1 - Now Let's Try My Name

"J-Jack a-and J-Jill w-went u-up t-the h-hill to f-fetch a pail of w-water.."

Sidhiel stopped singing when he heard someone calling behind him. He turned his head to its direction and he was not surprised when he realized who it is.

Kalyx.

He was the son of Diehl's best friend, who also happened to be his godmother. The Brier's always visit them so he's already used to seeing Kalyx in their house.

Even though Sidhiel ignores him and doesn't talk to him, Kalyx  still finds a way to get his attention and to make him talk to him. Or should he say, piss him off. It seems like Kalyx's visit in their house will not be complete until he annoys the hell out of him.

"You're already nine years old but you're still stuttering." Fourteen-year-old Kalyx teased.

Sidhiel ignored him. He just looked at the ground and quietly turned his back to him. He gripped his favorite  teddy bear tightly like it will protect him.

"J-Jack a-and J-Jill w-went up the h-hill t-to f-fetch a p-pail of w-water," Kalyx mimicked him. And still not contented, he even stood in front of him. "That's a nursery rhyme. By now, you should've mastered it already. Why don't you straighten up your speech?" Kalyx's voice had a hint of anger in it.

Sidhiel continued being quiet. He just slightly lift his head to look at Kalyx, and bringing it back down again when he saw the anger in the taller boy's face.

"That's why they're laughing at you. You're too shy. What are you so shy about? You're a very pretty boy. Why does it seem like you find it so hard to speak?"

Sidhiel doesn't know what to answer. He, himself doesn't know why.

All he know is that he stutters when someone talks to him. Specially when it's his mom. His stuttering gets worse.

"C'mon, say 'Jack'", Kalyx encouraged.

Sidhiel lifted his head again and looked at Kalyx. Should he obey him or not? He doesn't know if he is serious or just playing him.

"I'm serious, okay. Just try it. Say 'Jack'."

Sidhiel stared at Kalyx's eyes when the latter leaned down to level his face with him. Its like he got hypnotized by the sincerity that he saw in those eyes. And that's enough reason for him to obey.

"J-Jack."

"Again. Jack."

"Jack." He did not stutter.

"Very good!" Kalyx was smiling widely.

Sidhiel was happy with Kalyx's reaction too.

"Now, say 'Jill'."

"Jill."

Again, he said it without stuttering. It was a big achievement for him already.

"I knew you could do it." Kalyx said smiling as he sat beside Sidhiel. "Don't panic. Remove the nervousness in your chest when you speak."

Sidhiel let out a shy smile. Although he's confused by the kindness that Kalyx shows him, he still can't stop being happy.

"Now, let's try my name. Say, 'Kalyx'."

Sidhiel stared at Kalyx for a long time before having the strength to say his name.

"K-Kalyx." Sidhiel said with blushing cheeks. He doesn't understand why when it was Kalyx's name that he's about to say, he got nervous.

It's not the kind of nervousness when he's speaking to his mommy. This was a different kind of nervousness. He can't name it.

"What's wrong with my name? Why did you stutter again when it was my name you're saying?" Kalyx asked, brows furrowed.

Sidhiel's grip on his teddy bear tightened while hiding his face and staring at his feet.

"Don't tell me.." Kalyx laughed. "Do you have a crush on me, Sidhie?"

Sidhiel just kept his head down. Kalyx calls him ‘Sidhie’  whenever he's teasing him.

"Sidhie has a crush on me." Kalyx teased. "You're still so young to have a crush." Kalyx continued.

He can't bear Kalyx teasing him anymore. So he stood up and ran back inside the house and went straight to the only place that gives him peace.

His room.

*****

Kalyx was left shaking his head. He doesn't know why everytime he and his mom goes to the Elysdane's, he can't help teasing and annoying Sidhiel.

He's pissed at the boy’s shyness. The boy doesn't even fight back even though he annoys him too much. Sidhiel will just look down and keep quiet.

One time, he saw Sidhiel getting picked on by his younger sister Eara. He saw how Eara stomped her feet on the teddy bear that Sidhiel always holds.

Sidhiel just cried, taking the teddy bear back. No word came out of his mouth. 

No complain. No fighting back. No sneeze. No nothing.

A while ago, when he told Sidhiel to repeat what he said, he saw that he can speak properly as long as he doesn't feel threatened.

He's really wondering why Sidhiel is always afraid, if not nervous or shy.

He knows that Sidhiel can speak straight and properly because he had seen him speaking without stuttering.

It happened when his mother, Alena and him visited them. Because of how bored he is, he decided to take a walk. His feet brought him to the garden.

The garden of the Elysdane's were big and had variety of flowers. He was about to go back in the house when he heard a voice. The voice was speaking to someone.

He listened carefully for the source of the voice and followed it. He stopped in his tracks when he saw that  the voice was coming from Sidhiel.

The boy was seated on the Bermuda grass and talking to his teddy bear. "Did you brush your teeth, Mr. Ted?" Kalyx heard Sidhiel ask the toy.

He was really surprised because of how straight Sidhiel was speaking. He listened further.

"Before you go to sleep, you should brush your teeth. That's what my teacher said. So, you should brush your teeth too, okay?"

"Let's sleep now because if mommy heard us speaking loudly, we will surely get hit again. Unfortunately, Daddy's not here. He's on a business trip." Sidhiel said to the teddy bear after a while.

Kalyx clearly noticed the sadness in Sidhiel's voice when he said the last part. Even he noticed that Sidhiel was not close to his mother, which happened to be Kalyx's godmother. When his Aunt Diehl visits them, she always brings Eara.

And come to think of it, she had never brought Sidhiel to them. Aside from that, he saw how happy his Aunt Diehl is when it comes to Eara. He would always hear praises from his Aunt when talking about Eara while it's the opposite when Sidhiel is the topic.

It also did not go unnoticed to him that Sidhiel seems afraid of his mother. Opposite when it was his father with him.

Sidhiel's eyes were bright and sparkling when he is talking to his father. Everyone can see how close the two are. He can't say that Mark favored Sidhiel because he also treats Eara the same way. But it's obvious that there's something special between the father and son bond.

Ever since he discovered that Sidhiel can speak properly when alone, he did not stopped annoying and teasing him. He wants Sidhiel to accidentally speak clearly because of how pissed he is with him. But so far, the boy will just keep quiet when he is annoying him.

It would've been better earlier because Sidhiel had communicated to him already when he obeyed his instruction. He doesn't know what entered his mind and he teased him again when Sidhiel stuttered at his name.

Kalyx smiled. He knows that all Sidhiel needs is encouragement from those who are around him. Most particularly, from his own mother.

He had to help Sidhiel get over his shyness. In that way, there's a possibility that his stuttering will disappear.