Todd the Spectacular Chp. 10 Knights and Princesses

ChapterTen

Knights and Princesses 

Later that day, I walked to a thick tree where the branches were low and lush, and I heard sobbing. At first I thought it to be Claudia but then I heard a boyish tone, and really, I didn’t know who it could be. I stepped around the tree and found Charlie, sobbing all alone, tears spilling down his cheeks, and a regretful, shameful expression on his face.

“What could possibly be the matter for you to cry so?” I asked gently, sitting down beside him.

“I killed it.”

My eyes widened with terror. “You’ve killed something?”

“Someone,” he choked. 

I looked down sadly. “Was it the caterpillar?”

He looked right at me and wiped his nose. “How’d you know?”

I shrugged and then he leaned his head on my shoulder and continued to cry. “I killed her,” he kept saying and I sat there with him until he was done with his tears. “I murdled her.”

“Murdered,” I added quietly. I offered him my handkerchief, and when he didn’t take it, I dabbed it on his tears and dried away the innocent guilt he had felt. “There, there,” I chided and laughed softly. “It’s alright.” After awhile, we got up and he ran ahead to play with Felix and Claudia, all his bad memories washed away like they had never happened.

I smiled after him.

I was joyed to see Felix and Claudia racing and laughing with their new friend. Artie sat on the ground, Indian style, and looked like he was meditating. Then, he opened his eyes and jumped up. “I am bestowing the honor of choosing the next activity to Charlie,” he proclaimed.

“Knights,” Charlie said, decidedly.

“I don’t want to play knights,” Felix grumbled, with a low sink of his shoulders. 

“Charlie shall have his way.”

“You spoil Charlie.”

“He shall do as he pleases.”

Charlie blew a raspberry at Felix. “I want to play knights,” he said again.

“Good choice, Charlie.” Artie walked around with his hands behind his back. He took off his hat with a flourish. “Charlie, will you give them their names?”

“Names?” I asked. 

“There aren’t many knights called Felix and Annabelle and Claudia, are there?” Henry said.

“That’s not what I mean,” Artie quipped. “Charlie gives everyone names. I’m Arther the Invincible.”

I smiled. “How interesting.”

Artie picked up a long stick and handed it to his brother. “Charlie Todd Ferguson, I am giving you this sword.”

“That ain’t no sword.”

“It is today. Have you come up with their names? Has the great Spectacular One given you such wisdom?”

“He has,” Charlie said proudly. He walked over to Claudia first, and with the stick, touched her left shoulder, then her right, and then the top of her head.

“I want to be a princess.”

“Oh, shut up,” Felix complained.

“You are now ‘Claudia the Divine.’”

“Divine?” Claudia gasped with pleasure. “How supreme that does sound!”

“Where does he come up with the names?” I asked Artie.

“The Spectacular One tells him.”

“Oh, I see.”

“And you,” said Charlie, after he did the ritual for Felix,“you are Felix the Honorable.”

Felix shrugged. “I guess I can live with that title, although I had hoped for something a little more like ‘Felix the Magnificent’ or ‘Felix the Valiant.’ Maybe even ‘Felix the Vigorous.’”

“I’m glad to see that my brother is not at all vain,” I laughed.

Claudia chortled and covered her mouth.

Charlie came towards Henry and stared at him intently. “You—” he didn’t use the stick. “I don’t know.”

“How about Henry the Impertinent?” That earned Felix an elbow to his side.

Artie had a dark look of bewilderment on his face. “But you always know.”

“This one has lost me,” he said simply. He moved past Henry and left him standing there, confused, and not knowing whether to say something or stay silent.

“Annie’s not a knight,” Charlie said, delicately like he was afraid of waking a fairy.

Artie joined him. “I will honor Charlie’s wishes and will therefore disable Annabelle from being a knight. She is our queen and we must do everything we can to serve her.”

“I feel so flattered,” I said faintly.

“But that’s not fair,” Claudia started up.

“Knights are better than princesses, Claws,” Felix comforted. “You’d be a poor princess anyway.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Claudia tossed her head of curls. “Well, then. I’ll be a knight,” she spit out the last word.

“Don’t I get a name?” was my next question. 

