A Gypsy Song (The Eye of the Crystal Ball - The Wolfboy Chronicles) by Willow Rose Page A

her like she should be too.
    “It is perfectly normal,” Moeselman said. “It is messy and noisy and a little bit scary right now but in a short time you will become a big sister.”
    Someone handed Sara some bread and water but she was not hungry that particular morning. She was anxious and nervous and scared. Was she the only one that thought this wasn’t such a great idea?
    Then her mom screamed again. It went right through Sara’s bones. Hands were on both hers and Moeselman’s shoulders, smiles were on everybody’s faces as the screaming got worse and worse. It was very unreal to Sara, as if the more her mother was in pain the more the crowd cheered.
    All of a sudden it was over. The silence that followed seemed endless. Everybody waited for that sound, a noise, any small sign that whatever came out of her mother was alive.
    And then Sara heard it. They all did. The small cry that meant the baby was alive. A relief spread through the crowd and after that the cheering continued. People were congratulating her and her father. Moeselman was crying and hugging her and lifting her into the air. Even the dogs barked as if they wanted to take part of the jubilation.
    And then finally the door to the caravan was opened and the woman that had been the midwife stuck her face out. She was glowing as if she herself had gone through the pain of giving birth.
    In her hands she had something wrapped in a blanket. She lifted it high in the air and everyone broke into cheers of joy. It was the baby. All red and wrinkled. It was crying like it wanted her to stop.
    Then the woman looked at Moeselman. He came closer and she handed him the baby. He took it gently into his arms, lifted the blanket and looked. Then he turned to the crowd.
    “It is a boy!” he yelled.
    The crowd cheered again like they couldn’t be happier.
     
    Everyone was happy except for Sara. She had walked away from the crowd and was sitting in the grass watching them all dance of joy. The only one not dancing was Sami, the Wolfboy. She noticed him as he was sitting in his cage staring at her with his blue eyes. It was like he was always looking at her now, ever since that night they stood face to face. It was like he was following her every move.
    All of a sudden Moeselman stood in front of her with the baby in his arms.
    “Get up and meet your little brother,” he said.
    Sara got up a little reluctantly. Moeselman handed her the baby. She looked at him and he nodded.
    “It is alright. Just take him.”
    So she did. She held him in her arms and in that moment the baby opened his eyes and looked straight at Sara. Then he squeezed her forefinger with his hand and she could have sworn that she saw him smile. That must have been the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.
    In that instant Sara couldn’t stop the tears from running down her cheeks. She looked at her dad and saw that he felt it too. Her mom had been right. This boy was truly a miracle and something very special.
    “His name shall be Marius,” her dad said.
    Later that same day, Moeselman took his best and finest horse to the market and sold it. Then he bought meat and wine for the tribe and they danced all night.

A STRANGE ILLNESS
     
     
     
    It didn’t take Sara long to get accustomed to her new life with a baby in the caravan. She had been so wrong. This was nothing like when the three babies were born at Mr. and Mrs. Schneider’s house. Marius was nothing like them.
    He never cried, not even at night when he woke up. Sara just heard him babbling in his crib and then she would get up and give him his bottle. She didn’t have to do that, her mom said, but Sara really wanted to. She enjoyed those moments in the middle of the night when she was alone with her baby brother.
    She would sing to him and tell him stories and he would stare at her with those big brown eyes and laugh that cute little laugh. She felt she could talk to him about everything. She told him all about their family, about