A/N: Yes! I am finally in the process of revising (ultimately redoing) my story Big Brother I Seek Freedom. To those who read already and choose to review to the new chapters (I will be utterly grateful if you do), please do not give away any details of the upcoming events, thank you! I plan to spice things up from here on out, and add more vigor and vitality to the story. Thank goodness; it seemed like it was just sped through. I can't wait till it's finished. Thank you for those who read and reread! I really do appreciate it!
Chapter 2: Cross My Heart
Several weeks had passed since Arthur had carried little Alfie into his home for the first time. Within those days, however, the little Briton was getting rather tired of having to wake every morning at God knows how early to the sound of a sobbing baby. It was exhausting, and he had even rarely participated for caring for the little infant in the first place. Just having the thought of dreading the night in anticipation of Alfred's wails was tiring enough for him. He made sure his mother knew of it.
"Mummy," Arthur moaned, "tell Alfred to be quiet. I'm still tired, and I want to sleep."
His mother in response entered his room to stroke his hair and coo him back to sleep. "I know, sweetie. Mrs. Jones is taking care of him right now, ok? Please just try to go back to sleep."
"It's hard," Arthur muttered, covering his ears. "I have a headache from Alfred crying every night."
"He's just hungry, Arthur," Mrs. Kirkland smiled, beginning to hum a soft tune to her son. "Babies are always hungry."
"But he could have had dinner just like everyone else, and he didn't," Arthur grumbled. "Instead he drank milk."
His mother burst out into a fit of giggles while ruffling the boy's hair. "He's just a baby, Arthur, dear. Babies don't eat big food like we do. He's too tiny, and he doesn't have teeth like us. He needs to wait a few years before he can eat as much chicken as you."
Arthur made a sour face. "But chicken is yummy. He should eat it now just to see how it's like."
Mrs. Kirkland smiled and rubbed the boy's back. "Give him another year or two. He'll grow up fast, just watch."
Arthur only groaned in response. His mother laughed one more time and left the room, leaving the child to lie on his belly in bed, still covering his ears from the deleterious effects Alfred's shrieking had on him. He tossed the covers over him and yawned, his eyes stinging from lack of moisture and his temples throbbing from lack of sleep. Having to listen to cries of dissatisfaction from the toddler annoyed Arthur to no end, but the benefit was that he had crashed almost seconds after Alfred was silenced.
As if on cue, the wails had slowed to a permanent stop, finally leaving the once loud house into an all new quiet. Arthur sighed in relief and shut his eyes, his face burying itself into the depths of the pillow beneath his head.
"Alfred's such a noisy baby… it's almost hard to be his indoor neighbor."
The next morning, while Alfred was sleeping on Mrs. Jones's bed, Arthur had leapt out of bed and raced to see the baby with a look of frustration plastered on his round face.
"I do not understand why Mummy was against me calling you fat," Arthur muttered to himself, poking the cheeks of baby Alfred. "You are a chubby, sleepy, stinky little baby. You cry a lot too, and you never sleep in the night like we normally do."
Alfred did not respond. He was still sleeping.
Arthur placed his hands on his hips and let his frown deepen. The baby was perfectly silent during the day; so why did he find it more suitable to cry for milk at night, when he was supposed to sleep?
The infant remained as still as a rock, safe the soft snores. Arthur finally let his face relax a bit. The baby, as demanding as he was, was definitely cute, and he was fun to poke and spin around and sing to. He was a great one-man audience when Arthur wanted to talk to him about the prairies and the sea and so forth.
… Maybe this little guy wasn't half bad.
"You are a weird baby… but do you know what?" Arthur asked the little infant again, kissing its forehead. "I am a very person. I am very happy to have a little baby in my home. Welcome to the family, little Alfred." He gave the baby a tiny smile, knowing the baby wouldn't be able to hear or see him. He was only a newborn, after all.
To his amazement, the baby turned his head and garbled random noises before he became inert again.
Arthur's eyes widened and he immediately raised his volume with the most blissful smile engraved on his face. "Mum! Mummy! Alfred moved! He moved! He's not dead after all!"
His mother and Mrs. Jones came into the room, both smiling brightly at the child. "Baby Alfie said hi to you, Arthur," Mrs. Jones giggled, adjusting her sandy blonde hair to the side. "He heard your voice and wants to speak to you."
Arthur's eyes widened in pure bliss and a smile crept all the way to his ears. He glanced back at the baby and rocked it back and forth on the bed. "Hi baby! Hello, Alfred! Hello, hello! How are you? Are you hungry?"
The baby did not move anymore. He continued to sleep, completely ignoring the child above him.
Arthur's smile faded and he turned back to the two women with a blank look on his face. "I think he died again."
The ladies smiled again, and Mrs. Kirkland sat beside Arthur on the bed. "Arthur, dear, Mrs. Jones wants to ask you something."
Arthur blinked and turned to the other mother. "Yes Mrs. Jones?"
"Can you promise me something, Arthur? It's a really big responsibility, and I need someone as smart and responsible as you to do it for me," Mrs. Jones smiled, stroking Alfred's head gingerly.
Arthur paused for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, I can promise you something. What is it?"
"Can you promise me you'll take care of Alfred as if he was your real little brother, please?" the woman pulled Arthur into an embrace and rubbed his back, leaving the boy stunned and blushing rather furiously at having a lovely lady hug him. "He needs someone to take care of him when I am not around and your mother grows ill."
Arthur turned to his own mother and frowned. "I will, yes, but Mummy is sick?"
Mrs. Kirkland laughed. "No, not yet, but I feel a cold coming on," she quipped, pretending to sniff as if she had a stuffed nose. "So you do promise to be Alfred's brother? That also means you have to feed him, care for him, play with him, put him to sleep and clean up after him when Mrs. Jones and I can't, ok?"
Arthur immediately flinched at how much work he had assigned himself to do, and stuck his tongue out. "Ok, Mummy. Yes, I will take care of little Alfred."
"Promise me?" Mrs. Jones pulled the boy long enough to give him an endearing smile.
"Yes," Arthur nodded with an equally radiant smile. "Cross my heart."
Thanks again to all who read and review! I appreciate it! :D