Charlie looked sly. “You want a name? Alright, then. Your name is…”

I stood straight and listened to him.

“…Annie the Brave.”

There was no hesitation. He said it as if it were truly my name, as if it had always been my name.

“Brave?” Felix marveled. “It’s not everyday we hear that said about our Annabelle, but I guess so.”

I didn’t know what to say. Out of every word and name and title—he chose brave. How did he know?

“I’d like to know who this ‘Spectacular One’ is,” Henry stepped forward—I’ll say, vigorously. “Tell us, is it a spirit?”

“No,” Charlie said innocently. “He’s a hero. Todd the Spectacular.”

Henry furrowed his brows. “Is that your name?”

Artie cringed and he decided to answer the questions for his brother. “Charlie and the Spectacular One…” he motioned to me and Henry to follow him, away from the younger ones.

“The Spectacular One gives Charlie the names. Well, Charlie comes up with the names, so he must be the Spectacular One. But Todd the Spectacular…well, that’s a little strange. That’s Charlie’s name for himself. But he also believes he’s someone else. And he believes he is Todd the Spectacular.”

“I beg pardon, but I’m completely and utterly lost,” Henry said graciously.

“He thinks he’s really a superhero,” I smiled warmly. “I think that’s sweet.”

“When he’s Charlie, he talks about Todd the Spectacular as if he’s a whole different person. But when he plays, then he becomes Todd the Spectacular. And he can do anything.”

“And the Spectacular One purely symbolizes his imagination, in a way.” I laughed to myself. “I think that’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Yes, well…” Artie looked back at his brother thoughtfully. “He is pretty brilliant. But he’s different. And I have to protect him before he hurts himself.”

“Hurts himself?”

Artie looked at me and I saw a glimpse of secret pain in his green eyes. “I’ll tell you sometime.”

I didn’t want to believe that Henry had really gotten hurt by his not being given a name. It seemed a silly thing, but for some reason, he was quieter than usual and barely looked at Charlie.

As the day went on, I sat down alone a lot, simply because I was tired from the heat. Charlie was fourteen. Just right for Felix and Claudia. And Artie—well, right now, I wasn’t all the way sure if he was just right for me and Henry. He always looked bothered and far away somewhere. And I didn’t know where his mind and his heart really lie. Sometimes he made jibes about his brother and felt ashamed by him. And then sometimes he looked as if he’d swim across an ocean for him. Like he’d do almost anything in the world to protect his brother. Even if that meant fighting off others who said a word against him. But I wished he would stop picking on the poor boy. 

I wanted answers to the questions throbbing inside me. Were these two boys orphans?

I prayed that one day, I would gain their trust enough to be told the truth.

Todd the Spectacular Chp. 9 Fight in the Mud

ChapterNine

Fight in the Mud

I knew we fell asleep, because I then woke up to a tall grassy stem ticking my nose, and there I was, in a fresh new morning. Life started again, new and blank with no wrongs, just as it always did without disappoint.

I rolled over and Artie was gone. I wanted to find him and so I decided to. I leapt up quietly and scanned the field in which I was entrapped in. I realized that it really did go on, and might even be connected to the first field I had seen when we had arrived. Where I stood, I was surrounded by lavish trees, but I knew if I kept walking straight, the trees would disappear and I would be out in the open, maybe overlooking Averdeene. I can’t describe it just right, which is one of my many faults. But I wish you could see it, whoever you are. I wish you could see this place.

I walked straight through the meadow until the trees faded away. The grass was shorter here but no less splendid. I didn’t expect to find Artie so quick, but I did, standing alone, his hair rustling in the wind. I smiled and tip-toed, thinking I could sneak up on him.

“I can hear you, Charlie.”

I giggled. “Guess again.”

Artie shook his head and chuckled. He turned around. His hair was unruly and messy from such a long night, but mine was too, so I didn’t care a bit.

“So many meadows and fields.”

He shrugged. “I’m used to it. I don’t know anything about any other place but here.”

“Do you go to school?”

“I did for awhile. Then I stopped ‘cause Charlie kept…” he looked like he regretted even saying his brother’s name. “Well, I can’t leave him alone for a minute. He just gets into trouble.”

