The New Guy; My neighbour

Chapter 10 - Time travel 1; Descendants of David

Sterling David, the father of Trevor, was born on Christmas Eve, sixty-two years ago, to the noble family of Smith David. Mr Smith was ecstatic; prior to the midwife announcing Sterling's birth, he had been pacing the entire house in anticipation. He dashed down to the patio to tell his friends, who had gathered, that he had been blessed with a child. He ran back inside the house, waiting for the midwife to bring Sterling. He snickered with delight the instant he laid eyes on him. Taking Sterling in his hands, he planted a kiss on his forehead. He thanked the heavens for allowing him to bear the true blood of David and directed his maids to slaughter all the meat in the poultry so that everyone could feast.

Mr Smith made sure the house was remodelled and hired a professional artist to decorate the baby's room, paying him a substantial sum of money. It was ten years of waiting for the couple. They had everything except a child who had their blood flowing through his veins. Although they both adored their adopted daughter, Rose, they both expressed their true feelings behind closed doors. They tried everything they knew to conceive, but Mrs Smith miscarried on several occasions.

When Mrs Smith carried Sterling to term, he sent a message to all of his friends, asking them to join him in the early hours of the day the child was due to be born, so they could celebrate together when the baby arrived. Some felt it would be wiser to invite people after the baby was born, believing he was being too forward for someone who had longed for a child to be carried to term. However, Mr. Smith was an outgoing, happy man who trusted his gut. He believed that since he lavished Mrs Smith with good things, the baby would have no reason not to accept being born into the family. He called in the province's most renowned and experienced soothsayer to put an end to any doubts, and he ultimately confirmed his intuition. The soothsayer declared that he smelled the pleasant, cheesy odour of a newborn baby and that they should prepare for the birth of a great man.

Amidst the loud entertainment, six-year-old Rose, the adopted daughter of Mr and Mrs Smith David, sat in the corner, overwhelmed by the dancing, giggling, and talking. Poor thing; it seemed like everyone had forgotten about her. She was excited to meet the baby earlier, but with all the attention the baby had gotten, she wasn't sure she wanted a competition. Feeling jealous, she refrained from touching baby Sterling. She only stared at him. He had red, chubby cheeks and blue eyes, and he was a cute little boy. Rose thought he was adorable, but she knew in her heart that she wasn't ready to give up her personal space to anyone. Now that the true blood of David had been born, she knew her peers would make more fun of her, and it burned in her heart. She dashed to the backyard and sat alone, blindly whispering to their dog, Husky.

"Hey, Rose, why are you here alone?" One of the housekeepers asked as she approached, concerned about Rose's disposition.

"Why don't you sit with the others and merry? Today is the happiest day in Mr Smith's house, and you are crouched there, looking sad."

"I do not want to see him. He'll take all my toys, and my father and mother will stop buying things for me. All attention will shift to him. It makes me sad." Rose replied.

Elizabeth giggled and squatted beside Rose to pat her back.

"You know that's not true. He is your little brother, and you must take very good care of him so that he will grow to love, cherish, and respect you. And scare all the neighbours away when they try to bully you."

"That's not true. I am stronger than him, and I can't even stand up to those neighbours who treat me like a speck of dust. It's going to be worse now."

"Why do you say so? You were so excited for your mother to give birth, but now you're sad. Let me tell you how I felt when my mother gave birth to my younger sister." She took a breather to see if she had Rose's attention.

"When my mother gave birth to my younger sister, I was mad because I didn't want to share the love with anyone. I refused to see her; I would smack her poor cheeks whenever my mom brought her close. But you see, with time, I grew to love her more than any other thing, and even now we do everything together as adults."

Rose sighed heavily and looked at Elizabeth with suspicion as if she were looking for the truth in her eyes.

"Do you think that he will not take all the praise and love from father and mother?" Rose asked inquisitively.

"It won't be a competition, Rose. You will both be loved equally. So, why not stand up and go say a proper hello to your brother?" Elizabeth smiled and gently nudged her to proceed.

Reluctantly, Rose got up and cautiously made her way back inside the house to greet baby Sterling. She saw Mr. Smith still clinging to the child, seemingly unwilling to let go.

"Hey, Rose, come on. You haven't said anything to your little brother yet. He is a cute little one, with blue eyes just like me."

Rose got closer to him and stroked his plump cheeks. Sterling's eyes were half-closed when Rose touched him, and he made a startling reflex in response to Rose's touch.

"What have you named him, father? His cheeks are so chubby."

"His name is Sterling."

"Why?" Rose asked.

"Because he will be a great man," Mr Smith responded, stressing the word "great."

Rose let out a deep sigh and continued to stroke his cheeks. Sterling moved his tiny little hands and smiled at Rose.

"He smiled!" Rose exclaimed with joy.

"This means he likes you," Mr Smith uttered as he watched them both enjoying the moment. Rose, still beaming with admiration for Sterling, blushed with pleasure and slid to sit next to Mr. Smith.