Chapter 28: Raising brothers and the ultimatium

Danny was out doing a courier job and Brax had hoped that having his mother at home, she would look after his brothers while he caught up on all his school work and assignments, he was so far behind he thought he would never catch up.

Brax studied on his work as Heath and Casey sat watching TV at 5:30 PM. Cheryl stood in the doorway to his room. "Darryl, keep an eye on ya brothers and make sure they behave while I'm out."

"Mum I thought you were staying in tonight?"

"Why would I do that Darryl when there is a club out there screaming my name?" Brax rolled his eyes.

"But Mum, I need to get so much of my school work done and I was hoping you would be home to watch Heath and Casey."

"Honestly Darryl, I don't know why you waste your time on that rubbish, you know your father and I would rather you pull your own weight around here than go to that useless school and I'm not staying home just to look after them so you can do schoolwork. You have to find something around the house for dinner as well." Cheryl told him then left.

Brax sighed he did not need this right now. Brax put down his pen and walked out into the lounge room before heading into the kitchen to see what was available to cook. Brax looked in the fridge and cupboards and there was nothing that would make a decent meal for him and his brothers, there was only a small scrap of pasta left. "That will have to do." He said as he got it out and started to cook it.

It had reached just after 6pm. "Heath, Casey." Brax called. "It's time for dinner."

Heath tapped Casey and helped his baby brother up off the floor and into the kitchen. Heath stared down at the small scrap of cooked plain pasta on the plate. "What's this? Can't we have pizza or hot chips tonight?"

"You know we can't Heath, we have no money."

Heath sat down and started to pick at his food. Brax helped Casey sit down and then sat down to start on his dinner. Casey took a small bite of the pasta and spat it out.

"I don't want this." "Too bad squirt, ya have too." Heath replied.

"No I don't!" Casey argued and pushed his food away, but pushed too close to the edge that no-one would have had time to react, when the plate toppled to the floor with a smash.

Brax ran his hand over his face. "Casey!" Brax yelled, highly frustrated seeing the only food they had wasted.

Heath laughed. "You're in trouble now Case." "I am not!" Casey protested.

"You are too." "I am..."

"Enough both of you!" Brax shouted and went to pick up the plate and food off the floor. "I know it's not the best Case but you have to eat something. Here, you can have some of mine."

Brax scraped some of his dinner onto a new plate and placed it in front of Casey and waited until he ate some. Heath laughed as he took a mouthful of his food.

"Told ya." He whispered to Casey to tease him. Casey pouted and threw a piece of pasta at Heath.

"Hey! He's wasting his food." "Am not!" Casey shouted.

Brax glared at both his brothers. "Both of you eat, now." He warned. Heath and Casey then finished their dinner in silence.

Brax finished his two mouthfuls and placed all the plates in the sink to wash up. His head was full of overload on how much work he had left to do. Brax looked at the clock and it had now reached just after 7pm.

"Heath can you please give Casey his bath tonight and make sure he gets to bed straight after."

Heath groaned he would rather be watching TV than looking after his brother. "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because I asked you to. Please don't argue with me Heath, it's late." Brax replied firmly.

"Arg, fine. Come on squirt."

"Buts I don't want Heaf to give me bath." Casey whined and Heath pinched his arm.

"Ow!" Casey shouted and punched Heath in the leg.

"Oi! Did you see what that squirt just done to me?" Heath exclaimed. Brax rolled his eyes.

"Heaf pinch me!" Casey yelled. "Stop it now!" Brax yelled and turned away from washing the dishes to face them.

"Heath just do as I asked." Heath pulled Casey by the arm, only for Casey to struggle out.

"I don't want bath and bed!" He screamed, crossing his arms and pouting.

Brax looked at the clock and it was now after 7:30pm and he'd done nothing. Brax threw the tea towel down he was using to dry up and knelt down to his baby brother's level.

"Stop your tantrum Casey. You go with Heath and get ready for bed right now!" Brax yelled.

"Now ya done it Case." Heath smirked, only to receive a glare from his older brother.

Brax stood up and pointed to Heath. "You stop teasing Casey!" Heath rolled his eyes.

Brax shook his head flustered. "Brax are you alright?" Heath asked. "Yeah. I just need you two to not make everything so difficult." Heath raised his eyebrows and gestured towards Casey.

Brax turned back to see Casey with tears running down his face. Brax sighed, he felt like an ogre for making his baby brother cry. Brax knelt back down.

"Case please don't cry. Come here." Brax held his arms open for Casey. Casey shook his head. "You mean. You yells at me."

"I know. I'm sorry. Come here." "Uh-uh. you mad." Casey sobbed.

"No I'm not. I'm sorry if I scared you." Brax reached forward and took Casey's wrists and pulled him into a hug. Brax wiped away some of Casey's tears.

"No more crying okay? I tell you what, if you be a good boy for Heath, have your bath and hop into bed, when I'm finished out here I'll come in and read you a story."

Casey gave a smile. "A big one?"

Brax raised his eyebrows, it would take far too long to read a long story, and with it so late already, Brax was not in the mood to have to deal with trying to get Casey off to sleep afterwards as he knew he always got cranky and tired.

"Not tonight. Just a short one." Brax told him. Casey pouted. "Buts I want a big stwory." Brax held onto Casey's wrists and looked into his eyes.

"Casey I told you I would read you a short story only tonight, that's all we have time for. Now I do not want to hear any tantrums, otherwise you may not get one at all." Brax warned in a soft tone.

Casey shook his head. "No Bax. I do want a stwory." "Good, well off you go." Brax let go of Casey and Casey let Heath take his hand.

"Thanks mate for doing this." Heath shrugged, "I have to" and proceeded to take Casey to the bathroom.

