The Knight: chapter 3

3. Waiting

The sky was all grey when we arrived home. Mom said that it would probably start to rain any minute now. But that was alright with me. I like when it’s raining because no one forces you to play outside when it’s raining.

It was bright and snug at home. Oscar was sitting in the kitchen, newly shaved and showered, drinking whiskey. He used to do that on Friday evenings, but there was no sign of Christopher.

Mom and I hung our jackets on the coathanger in the hall and joined my uncle in the kitchen.

“Hello,” Oscar said. “How have you been today?”

“Busy as usual”, mom replied and started to bring out saucepans and frying pans from the cupboard in the kitchen.

“How about you, Mike?” my uncle said.

”Well…” I didn’t really know what to say. I knew what I wanted to say, but I was too timid to ask about my new brother, the knight.

Mom sighed a little, but then smiled.

“He’s wondering if he’s allowed to play with Chris,” she told calmly.

Oscar grinned:

“He's like twenty years old.”

“Be that as it may, being an only child isn't always easy. Michael would love to hang out with him for a while. Can't Christopher read to him or something?”

Twenty years old, I thought to myself, for a moment ignoring the rest of their conversation. That's for sure older than Eric's stupid siblings and that meant my brother had a higher status, because potentially he could beat them up.

Oscar silently looked away for a moment, as if he was trying to avoid the subject, but then looked straight back into her eyes.

“I’m not sure if that’s appropriate right now,” he replied grimly.

“What? Why’s that?”

“He’s not that easy to interact with at the moment. Give it an hour or two.”

Mom looked at the man with disapproval in her eyes. She wasn’t happy about the answer she had gotten. It was almost as if she knew something more.

“Right”, she said. “After dinner then, Michael.”

After dinner the children’s show was just about to begin so I went upstairs to the telly. That’s when I saw Christopher sprawled out on the sofa. I had almost forgotten I was meant to play with him. He was asleep and I curiously sneaked closer in order to get a proper look at him. The knight’s red hair was nice and fluffy. His face was calm and the cheeks carried a few freckles, he looked ever so peaceful. I gazed at him for another couple of minutes.

He was actually very tall, I thought to myself. Tall and noble, just like knights usually are. (But he was of course shorter than dad.) He wore jeans and a black sweater. It was one of them soft and casual sweaters, made of that same kind of fabric most sweaters are made of.

Christopher was sleeping on his back with his arms crossed over his chest. I reached out my hand and poked his elbow.

Christopher turned slumberous, without waking up.

He looked like a real knight indeed. I stared long and amazed at him before I decided to poke him a little again. Was he really real?

At the very moment I touched his face with my finger Christopher suddenly gasped in panic, whereupon he woke up with a twitch and opened his eyes.

“Sorry…” I mumbled shyly, it was obvious I had frightened him.

When the young man saw it was only me he smiled a little.

“It’s alright. I was just having a nightmare.”

He had done some hesitation before answering. I guess he got a bit surprised, ‘cause you never expect to be woken up by someone poking you in the face. I figured it was a very shy knight who’d slept on the sofa.

“My name is Michael” I said perkily and took his hand, just like I had seen some old and fancy people do.

Christopher got up a little and shook my hand:

“Nice to meet you.”

He pulled away his legs from the sofa and showed with his hand that I could have a seat next to him.

I smiled widely as I sat down on the soft cushions. He was nice.

I quickly reminded myself of why I was there in the first place and turned on the TV and started to watch. Even though it was my favourite program, it wasn’t half as fun as having Christopher sitting next to me. After every joke in the cartoon series I had to check if he was still sitting there. And every time he was.

After a couple of glances the knight started to understand what I was doing. He smiled and began to wait for the next time I’d look at him. I was so occupied looking at the show and the knight next to me that I barely noticed my parents also came in to the living room and sat themselves down in the other sofa.

I love cartoons. They’re my favourite programs and if I worked on the telly I’d decide that they’re only allowed to show them. No news and nothing with subtitles would be allowed, just funny programs for children. Christopher also seemed to enjoy the TV-show. At least he kept smiling.

We managed to watch one and a half episode together when I realised Christopher was getting a lot paler. Not only had the healthy colour of his face vanished, so had his smile. The boy was now shivering instead.

”Mom, Christopher isn’t feeling well,” I said slightly concerned about the his health.

Mom rose from the other sofa and went closer to the knight. She felt his forehead with her palm and examined him carefully.

“Yes, you’re right, Mike. Go and sit with dad so Chris can lie down for a while.”

I nodded and obeyed, even though I was worried.

“Come here, little guy,” dad said to me and I went away to sit next to him.

We looked at mom and Christopher in silence. She got the clinical thermometer from the bathroom to take his temperature. It was one of them you put in the ear. It took her less than half a minute to get the temperature.

”Almost forty,” she reported, mostly for dad’s sake who quietly nodded as to say he was listening.

”Is that a lot?” I asked.

”No, not at all,” mom assured me. “But he still has to have his medicine”

“I’ll go and get it” dad said. “Are you coming too, Mike?”

I nodded again. I wanted to get him his medicine as well.

Dad went downstairs to the medicine cabinet and let me pour a glass of water for the young man. We were very fast and it didn’t take us long at all to finish and get back upstairs.

”How is he, Helen?” dad asked mom, as soon as we came back.

“He’s okay. He’s slurring a bit though, and I don’t understand what he’s saying. Do you know where Oscar is?”

“No idea. He said something about a meeting. Don’t worry, he ought to be back soon.”

”Okay.”

Christopher took the medicine. His hands were shaking and he looked dozy. He didn’t say anything. He was too sick. I looked at him anxiously, from where I was sitting on the floor infront of him.

“It’s alright”, mom said to me, as she saw my worried face, yet still keeping very composed. “He’s just got a fever. It will pass,” she then turned to dad: “Martin, do you think you can help him to bed?”

“Sure. No problem.”

Dad lifted the sick one up from the sofa and carried him to his room. It wasn't far and it looked very easily done. Dad was really strong, probably because of all the heavy lifting he did as a builder. The young knight hung limp in his arms without moving or talking. It actually frightened me a little, but mom had said he was going to be alright and for that matter, he didn’t have such a high temperature either. Knowing that calmed me down a lot. He just needed to rest and he would be fine.