Chapter 3: Home
Bluey and Bingo could barely sit still in the back of the car. The empty car seat between them would soon have their new brother. The last week had been spent with almost a sole focus on getting the home ready for their new brother and both the girls were ecstatic at the thought that soon he'd be living with them.
"I can't believe today is the day we get to take Russell home!" Bluey cheered, legs kicking up and down in excitement.
"I'm gonna be the best big sister ever!" Bingo added.
"No, I'm gonna be the best big sister ever!" Bluey said.
"You're both going to be wonderful older sisters." Chilli said, looking from the front seat.
"Before we get Russell, there's a few things we need to talk about." Bandit said from the driver's seat.
"Like what?" Bingo asked.
"Well, for one, I know you two are both excited, but it might take Russell a little while to be comfortable." Chilli said.
"This is all going to be new for him. It's a new place, new people, lots of new experiences. He might be a bit overwhelmed." Bandit added.
"So it's important that you let him go at his pace. Let him decompress on his own terms… Still be your usual selves, but let him take the lead on playtime or exploring the house." Chilli noted.
"What's 'decompress' mean?" Bluey asked with a weird look on her face.
"Decompress means that you sort of… unwind, you get used to something." Bandit explained.
"Like when we get home from school and you let us take a few minutes to play before we do dinner and chores?" Bingo asked.
"Exactly mate." Bandit nodded.
"So we wanna make sure that Russell's comfort-table and let him get used to everything?"
"That's the goal." Chilli smiled. "I know you girls are really excited, and I'm sure Russell is too, but remember, take it easy, okay?"
"Yes mum." Both girls chorused.
"The second thing is that it might take Russell a little while to call us all his family." Bandit said. "It isn't that he doesn't love us, that isn't the reason why, but again, this is something new for him."
"He might call us Chilli or Bandit every once in a while, and he might not call you his sisters if someone asks about one of you." Chilli stated. "But with time we can just show him love and care and he'll hopefully come to see us as his family."
"Remember, he grew up without a family for as long as he can remember. Getting one now, it's something that might take a while for him to adjust to."
"Like the house." Bluey said.
"Exactly." Bandit nodded as he pulled up in front of the children's home.
"Here we are." Bandit smiled as he looked in the backseat. "You girls ready to get your brother?"
Russell had been waiting in the lobby with his things and had nearly charged out of the building when he saw the 4x4 arrive. He happily hugged each of the Heelers before carrying his single suitcase to the back of the orange SUV when they'd arrived to pick him up. While none of them said anything, it was amazing to Bluey and Bingo that he could fit everything he owned in a single green suitcase.
Now in the car on the ride home Russell was excited, but he didn't know exactly what to do. He knew he couldn't really talk to them in the car the same way as in a room-the car seat blocked most of his motions and Chilli and Bandit were at an angle that made it difficult for them to see when he signed. Plus he's driving, so he can't look away from the road. He wanted to say how grateful he was and say that he was thrilled to see their house-not that it mattered what kind of house it was-but he couldn't easily convey his thoughts. He frowned slightly in frustration, but then he noticed that Bingo had a coloring book beside her in the backseat. He motioned to get her attention.
"Yes Russell?" She asked, noticing him pointing at her.
He motioned to the coloring book and crayon beside her.
"You want to color? Sure." Bingo handed him the book. Russell didn't want to color, but he didn't argue.
He flipped to the back and found the rear cover was blank. He smiled and used the crayon to write before adding a small drawing at the bottom. Bluey glanced over his shoulder, being able to read, and smiled as he wrote. After a minute he held the book forward and used it to nudge Chilli's shoulder. She turned slightly.
"Did you make something you want to show me?" She asked, taking the book gently.
Russell stuck his hand out in front of himself and did a so-so motion. He mimed writing, then pointed to the back cover of the book.
"Oh, you wrote something. Let me take a look." Chilli smiled. Russell's tail wagged, happy to have found a way to convey his thoughts. Chilli silently read the page.
Thank you for adopting me. I know I'm different, but you still like me anyway. I'm happy you want me to be part of your family. I promise I'm going to try my best to be a good kid for you. I love you.
Underneath was a small picture of the Heelers-unmistakable courtesy of their pointy ears and patches-and a small semi-floppy eared dog to the side holding a heart toward the four.
Chilli pressed a paw to her mouth as she felt her heart quiver, her eyes watered a moment before she wiped them. "Thank you Russell, we love you too." She smiled, turning to the backseat.
"Is it okay if we hug you?" Bluey asked.
"Please?" Bingo added.
Russell nodded, he didn't mind in the slightest. A moment later the two sisters had him tightly embraced, three tails wagging enough to start a cyclone.
***PT***
Russell stared in awe as the car pulled into a driveway. First off, the street was a dead-end and he'd seen at least four houses with kids playing at them on the way in. Second, it was the nicest house he'd ever seen. The yellow sided home sat back a way from the cul-de-sac and had a good sized front porch. The tidy bushes completed the inviting appearance. The girls unbuckled and Russell followed, getting out of Bluey's side before gawking further at the house. After a moment he pointed at the house.
You live here? It's like something from a fairytale!
Bandit and Chilli smiled, the two had been feverishly practicing sign language, and while it wasn't perfect they had gotten most of what Russell had just signed. Bandit replied, signing while speaking.
"Thank you, we love it, too."
"Come on! I wanna show you your room!" Bluey said, grabbing his hand. Russell tensed slightly.
"Bluey…" Bingo said, reminding her sister to slow down.
"Oh, right." She released Russell's hand. "Um, why don't we show you the house and when you're ready you can look at your room?"