“Everyone does, once in awhile. I think you are a bit harsh, if I dare say. I don’t have any business to, but—”

“No, you don’t,” Artie cut in. “But it’s alright, for now. Because…” he shrugged lightheartedly, “no one cares about anything as much as you do, it seems. Charlie, I mean. You seem to care about him. I mean—” he struggled. “Do you care? Annabelle?”

“O-of course,” I stuttered. “How did you know my name was Annabelle?”

“Charlie told me. But I see he calls you Annie.”

“Yes, well…” I looked down. “I’m supposed to be called Ingrid, my middle name, because—”

“It’s too painful. I know,” he said blandly as if he were conversing about the wind.

It was quiet for a moment. “Well…like I said, I do care.”

He brightened up at the sound of that. “Good! He needs a mother. You’ll watch him Monday through Friday, while I get back to school, and then you’ll watch him for the weekends so’s I can catch up on some work. Plus, after school too, so I can do stable duty.”

I blinked. “What a speech. Do you mean it?”

“‘Course.”

I hesitated. All I had to do was keep an eye on his brother. I could do that. “Alright then, if you really want to go to school.”

“Good. This school term will end soon enough, but for the time being, I have other things to do anyway.”

“But what about school now? Before it ends for the summer, you should go back at once. And when my father gets here I won’t be able to care for Charlie.” I paused. “Father will need us,” I said quietly, only wishing that were true. I really didn’t know. Was it? Was Father coming back? Was I wrong all along in thinking that he—that maybe he had abandoned us? It was sharp like a bee sting. Even thinking that thought plagued me.

Father can’t abandon us. Doesn’t he love us?

Artie had been staring at my unconscious self for a full moment now. I blinked back to life. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I drift off.”

“I know.”

I shifted my feet. “Well…once Felix and Claudia wake up, they’ll wonder where we are. I’d best be going. They want to see more of the town and—”

“Well, bring ‘em.”

“Bring them here?”

“Yes. Bring your siblings here. Forget about town. This field can be our kingdom and we’ll all be knights. We’ll forget about civilization and live here, forever.”

“Forever?”

“Well, don’t you want to?”

It did sound rather pleasant. I knew I wouldn’t really live in this meadow forever, but still I consented.

I nearly tripped, racing down that path, ecstatic for our adventures to come. I can’t believe I was afraid of Americans. Every one of them has been superb. Then again, I’ve only met but two. Two boys who so quickly made me take a liking to them. Charlie especially captured my heart with his so innocent one. I loved the way he loved the stars. How he delighted over simple pleasures. 

It was a miracle that I was in one piece when I arrived with Felix and Claudia. They wore puzzled expressions of bewilderment and anxiousness and anticipation.

But when I walked up to Charlie, my eyes widened with surprise at what he was doing. 

“You’re torturing that poor caterpillar,” I bent down on my knees while he sawed it into four pieces with a sharp rock. “This one needs it,” he muttered, his fingers working carefully. 

“You’ll regret killing that bug, Charlie,” Artie hollered. 

Charlie looked determined and said plainly, “no I won’t,” as he continued to saw up the caterpillar, whose guts were astray all over the grass.

“Well—” Felix breathed as his keen eyes surveyed the wide land. “I suppose this’ll be a fine home for us to live.”

The day drifted by, and I was satisfied by everything that had gone on. Felix gave us plenty of jokes to keep us entertained.

“Why do kittens not tell a lot of stories?” Felix announced. 

“Felix,” Henry warned him with his eyes.

“Because they only have one tail!”

Hours floated by lazily. Felix and Claudia immediately took a liking to Charlie and he did to them. Artie was more mine and Henry’s age, and so together we explored, while the younger ones played.

Suddenly, Artie, who had been leading us, stopped. He crossed his arms behind his back. “Since you have so goodly offered to take care of my kin, I must inform you on a few important things.”

Henry froze. He looked at me and through gritted teeth, said, “What did he mean by that, Ingrid?”

“Well…” I swallowed. “Arther here has confided in me his longing for education and…other things, I suppose, so I told him I would watch over Charlie.”

Henry groaned. “Charlie can watch himself, can’t he? He’s not our brother.”

