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I was sat in the kitchen. Mom was on the phone pacing the room for a long while— I could hear it in her voice, the worry, the frustration. I had learned that every time my dad called it was her immediate response. Frustration.
The next thing I knew mom was putting me Infront of the TV, and changing the channels to—
Gilbert the Goat.
"Mom!—" my sister Chloe yelled out. "I was watching something"
Mom sighed in frustration. "We're leaving and we just need to keep Issac entertained while we pick up your grandad. And besides, your brother loves Gilbert the goat" she said as she set the controller down and the theme song began to play.
"And besides, your brother loves Gilbert the goat"
I hated Gilbert the Goat.
And just like that mom and dad had left. Chloe looked at the TV, then at my less then pleased expression. "I thought you loved this show?" She rose a brow and crossed her arms, looking at my big brown eyes which was probably filled with detest.
Pausing the show she stood up and crossed her arms, "well what do you wanna do instead" she paused the show, thank god. I couldn't handle hearing that degrading sound of the goat one more time. Looking around for a moment she paused before her eyes widened with an idea.
"Oh! Wait here—"
I watched as my sister ran off, it wasn't like I would be able to get up and walk for another few months, at least according to mom.
These passed few weeks felt odd.
I was a baby.
A baby?
They were like God's to these people.
They did everything for me, I didn't know why, I hadn't asked them to, but I was helpless.
Helpless.
Perhaps that's why.
Yes that's the only Reason, surely
These people did everything for me, and for that I loved them, I wanted to make them happy.
Mom was stressed, and so I would be happy, happy and normal. For her and for the rest of them
Chloe came back after a few minutes with a few boxes in hand and blankets over her shoulder, at this I involuntarily made a loud giggle.
It was apart of being a baby I guess.
I watched her work, opening the boxes, using chairs and placing a blanket over top, much to my confusion. But watching her work reminded me of her smartness.
I had the smartest sister ever.
She was a genius, that's what my parents referred to her as, and truly, she was.
She knelt down as she pulled the card out up, draping blankets over it and using a chair as support. Forming a sort of tent shape.
She then moved to the front and began working on an entrance, using a box and pushing it open to form a doorway.
Finally I was startled as she stepped back. "Ta-da!~" she grinned ear to ear and looked at me and my memorized baby face. She approached me and picked me up— crawling into the makeshift fort and sitting me down.
"This can be our secret fortress" I laughed at her words and clapped, it seemed to please her. I was happy. I was happy that she was happy.
For the next few hours we decorated the fort with my toys, I would laugh and nod at what I wanted in the fort and not.
"Blankets?" A laugh
"Blocks?" silence
"Gilbert?" A laugh escaped no matter how hard I tried to keep it in. Like I was possessed.
In the end what we made was spectacular.
The fort was so cozy, with fairy lights on the wall, blankets as flooring, and toys for me to play with if I had a choice...
I would never leave this place.
I loved this place.
And as I looked at Chloe, watching as she tucked her dark hair behind her ear. I knew I loved her.
Suddenly she got another idea, I learnt that I loved her ideas.
She rushed into the kitchen with me her arms and began to make popcorn. I laughed as I heard the sounds of kernels popping in the microwave. While they were cooking, she pulled a chocolate pudding out from the fridge of me.
When we returned to the fort she turned on her phone and began to play a movie, even as a baby I could read the title— though perhaps at my age that was strange.
It was the latest film from 2008 which was the greatest hit. Wall–E.
And I loved it. The robots were odd but cute. And It felt oddly familiar in some weird way. Perhaps an odd Déjà vu.
But when we reached the 1 hour mark I noticed my eyes felt so heavy now— after all that, I was falling asleep. Just like I always did.
I hated that part of being a baby. I couldn't stay awake for as long as I thought I could. Every single time I tried, sleep would win
I grabbed a blanket with my chubby baby hands and laid down, no story time now. Just having my sister sit next to me as I laid down was enough for me to know I was safe.
"Thank you" Mom said when she got back— picking me up and placing me into my cot, looking at my sister with a smiled.
"It's ok mom" Chloe said as she stood at the door, her body illuminated by the lights in the doorway. "I like the little guy"
I slept soundly that night.