Chapter 4: Baby number 2

The next day while Brax was at school, Danny took Cheryl to the doctors to confirm her suspicion.

"Well Mr and Mrs Braxton, I can indeed confirm you are going to have another child."

Danny and Cheryl exchanged glances. This would mean big changes for them. Not to mention dealing with all the baby business all over again and they were still short on money, how were they going to cope? When they arrived home Danny helped Cheryl onto the lounge.

"What do you suppose we do? We can barely afford to survive now and with another baby." Cheryl spoke. "You know I'm struggling to get jobs."

"Well if you didn't drink so much, you would be able to keep a job." "Hey, don't go blaming me, you do just as much drinkin' and you don't even have a job."

Cheryl didn't know what to say back to that, she knew that was true. "Look maybe I can get some more benefit money from the government with this new baby." Danny nodded.

"I've got some deals up my sleeve I can go for to get us some extra cash." "You mean illegal trades? Drugs?" Danny nodded. "And robbery."

Cheryl couldn't believe what her husband was willing to go back to, she knew he had a criminal past and had been in juvenile detention when he was sixteen for stealing from and holding up a local business. But in all honestly they were desperate.

"Just make sure you don't get caught this time." "I'm wiser than I was 14 years ago. I have better tricks of the trade."

Brax came home from school and saw his parents sitting on the lounge. "Darryl." They greeted.

"Hi Mum. Hi Dad." "Darryl come here, we need to talk to you." Danny said in a low tone. Cautiously Brax approached.

"I…I didn't do anything…" He pleaded. "Quite ya whimpering. It's nothing like that Darryl. Come 'ere." Danny grabbed Brax by his arm and yanked him into a sitting position next to him on the lounge.

"Ya mother and I have some news to tell you." "Darryl. I am going to be having another baby." "That means you're gonna be a big brother, so we expect more responsibility from you. You have to help out more around the house and pull your own weight."

"So I will have someone I can play with?" Brax asked smiling. "Your new baby brother or sister is not some toy you can just play with." Cheryl told him.

"I didn't mean…" "If you can't be responsible enough when the new baby arrives, I will have no choice but to give you a good hiding every time you don't cooperate." Danny warned him. Brax nodded silently.

"Good." "Now there will be some changes. The baby will be sleeping in the first room in the hall."

"My toy room?" "That's right. Now because your mother is in no shape to clean up the room, I need your help to get it ready for the new baby and that means getting rid of those toys."

"Can't the new baby have them?" "The new baby is not going to want to play with your used toys Darryl." Cheryl said. Brax looked away.

"First thing tomorrow we start on that room." Danny told him.

Danny gave Brax a shove and Brax stood up to go to his room. Having this new baby around would give him someone to spend time with at home, after being on his own for so many years and his parents not playing with him, he hoped it would stop them getting so angry with him.

Over the coming weeks, Danny moved a cot and new toys into the new room. Brax watched in excitement, the closer the due date arrived the happier he became to welcome his new baby brother or sister. At school he couldn't contain his excitement and told his friend Hayden that he was going to be a big brother.

"Cool. Just think of all the things you can teach the baby and boss them around to do things for you." He smiled.

"I don't think I could do that. I'd get in too much trouble. Besides I can't wait to look after it and play with it. Why don't you come over this afternoon, I wanna show you the room." Brax said.

"Is that okay? I mean have you asked your parents?" Brax thought for a moment, surely his parent wouldn't mind him bringing his friend over for just a brief moment, just to look at the house, it wouldn't be any trouble. Brax shrugged. "It won't take long."

"Alright." Brax and Hayden caught the bus home together and walked down the block to Brax's house. Hayden looked at the front yard. It had rubbish piled up to one side.

"Oh don't worry about that, that's part of the clean up." Hayden smiled, unsurely.

Brax and Hayden walked inside. "Mum! Dad! I'm home!" Brax called.

Hayden stood behind Brax, feeling a little uneasy that he should be there. The boys heard shouting in the bedroom. "Ah look Brax, maybe I should go. Your parents are arguing."

"No, they always yell." Hayden was surprised at Brax's calm manner of his parents yelling and the state of the house, like it was normal. "Mum! Dad!" Brax called again.

Danny walked down the hallway. "Quit ya yelling Darryl!" Danny stopped shouting when he saw Hayden standing behind Brax.

"What's this?" Brax was surprised at his father's reaction to his friend, maybe it wasn't such a good idea. "Uh…This is my friend Hayden from school…I brought him here to show him the baby's room."

Danny glared at Brax. "Who told you, you could invite someone over without permission?"

"I…No-one….I didn't think…" "Ya mother's heavily pregnant, you think she wants some school kid coming around to our house lookin'? I told you we need your help around here Darryl! I told you ya need to be responsible." "I'm sorry Dad." Hayden had backed away.

"Ah Brax. I'm gonna go. I'll see you at school. Bye." Brax turned to see his friend leave.

"Yeah get out of here!" Danny yelled. Brax felt embarrassed, no-one knew about how his parents yelled at him, at least not to this extent, what if it made Hayden not want to be his friend anymore?

Danny grabbed his arm and dragged him into his bedroom, pushing him down against his bed. Brax was now quivering in fear of what his father was about to do. "What did I tell ya I'd do if you didn't behave with this new baby?"

"But the baby hasn't been born yet." Brax whispered. "Don't give me lip!" Danny slapped Brax across the face, causing Brax to cry. "I told ya I'd give ya a hiding and that's exactly what you're gonna get!"

Danny held Brax down tightly and landed a few smacks to his upper body. "Dad I'm sorry." Danny continued to hit Brax. "Dad. Please!" Brax pleaded. Danny gripped his son's shirt and pushed him against the bed.

"That friend of yours better not say a word about what he saw here, otherwise you're really gonna get it!" Danny warned and released his son, storming out of the room.

Brax groaned in pain and rolled onto his side and snuggled into his pillow and cried. When he composed himself he leaned over and reached under his bed, grabbing his stuffed dog toy and cuddling it. It was the one toy he managed to save from his Dad throwing it away, he hadn't needed its company in a while, but after that incident he needed something to make him feel safe.