Chapter Three There's Father, Then There's Daddy
It's been two years since Artemis first called me daddy. From what happened that afternoon, I don't believe that anyone saw us. Honestly though, Mr. and Mrs. Fowl were very surprised that evening when Artemis walked away from the table after we finished eating. Let me tell you just exactly what happened . . .
"So, Butler, did Arty say anything else today?" Angeline asked as she took a sip of freshly squeezed orange juice.
"Yes Butler, did he say anything else?" Timmy chorused.
Well, I could tell them what happened today in the gardens, and how he called me daddy, or I could just say that all he said was "ok" for today.
"No sir, probably the only other word he said was 'ok', but even when he said that, he stumbled over the word." I answered, wiping my mouth with the linen cloth handkerchief.
"Oh, I see." Timmy said, entering into a deep train of thought.
"So Arty, did you get to see any other 'birdies'?" Angeline asked, wiping young Artemis's mouth as the maid fed him a spoon of applesauce.
"Y . . . esss." Arty responded, only to be fed another spoon of applesauce.
"Oh, this is so great, he's saying even more words! Timmy, we should really tell my dad, I'm sure he'd be very happy!"
"I guess we should, I haven't seen the man in a while."
"Aren't you going to call you mom as well."
"Nah, besides, she probably doesn't care a bit. After my dad died, she doesn't care for much anymore."
"Oh, that's too bad, are you really sure Timmy?"
"Yes, I'm sure Angeline.
"Shall I call up your father Mrs. Angeline?" the maid asked.
"Oh no, I'll call him up myself. Besides, I haven't talked to him in a while now."
"A while! Well, I didn't know a while counted for two hours!"
"Yes, but I really didn't get much time to talk to him. Maybe now I will."
"Okay then Angeline. Are you done yet?"
"Pretty much, excuse me everyone." Angeline said, followed by Artemis.
"Good night Butler."
"Good night Mr. and Mrs. Fowl."
"My god man, you can call us by our first name you know. We're all the same age here Butler. Come on now, you need to go to bed too." Artemis said.
"Sure sir." I said, settling the younger Artemis down on the floor. He got up to his feet, as I followed him from behind.
"Hey where's . . . oh m god, Timmy! Arty's walking!"
"Butler why didn't you say anything?"
"Why, I didn't know madame." I exclaimed, lying loud and clear. But of course, once again for the second time today, the Fowl Manor was excited. Artemis Fowl II learned for to walk, and talk.
Well, now you know what happened. Right now we are in the gardens again, with me sitting in the grass with young Artemis, while he is playing with a teddy bear. My uncle and Artemis senior are at a meeting right now in Tokyo, and they aren't coming within two weeks. Angeline, who is at the London Airport, is waiting for her friend to pick her up and she is staying in London for about three weeks. The Fowls also told the maids not to come for the next two months, but that doesn't mean they didn't give them heavy sums to vacation on.
"Daddy, play." Artemis commanded.
Now that surprised me. Ever since that afternoon, Artemis has only called me Daddy two times; once when there was a thunder storm and another when I gave him a Christmas gift (the teddy bear he's playing with).
"Sure thing." I said while stealing his teddy bear. Then we started to run across the yard, with him right behind me while I tried to walk the smallest steps possible. I wasn't doing a very good job obviously.
"Nooo." he whined as I touched the stone bench, which is base by the way.
"Here you go." I said, giving him back his teddy.
"Yeah." he yelled, hugging his teddy in a panda hug.
"Lets get something to drink."
"Ok Buhler."
"No, that's Butler."
"Busler."
"Fine, say Buhler." I said, a daily routine for us. He's still having problems pronouncing anything with a 't' in it. Oh well, he's growing up.
"Daddy." Artemis said while we were in the kitchen. I was preparing a glass of oj, and almost spilled it when he called me that.
My heart was once again back to when he was being born. My heartstrings were being pulled once more and I couldn't have him call me that all the time.
Returning back to my professional self, I said "I'm not your daddy."
"Yes you are." Artemis retorted.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Okay then, what's a daddy?" I asked, tired of saying just "yes".
"A daddy is a person who plays with me, loves me, and gives me gifs." he said, stumbling over "gifts".
"Okay then, but doesn't your father do that too?"
"No, he's always oo(too) busy." he explained.
Well, he was right there. Artemis senior hasn't been as active in the younger Artemis's life like he use to. Now it's just me, his father is nothing but a blur to him now.
"Well, okay then, so I'm your daddy. But please don't call me that, only when no one is around, okay?" I asked.
"Okay Buhler." he said, taking a sip of the juice.
After he was done I prepared two sandwiches for us and we both headed for the sun room.
Finally, peace and quiet, I said to myself as we settled down in the sunny room. The stain glass clear windows with only a hint of blue shined oh so brightly and would dim a bit here and there when the clouds blocked the sun.
After a while, I noticed how pure and blue the sky was today, and how the clouds were so white, with maybe the slightest hint of any possible amount of gray. Right next to me, Artemis sat next to the window, lost in the world on the other side of the window.
The sun was a vibrant golden piece of candy, always a full circle, unlike the moon. The moon sometimes has a bite or two taken out of it, or a bit placed back on it, like someone is rebuilding night by night.
During the night here at Fowl Manor, the skies always look different. For some reason, if you are anywhere else in the world, the night sky looks . . . normal. I'm not so sure if the word "normal" actually describes it, but I guess you could say, the description I'm looking for is this. The night sky is something that you can avoid easily, a magnificent symphony that is heard by the deaf and dead I should say.
Then comes night at Fowl Manor. The skies can always tell a story, no matter if it is a stormy night or a cloudless, moonless view.
When the sky is cloudy,
Shapes and fairytales form up above,
Sailors being harassed,
Mothers asleep,
Fathers reading,
Children wondering,
Listening to the old bed time stories,
An overused cliche,
As they always say,
The old 'the princess and knight in shining armor',
Always ending for the best,
Never ending for the worst,
But anything can happen when looking up above,
When looking at the shameless,
Innocent,
Hurting,
Skies,
Up above,
Here at this manor,
The dew of the morning,
Always this way in free high spirts,
And never more,
And never more,
The never ending fairytale of the skies above.
"Buhler?" Artemis said after a few minutes while we stared outside.
Shaking my head, I replied, "Yes?"
"I'm tired."
"Okay, I am too."
"Okay," he said, lying down on my lap.
"Um, Artemis, we have to go upstairs."
"No, I want to sleep here."
Sighing, I gave in and grabbed a blanket from the opposite and stretched it over his body.
"Good night daddy." he said.
"Good night, Arty." I responded back, before I fell asleep completely.