Looking for Home

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

"Dale's sleepy, we have to go back to sleep," Niel whispered to Alice after a lot of dancing around and running.

"I have to go bye-bye," Dale added. 

"Me too, I have to sleep too," Alice replied. "Nighty-night! Let's play again tomorrow! I'm in front of your house, our house is in front of your house."

"Nighty-noighty, Alish," Dale said in between his yawns.

Immediately, Alice disappeared as Niel closed his eyes and rested.

*** 

Niel was woken up by the bright light coming from his window. He was under his warm blanket and was hugging a pillow. He felt very groggy, as if he had been through a very tiring journey. He lazily untangled his legs from the blanket and slowly walked out of his room. 

I'm hungry. I want to eat breakfast already, he thought. 

He stopped by Dale's room and peeked from the open door, but Dale was not there. He headed straight to the dining room, where he found Dale eating from a bowl of cereals and milk. Beside him was a bowl filled with cereals and milk and a spoon beside it.

 "Did mom make this?" asked Niel.

"Uh-huh, it was on the table when I woke up," answered Dale, with a spoonful of cereals in his mouth.

Go eat your breakfast, came the gentle voice of their mother.

"M'kay," Niel answered as he sat beside Dale and ate his cereals. 

The house was a bit dim despite the bright light from outside and oddly quiet. Niel and Dale did not seem to notice this and continued to eat.  Niel felt happy he was back in their home. 

I didn't leave home, but I'm happy to be back, Niel thought to himself, but he couldn't quite figure it out. 

Dale was drinking his milk when Niel wanted to play outside. 

You can play outside, honey, their mother's voice came from everywhere in the room.

"Let's play outside, Dale, come one," Niel urged while his feet sang up and down.

"Mommy said I should finish my milk."

"Faster, faster!"

After finishing his milk, Dale licked his lips and pushed himself down from the chair with his chubby hands. Together, Niel and Dale went outside. They opened the door and felt the warm heat of the sun on their pale brown skin. The street was peacefully quiet except for the house in front of them, where people were moving in. 

"Let's play to -- to there," Dale pointed across the street, where there was a truck bringing furniture and things. "I wanna' play with Alice."

"Yeah, let's play with Alice," Niel agreed, and they ran to their new neighbours.

They ran up to the lawn of Alice's house and saw Alice waiting for them there. She was sitting with her doll on the stairs with her rosy cheeks rested on her palms. Her black eyes lit up as she saw the brothers, and her hands immediately picked up her doll. She stood up and held Niel's hand, pulling them to their garden. Her pigtails bounced behind her as she happily skipped. She picked two tiny red flowers and gave each of the boys one. 

"Here you go!" she sang.

Niel observed it before putting it in his pocket.

"Let's play, let's play!" the girl giggled.