Russell smiled. Thanks!
You're welcome. Bluey signed back. "Did I do that right?"
Russell nodded.
Bluey grinned, "Well, come on!" She gestured to follow as she ran across the yard to the front door.
After touring the living room, television room, and playroom-These are all YOUR toys!? The family made their way upstairs.
"We have the sitting room and dining room and kitchen here, as well as the bedrooms." Chilli explained as she signed.
Can I see my room now please? Russell paused, not wanting to offend anyone. If that's okay?
"Of course!" Bandit grinned.
"Follow me." Chilli said, leading the group down the hall to the bedrooms.
"This door is our bedroom." Bandit said and signed, he nudged open the door. "If you ever need anything, please come and ask us."
"We don't mind, really." Chilli added.
Russell nodded.
"This is the bathroom." Bluey said and signed, opening the door to reveal the toilet, tub, and sink.
"Mum won't teach us the sign for dunny." Bingo frowned.
There isn't one. Russell stated, Most slang words don't have signs. You have to spell them out. It's quicker just to do WC or bathroom.
"Grandad calls it 'the WC' sometimes." Bingo noted.
"And this is your room." Chilli and Bandit said, smiling as they stood beside the door.
"It used to be dad's office." Bingo noted.
"Open it!" Bluey said, nearly vibrating with excitement. Russell looked at the four before pushing open the door. He wasn't sure what exactly to expect, his room at the home was like everyone else's-green walls, two beds, two dressers, two desks…
This was not the same as his old room.
The walls were painted cream with three thick stripes running around the room-one green, one blue, and one orange. They zigged and zagged up and down and as he followed them he saw something on the stripes. They had been carefully painted to be far enough apart to allow small dinosaurs to be on them. He walked close to the nearest wall and looked at the blue stripe. It had a shanxia on it, with the dinosaur's name and some dates underneath.
"Each stripe is a different era. Blue's Cretaceous, orange is Jurassic, green is Triassic. The dinosaurs are in order across the stripes for when they existed." Chilli explained, blushing slightly. "The girls and I painted them with some help from the internet."
Russell was stunned at the effort required to do such a thing before he glanced up and noticed something hanging from the ceiling.
Is that real?
"Yeah mate, it's from my first ever dig." Bandit smiled. "It's from an ankylosaurus."
Russell's tail was wagging wildly as he looked at the bone suspended from cables over the shelves. He couldn't believe it. Everywhere he turned there was another detail. The bedspread was all his favorite colors (just like the stripes on the walls), the desk had a large drawing pad and colored pencils, and there was a pile of stuffed dinosaurs and Lego in a chest by the window.
A few wheezes escaped Russell's mouth as he beamed, it was clear he was laughing in delight. He took a deep breath and grinned, signing quickly. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is awesome. No, it's incredible! I… I love it! Thank you so much!
He ran over to Chilli and Bandit and hugged them tightly. After an embrace he detached and ran to Bluey and Bingo, hugging them as well.
***PT***
The rest of the day passed with Russell finishing the tour of the house, then the family sitting down to their first meal together. They ate and Russell alternated between eating and using his hands to communicate. Bluey and Bingo picked up on the fact that he was sometimes eating and signing at the same time and decided to join in, if for no other reason than it being a way for them to break their parent's no talking and eating at the same time rule. The girls were getting better, and in some cases knew some words their parents didn't. Russell saw how much they tried and felt warm inside.
After dinner the kids played in the playroom, then the yard before they had to get ready for bed. Bandit read them a story together in Bluey's room (it had previously rotated between the girl's rooms, and now would rotate between the three children's rooms for who hosted), then they were tucked in tight.
After Chilli pecked him on the forehead-with permission-Russell grabbed onto Bandit's arm.
"What is it mate?" He asked, stooping down to be at the same level as the pup.
For school… where am I going to go?
Bandit tapped his forehead. Sorry, we forgot to tell you. You'll be at the same school as Bluey and Bingo.
Is it in the city here?
No, it in the country. It's really nice. C-A-L-Y-P-S-O, she's the teacher, and the other students are… Bandit spun his hands a moment…excite happy to meet you. The girls have been talking about you with no stops to their friends.
Russell looked down nervously before looking back at Bandit. Are the kids there like Bluey and Bingo?
Bandit frowned slightly, What do you mean?
Are they… normal?
Bandit sighed. If you mean can they talk, yes, but that doesn't mean they're more normal than you.
Russell rubbed the comforter between his fingers. Yes it does. Normal people aren't like me. They aren't broken.
Bandit was silent a moment before he replied. YOU. NOT. BROKEN. He stood up and pointed at his head. You've got a brain. He pointed at his chest. And a… he frowned, he didn't know the word for heart. Blood red push thing… he pointed at Russell. You are awesome. No speaking means nothing. You still have a voice, it just with hands.
"This… my voice." Bandit pointed at his throat, "It's just because of some stupid muscles contracting in my throat. You talk with your hands, mate! You learned how to do that because you knew you had a voice and you wanted to share it. You are NOT broken. You are amazing, smart, fun, and above all loved. We love you mate, voice or no." Bandit smiled, a tear tracking down the side of his muzzle. "And if anyone says otherwise, forget them. You're too good to be put down like that."
Thanks Dad. Russell smiled as he leaned over and hugged his father.
***Author's Note***
Well, that was pure tooth-rotting fluff. And I loved it. Russell's going to continue with his adjustments and decompression, but next chapter we have some focus on Rad and Frisky! If you liked this, feel free to check out my other works-Society and my collab with Kodiwolf321 Project New Era. Comments are appreciated, but certainly not required. Thanks again for reading!