Artie’s hands unfolded and they tightened into fists. He glared coldly at Henry. “If you have anything more to say, then say it now. Otherwise keep your pig snout shut.”

I saw a flash of rage pass over Henry’s face.

Henry looked a little taken aback. “I meant no offense.”

Artie glared at him warningly. 

Henry scoffed. “I apologize.”

I sighed with relief.

“…but I figured your brother was more than able to care for himself. He’s fourteen, isn’t he? He’s not our burden to bear.”

I looked away because I knew what would happen next. In half a second Artie had stepped closer to Henry and in an another second, they were both sprawled on the muddy ground, nearly killing each other.

“Stop it!” I shouted. I fell into the midst of them directly and tried to pull them apart from each other. In the end, I had more mud and dirt than you could imagine all over me. “Stop it!” My voice pierced them from their brawl in the mud. Both their shouting voices dropped and they looked up at me who stood over them, furious. “All of this came out of a simple misunderstanding?” I cried. “Get up, both of you, you’re acting like headless chickens.”

Henry scrambled to his feet and wouldn’t look at Artie.

“How could you do that, Artie?” I scolded. “Henry didn’t mean anything by it.”

“He was insulting him.”

“Insulting?” Henry spat. “How should I have known about your brother, who’s clearly delayed a half decade or two?”

I had to hold Artie back with all of my force. “You’re a stupid city pig!” Artie fired with all the strength in his voice. “Retarded chicken!”

“You’re retarded!” Henry shot back.

Artie escaped my grasp and down they were. “You’re all retarded, just what I should’ve expected—” a clump of dirt was shoved in his mouth.

I was simply so angry I couldn’t think.

I plunged my fingers around my brother’s arm and yanked him away. Later, I had discovered a reddish purplish bruise on the left side of my face. I didn’t know who did it. It must have been an accident. Right now, I didn’t even notice the pain beyond my own fuming. “That’s enough!” I demanded. “You shouldn’t have said those things about Charlie,” I spoke harshly, looking at Henry. “But you’ve been no better since we’ve arrived,” I turned to Artie. “All you’ve done is treated him poorly and have added spiteful comments behind his back.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“Well, prove me wrong and be a little kinder, Arther.”

He stepped forward and for a minute I thought he was going to push me back into the mud. “I’m not Arther to you. And if hiding Charlie away will rid me of that feathered peacock of yours then I will. You won’t see me or Charlie ever again. Because I won’t tolerate big mouthed city slickers like this one.”

“Well, I won’t let you lay a finger on him!” I cut him off sharply. He backed up from me. “Stop pretending to avenge your brother when really, you talk ill of him whenever he’s not around.”

“What I do doesn’t concern you.”

“It has ever since I agreed to watch him,” I cried. “If I am going to take your brother into my care while you are otherwise engaged, then it is my concern, starting now.”

He didn’t look angry anymore. Simply lost and hurt. 

He said nothing, just walked away.

“Don’t leave too, Henry,” I begged.

Henry stayed by my side. “I didn’t mean it, Ingrid. I like Charlie well enough. I just—”

“I understand,” I said, consolingly. “I don’t know everything about him either. But I like him for who he is. He doesn’t have to be like everyone else. I don’t mind.” I felt a guilting tug at my mind like I was betraying Charlie, so I didn’t say anything further. 

“I’ve heard stories about that,” Henry said slowly. “Rich people cast them out, send them to institutions.” He shuddered visibly. “I would never wish for any of that to happen. Never. Don’t ever say anything. Not to Felix, not to Claudia. And not to Charlie.”

I winced. “Of course. But that’ll never happen. I couldn’t bear it.” I shook my head. “People can be so cruel.”

Henry touched his cheek. Then he looked at mine and caressed it lightly. “You got hurt.”

“It doesn’t sting much.”

“But it’s a consequence of you trying to break us up. A bunch of fools rolling around in the mud like pigs.”

“Everyone gets angry, Henry.”

“But I’m always angry. And don’t deny it, Ingrid. There’s something wrong with me. Ever since Mother died.”

I said nothing more. We went back to the field and found the others.

Henry knew better than to banter Charlie again, after that.