MY BROTHER (as
told by
Adam, aged 6)
POW Challenge
Written by Lynne Coulson
When Pa finally got back to the camp, my baby bruvver was already
borned. Just after Pa left, Ma started to act a bit strange and I
got scared, cos I didn't know what was wrong with her. She kept
moving in an odd way and making funny noises, like somefing was
hurting her. It was a bit like me, after Pa's given me a spanking,
I
fidget and wriggle about on my seat, trying to get comfy.
I asked Ma what was the matter and she smiled at me, at least she
tried to, but her eyes didn't look happy and Pa once told me your
eyes were the windows to your soul. Now, I know what you're all
finking, why does a grown man talk to a little boy of six like that
and how does that little boy understand? Well, I'll tell ya. My
Pa's
real good at `splaining fings and he told me what it meant. It
means
that you might be smiling with your mouth, but if your eyes ain't
smiling, too, then you're just `tending, cos it's your eyes that
tell the truth. That's why I find it so hard to look at Pa when he
catches me out doing somefing bad, cos I know my eyes will tell him
I'm guilty, even if my mouth don't.
Anyway, I could tell that Ma wasn't okay, even though she tried to
say she was, so I decided to go get some help.
Ma's best friend, Rachel, came running when she heard me calling
her.
"What's the matter, Adam?" she said and I told her about Ma,
acting
funny.
"I will go to her," she said. "Don't worry."
Rachel ran over to our wagon and went inside and I didn't know what
to do next. I wished my Pa would hurry up and get back, but I knew
he had gone to try and get the horses back that the Indians stoled.
It was at times like this I wished I wasn't such a big boy, cos I
was a bit scared and I wanted to cry and have Pa give me a hug, but
I'm too big for all of that, at least in front of others, I am.
When
Pa and me were in our wagon, before he married Ma, I used to have a
cuddle wiv him and I still do, sometimes, and I wished I was, right
then.
After a while, I couldn't stand it no longer, so I went back to the
wagon, and peeped in. Ma was lying down and her face was all red
and
sweaty and Rachel was, well I'm not sure I should tell you, but she
was looking under Ma's skirt. I kinda made a funny noise, you know
that noise you make when somefing makes you jump? and Rachel heard
me and turned round. She could tell I was `prised and she went a
bit
red, too.
"It's all right, Adam," she said. "The baby is coming, and I
am just
helping your Mama. Please wait outside, there's a good boy."
Well, of course I knew there was a baby in Ma's tummy, cos I'd seen
she was getting real fat and I asked Pa about it. I just fought
she'd ate a lot, but Pa said it was a baby growing in there. I
wasn't sure he was right about that, but when I fought a bit more
about it, I knew he was, cos he knows everyfing and anyway, I've
seen horses and cows get big tummies and then have babies, I just
didn't know people did the same.
We'd had to wait for Mr Simon's mare to have her baby, before we
could move on, and I `membered how her baby got out, so I now knew
why Rachel was looking under Ma's skirts. My baby bruvver or sister
had to get out, the same way.
That made me feel a bit funny, kinda sick in my tummy, so I sat
down
and leaned against the wagon wheel.
It seemed to take for ages, and two of the other ladies comed over
and asked if I wanted to go and wait wiv them, in their wagons, but
I wanted to stay close to Ma. She'd only bin my Ma for a little
while, but I loved her heaps, and she always stayed close by me,
when I was poorly, so I wanted to be wiv her.
It was dark and I really hoped Pa would get back, real soon.
Sometimes Ma would cry out a bit, and I'd jump up and want to go to
her, but then I'd hear Rachel talking to her and I knew I had to do
like I was told, and wait. It sure was hard, though. One of the
ladies brought me some supper, but I couldn't eat it, I just wanted
to know that Ma was all right.
Then, I heard a diff'rent sound coming from the wagon, it was a
cry,
but this time it was not from Ma, it was from a baby.
Rachel called me to go in, and I nearly fell, cos I was real keen
to
see my new baby bruvver or sister and I tripped over my own feet.
I'd bin sitting down so long, my feet had gone to sleep and didn't
wanna work proper.
When I got in the wagon, Ma smiled at me, and this time her eyes
smiled, too.
"Come say hello to your little brother, Adam," she said.
I sat down next to her and looked at the baby.
"He ain't little, Ma, he's huge," I said.
"He's certainly the biggest new born baby I've ever seen," said
Rachel. "And your Mama did really well, bringing such a big boy
into
the world. I'll leave you to get acquainted, Inger, and I'll be
back
real soon with some food for you. After all that hard work, you
must
be starving."
"I am," said Ma. "And thank you for all that you did,
Rachel"
"I didn't really do much at all," said Rachel. "You coped so
well,
all I did was encourage you, a bit."
Rachel then left us alone and I moved a bit closer to Mama, to get
a
better look at my bruvver. He didn't have much hair and what he did
have was not like mine; it was like Ma's, fair. When he opened his
eyes, they were like Ma's, too, blue, not like mine and Pa's.
I couldn't think of anyfing to say, so I just leaned over and
gived `em both a kiss and then Pa came into the wagon.
He smiled, too and I said, "Look at the size of him,
him?"
Ma said she wanted to call him Erik, after her father, but I said
we
had to call him Hoss, like Uncle Gunnar told us to.
Pa just smiled, some more, and said we'd give him both names and
see
which one stuck, but I knew he was always gonna be `my Hoss'
Ma had some supper and then she fed Hoss. That was pretty much the
same as what cows and horses do, too. Then Ma and Hoss went to
sleep
and I sat outside, on Pa's lap, while he smoked his pipe and told
me
a story `bout when he was at sea.
Just before I went to bed, he said, "Well, son, how does it feel to
be a big brother?"
I wasn't sure what to say, cos I didn't feel no diff'rent, really,
but I fink Pa was hoping I might.
So I said, "I am happy cos Hoss is borned and I fink I'm gonna like
playing wiv him, and teaching him fings, so yes, I fink it will be
good, being a big bruvver."
"Well I know that Erik is the luckiest baby in the world, because
he
has you as a big brother and if he could talk, he would tell you
so," said Pa, and he gave me a kiss goodnight, and helped me into
bed.
A few days later, we went on our way, Ma, Pa, me and Hoss. We was a
proper family and I was looking forward to finding our new home and
helping my Ma and Pa look out for my little brother. It was the
happiest time of my life.
THE END
Little Joe forever
Lynne