explain, jumbling on his words until Heath interrupted.
"Shh. Don't give away everything; that's our secret," Heath whispered.
"Oh!" Casey exclaimed and turned to Brax. "Can't tell you; it's a secret," Casey clarified.
"Our special secret brother's mission," Heath added.
"Yeah!" Casey yelled with a mouthful of food.
"Casey, finish eating before you speak," Cheryl spoke and having finished what she wanted to eat got up and left.
"Sorry Mum," Casey called out.
"What about me?" Brax asked.
"What about you?" Heath asked.
"I'm ya brother why can't ya tell me?"
"You're old," Heath replied, causing Casey to laugh, spitting his food onto the table.
"Oi: why's that funny? I am not old!" Brax gently tapped Casey's arm and wiped away the mess.
"Well ya older than us," Heath stated.
Brax shook his head and groaned. The boys finished their dinner and Casey yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"I think it's time for bed for you," Brax told Casey, as he got up to clear away the dishes.
"Not tired," Casey yawned.
"Sure ya not; go brush your teeth and get in your pajamas and I'll be in soon to read you a story," Brax said; resting his hand on Casey's back. Casey slid out of the chair.
"Night Heath, thanks for today."
Heath gave Casey a playful punch. "What are big brothers for?"
"Night, Mum!"
"Night, my sweet boy; come here."
Casey approached his mother on the couch and Cheryl gave Casey a kiss. "Off you go."
"Thanks for picking him up today Heath," Brax said.
Heath shrugged. "That kid sure does have a wild imagination and it's like his energy never runs out."
"That's Casey for ya: full of life no matter what."