In the middle of the night, I woke up to see my bedroom window was still opened. I sit up on the bed, leaned on the window still and watched the night sky. Clear and starry. The cool winds were blowing into my face. For the next twenty minutes, I continued to watch the night sky before falling back to sleep on my own bed.
It would be a couple of hours later, the sun would dawn. I crawled myself out of bed and silently descended downstairs. When I got downstairs, I saw Uncle Bandit was stretching his arms and legs by the front door.
"Good morning, Uncle Bandit." I greeted.
He turned to see me by the edge of the final step of the stairs. "Good morning, Andy."
"You about to go on a walk?" I asked.
"Yep. Needed to get my exercise for today." he answered.
"Mind if I could tag along, I could use a little workout too." I asked.
He chuckled. "Not at all. Bluey would sometimes surprise me when I wake up. However, she's still asleep."
And so, the both of us exited out of the house and began to do our walk around the block. The sun was rising more, as we walked through the neighborhood for about a few miles. We eventually arrived at a park, where a playground was there.
"We're not going on the swings are we? That'll be if Bluey or Bingo would go on." I asked Uncle Bandit.
"Nope, we keep walking along the footpath." he answered as we then passed by. It wouldn't be too long until we saw the riverside. We than sat down on a bench and gazed at the river.
It's been five minutes in silence that we watched. The sun was just about rise up and the weather was cool, with a slight of wind.
"Do you remember we took our morning walks here, mate?" Uncle Bandit asked me.
"It was the second day that I remember mostly. You, me, and my dad." I could only recall, as I rubbed my head. "Dad could never stop show off his running skills."
Uncle Bandit chuckled. "Better fit than me."
"Really?" I questioned. "You do seem to be kind a type of guy would workout."
"I would... but of course, I got your cousins I had to give them ideas for new games to play."
I chuckled, before I continued to watch sun beams on the water. "Did Dad ever told you I was adopted?"
He nodded his head. "Of course, kid. About a few years I reckon, yet it was the first time I was able to meet you."
"I rather be in part with you guys' life more. Back in the states, I would hardly have friends, except company from my parents. They gave me a home, especially after a long life in the orphanage and of course the previous life before than." I opened up.
"Really?" he became puzzled. "How did you met your parents?"
I was only ten, when I was fully adopted. My parents were going through a heartache of their own... when their son just finished the army and adjusting to civilian life. I was living with the trio for a while as a foster child. It wasn't until three years later, that my older half-brother got into a huge argument with our parents that he left and never returned. Since after he left, he has given me contact so we could hang out a few times, bi-weekly dinners usually. Regardless, about the first joyous three years. my adopted parents and I bonded over the last four years, before their untimely deaths.
I didn't go into the whole details about the troubled years that were in the past. However, I basically told them that they were caring and fun to have around. Because The Heelers were distant relatives, from what my adopted parents told me about them. My parents were mostly cut off from most of the intermediate family members: cousins, my older adopted brother, and minimal of aunts and uncles. By the time, before I turned seventeen, they suggested that they would take me on a family vacation, just the three of us to meet The Heelers. Uncle Bandit was a distant in law of my adopted father's side, while Auntie Chilli was a distant relative from my mother's side.
In conclusion on how I met my parents, I was often alone and never socialized with anyone. Been like that throughout my life, even after being adopted. On how we met, I was just finished on being verbally bullied by someone that I intend to forget. My adopted father came over to the corner, where I was crying. He intended that he wanted to confront the bully, however, my adopted mother intervened and he restrained himself from doing it. She came and brushed my tears from my eyes. It was the first time that I ever wagged my own tail. They told me, if I was interested to come and live with them for a few months to see to my liking. It basically took until I turned ten, they surprised me with a wonderful birthday present... adoption.
"...it was the best day of my life, firstly. It was second to meet new family members too for the second." I told Uncle Bandit.
"You know what, kid. They told me how you like it here and never wanted to leave. Is it true?" he asked.
"Well... yes." I answered honestly. "It was because... if I lose them... I just don't want to go back to the orphanage. And in reality, I would have one year left in me, before being on the streets."
"What about your brother?"
I shook my head. "We haven't spoken to each other for awhile now. A year almost. And of course, he got his own life figuring out."
"Look, kid. I know your heart is content here with us. But your brother would be willing to look after you." Uncle Bandit thought.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. He's too bonded right now with our cousins. The cousins back in the states." I than clarified about the cousins, not referring to Bluey and Bingo.
"I see." he than nodded, before he checked his phone. "We might as well get back. Your Auntie Chilli and your cousins will be up and about." After our conversation, we began our jog for home.
In a few minutes later, we found ourselves at home to see a vehicle parked on the side walk. Uncle Bandit recognized the car right away. "Classic Stripe is here!"
"Classic Stripe?" I questioned.
"I would often call your Uncle Stripe, 'Classic Stripe' whenever he gets himself into a heap." Uncle Bandit explained. We than walked up the steps and entered the house to get hugged by Muffins and Socks.
"ANDY!" they shouted, as they rushed and jumped upon me for a hug.
"The attacking of the cousins!" I playfully went along with them, as I hugged them back.
"Muffin, Andy just got out of the hospital. We have to be careful." Bluey cautioned her cousin.
"It's alright, Bluey." I assured her with a smile, before she smiled back.
"Wait a minute, I don't get a hug?" Uncle Bandit questioned the cousins.
Muffin and Socks chuckled, before they hugged their uncle. "Auntie Chilli is cooking late breakfast." Socks spoke, before they ran for the kitchen.
"Uncle Bandit..." I stopped him, before he followed my cousins. "... thank you again for this morning's run and the talk."
He smiled back and patted my back. "Anytime kid. As I always tell our kids.. it's best to let these things out."
"Of course."