Chapter Two The Walk
While watching Artemis from the corner of my eye, or as his wife calls him, "Timmy," I watched my charge with the rest of my sight. He was looking out of the window, where a bird was chirping along on a nest. The nest was filled with three young robins who were as vibrant as ever, fluttering their wings.
"It looks like they are about to learn how to fly." stated Angeline, smiling while looking out of the window.
"Yes, it does indeed." agreed Artemis, returning his gaze back into the daily newspaper.
While the older Artemis looked away, the younger Artemis was amazed by the sight of the nest, waving his hands in the air and shrieking in delight.
"No Artemis, we don't scream at the table," said one of the maids, but that just made him stop and look at her. That's when he started to point at her, then shriek once more.
The young maid left with only a sigh, enough to made me laugh. Sometimes I wonder if anyone realizes just exactly what he says. I mean, just now, he made fun of a maid, and he's only one!
Still, after fourteen months after his birth, young Artemis only communicates with shrieks, hand signals, or just stays quite until someone realizes that he's waiting for them.
Right now, the sun is rising on Fowl Manor and everyone is eating breakfast in the sunroom, where we are now.
"Timmy" continued to read his newspaper while Angeline returned to her breakfast. I had already eaten my breakfast at three this morning. For the whole entire night, young Artemis didn't have a wink of sleep, instead, he had been staring at the ceiling mural that Mrs. Fowl had done for him. Well, not by her own hands of course. It was a picture of the countryside with faerie all around the place, and small pond with two people fishing by its edges. Both were boys, two young boys fishing and laughing their heads off. This mural stretched over the whole entire ceiling, some parts of it on the four surrounding walls of his nursery.
The only reason why I knew about Artemis being awake was because I had checked up on him at one in the morning, to find him staring up, not giving m the least bit of attention. When I checked back with him two minutes before three, he was still staring at the ceiling. So, I rolled up my pancake like a burrito and took a bite here and there as the both of us climbed down the stairs, into the kitchen, and made Artemis's breakfast.
I did not mention the fact that he had not slept a wink last night to anyone, not even to my uncle. Actually, ever since the incident of last year, we had hardly talked to each other at all, which is like taking the oath of silence because from the beginning, I never talked to him much. Like I said before, my uncle is a man of action, not words.
I abandoned my train of thought as I realized that young Artemis had taken his eyes off the nest, instead, his eyes were following far away dots in the sky, probably the birds.
"You know, someday you're going to learn how to fly too, just it's going to be on the ground. Plus you're going to talk too, instead of just shrieking and waving." I joked, lifting Artemis into the air and back into his seat.
"Birdie." said a sweet melody with only a touch of depth.
"Excuse me Butler?" Angeline said as Timmy looked up from his newspaper.
"Yes sir."
"Did you just say 'birdie'?" asked Timmy.
"No sir, I believe that was Artemis."
"Artemis!"
When I realized what I had just said, everyone started to stare at Artemis who started to flap his arms like a bird and started to repeat the word "birdie" over and over again.
"Oh my god, my young Arty, you've just your first word!!" stated Angeline, while Timmy took his son and threw Arty up in the air and caught him repeatedly. Everyone was so happy that Arty had just spoken his first word that they didn't give another thought to Butler, or the Major for that matter. Butler watched from the sidelines, grinning his one-sided grin, while the Major strutted away, doing more important things . . .
Butler was with young Artemis yet again, in the gardens this time, while the nest up above was still empty. Placing Artemis on the cement bench next to me, I then placed him on thr ground so he could crawl around and play. But that's not what happened.
I - read you - and god i'm good at it - i'm so spot on
Chord - shapes in air - go press that dissonance - if you dare
And you - breathing in - finesse an innocent
From her partying
As soon as I placed him on the ground, he did not fall on his behind like always, he landed on his feet. Shocked, I could only watch him walk straight towards the bird nest, looking high above him. When he spotted it, his eyes laid fixed on it, waiting for the birds to come back.
And i'm high enough from all the waiting
To ride a wave on your inhaling
And i'm high enough from all the waiting
To ride a wave on your inhaling
Cause i love you no?
Can't help but love, you know...
"Birdie," was all Artemis said, then looked back at me with sad eyes.
"Artemis, the birds will be back, don't worry. Is everything ok Artemis, is that ok with you?"
"O . . . k." Artemis, running back towards me.
What - part of no - don't you understand - i've told you before
To just get - off my case - this isn't happening - stop this now
And i - where was i? - i have to be somewhere
Now where did i put it?
I could only look down as he hugged my leg, since his height stopped him from hugging me completely. I wasn't so sure this was normal coming from a one year old who just learned how to walk and talk, but I still picked him up and settled him down next to me.
And i'm high enough from all the waiting
To ride a wave on your inhaling
And i'm high enough from all the waiting
To ride a wave on your inhaling
Cause i love you no?
Can't help but love you, no...
"Birdie back?" Artemis asked after ten minutes when he heard chirping.
Is this it - is this it - is this it?
"Yes, the birds are back." I stated, looking down at him.
Yes - hello we're back - and we're taking calls
Now what was the question?
"Da-ddy." Artemis said, stumbling on the word for a bit.
And i'm high enough from all the waiting
To ride a wave on your inhaling
And i'm high enough from all the waiting
To ride a wave on your inhaling
Cause i love you no?
Can't help but love you, no...
Copyright of Frou Frou, Breath In
This time, I wasn't so shocked . . .