By the time Brax finally got to sit down and start on his school work again it was twenty minutes past nine. Brax yawned, he was so exhausted. It reached 11pm and Cheryl and Danny finally arrived back home, both of them slurred and stumbled through the house. Brax hoped they did not wake either of his brothers and he done his best to try and focus on his work, it had been a struggle all night, and he just could not focus and eventually fell asleep, not finishing his schoolwork.

Brax walked into his classroom as his teacher asked for the assignments to be placed on the desk. The teacher noticed Brax walk right past the desk.

"Darryl where is your assignment?" Brax turned but avoided the teacher's gaze. "I'm sorry I didn't finish my assignment."

"Darryl this is not the first time you have been late or tardy with your work and assignments and it is getting unacceptable. If this behavior continues you will have to repeat your year."

Brax could not afford to repeat a year he struggled with the idea of being able to finish his schooling at all.

"I'm sorry. I will try harder it's just been real busy at home. Can I just have more time?"

The teacher glared at Brax. "You have one week to get me that assignment any later and it will be an immediate fail. You will however loose marks for not having it in on time" The teacher warned. Brax nodded and turned to leave.

"Darryl?" Brax turned back to his teacher. "Is everything alright at home? I mean if you're struggling with your work or can't focus I can arrange for you to talk to the counselor to help you."

"No it's fine. I just need to try harder."

"Well okay if you're sure, but we are here for you to talk to us if you need help with anything." Brax nodded and sat down at his desk.

When Heath and Brax arrived home from school, Heath went straight to his room whilst Brax stopped to greet Casey who was playing on the floor with his toys.

"Hey Case." Brax smiled and rubbed his brother's hair. "Bax!" Casey squealed and reached his arms up for Brax to pick him up.

Brax put down his school bag and picked up his brother and cuddled him. Casey was laughing in Brax's arms when Danny approached from outside, holding a beer bottle, Cheryl following close behind.

"There ya are Darryl. Where 'ave ya been all day? We got no food in the house and that brat has been a pain all day." Cheryl groaned.

Casey gently shook his head and Brax gave him a small squeeze to comfort him and make him not worry. "You know I was at school all day Mum."

"School Darryl? Are ya still at that useless place? I'd of thought they'd of kicked out a useless deadbeat like you, out already." Danny spoke.

"I don't even see why you bother with school Darryl."

"Ya mother's right, all that time wasting for nothing when you could be here taking care of that brat or getting ya self a job to pay your way around here. I'm sick of paying for ya here. I have enough trouble buying food for those two brothers of yours. It's time you get yourself a job Darryl or find a new place to live."

Brax was stunned he could not believe his father just gave him an ultimatum of getting a job or leave.

"We need more money Darryl and it's time you repaid us."

Brax didn't say anything and was too lost in thought that he didn't feel Casey wriggle in his arms.

"You listening boy?" Danny demanded. Brax shook his head.

"Yeah Dad. I'll get a job."

"Good. Now 'urry up and go and get us some groceries for dinner otherwise you an' ya brothers will get nothing."

Danny handed Brax a $20 note. Brax carried Casey down to Heath's room and entered.

"Hey mate, come on I have to go get some groceries you might as well come." Heath shrugged and got off his bed, and followed his brother outside.

Brax scanned the advertisements on the notice board for job vacancies.

"What are you looking for Brax?" Heath asked.

"Bax has to get josb or he leaf." Casey spoke. "Huh?"

"Mum and Dad told me I have to get a job or I'm kicked out."

"They can't do that! What are you gonna do? I mean you can't..." Heath stopped, he did not want his brother to go and leave him and Casey alone.

"Don't worry mate, I'll get a job. I'm not going anywhere."

Brax wrapped his arm around Heath's shoulder. "Come on let's get this stuff home."

Brax spend the next few days searching the local paper for job advertisements until he came across one asking for a school age student to work at a local supermarket for the weekends. Brax went into the supermarket and applied for the job.

"Thank you for applying Brax. We will let you know in a few days." Brax nodded, this was his last hope, his parents had been nagging him about it all week, and he was running out of time.

By Thursday afternoon whilst Brax was completing his assignment for school the next day Danny approached him at the kitchen table. "Oi Darryl you got ya self a job yet?"

"No Dad. I'm waiting to hear back from someone."

"Well ya better 'urry up, if ya don't have one by early next week ya out of here." Brax sighed. "Yes Dad."

Heath sat and stared at Brax and his father. "What are you looking at? Get back to doing ya stupid school work." Danny gave Heath a mild slap on the back of his head.

Brax gave Heath a weak smile. "What are you gonna do Brax?"

"Don't you worry okay, I'll get a job." Heath turned back to his work, not fully convinced things were going to be okay.

On late Friday afternoon the Braxton's received a call from the supermarket owner. "Oi Darryl phone for you." Danny called.

Brax stood up from playing with Casey on the floor and took the phone from his father.

"Hello?"

"Hi Brax. It's Simon from Celly's supermarket. I'd just like to say we would like to hire you for the job."

"Really, that's great. When do I start?"

"How about you come down this Saturday, say 10 o'clock and we can get you started."

"Yeah thanks. I'll be there." Brax hung up the phone and went back to play with Casey.

"Why you smile?" Casey asked. Brax leaned in to whisper to Casey. "I'm smiling because I just got a job and that means I won't have to leave you or Heath." Casey clapped his hands and hugged his brother.

"Arg, thanks Case." Heath walked in and saw Casey giggling as he sat on Brax's lap.

"What's going on here?"

"Bax not hafta leaf." Heath smiled. "Really?" Brax nodded.

"I got the job at the supermarket, but that means more responsibility from you, I'll need you to look after Casey while I'm at work." Heath nodded. "I'm just glad Mum and Dad didn't kick you out." "Me too."