I am only a little Gypsy 1 - Reincarnation, does it exist? - 9. Chapter 9. What is an octopus; finally playing outside.

A few weeks later, I woke up from one of my usual afternoon naps, and first drank lots of tasty milk from my Mom's breasts. After filling my hungry stomach to the brim, and also burping lots of involuntarily swallowed air out, my Mom cleaned my smelly bottom and applied a fresh diaper on me. Then, my broadly smiling Dad and I sat across from each other on our carpeted floor, having lots of fun rolling a plastic ball back and forth. Every time our ball escaped behind me, I crawled after it and threw it back to my patiently waiting Dad. Every time our ball escaped to another place, I first pointed at it and then asked my proudly smiling Dad:

"Pwease Daddy, ged ball and give back to Harry?"

Obviously, my Dad was really starting to behave as a well-trained parent, as I already thought he would do. Obediently, he crawled after our escaped ball, went back to his own place, and again rolled the ball towards me. Most of the time, I caught it between my legs, took it into both hands, and then threw it back to my patiently waiting Dad. The few times when the naughty ball escaped from my legs and rolled too far away, both my Dad and I had lots of fun crawling after each other, because both of us tried to be there first while at the same time trying to bump into each other on purpose.

After quite some time of playing ball and having lots of fun, at last, I started to feel too tired. Therefore, I left our ball where it had been rolling to, crawled towards my Dad, and unceremoniously clambered onto his safe and cozy lap. Looking happy, my Dad took me to our couch, where he slumped backwards with his head resting on a pillow. Immediately, I draped my small limbs all over his broad chest and put my tiny nose into his left armpit. This had always been my most favorite place, from our first day together!

Smiling broadly, my Dad told me again, for at least the umpteenth time:

"Boy, you really are my little octopus! Harry, I am very proud of you, and I love you with all my heart, my mind, and my soul!"

Suddenly feeling curious, I first pushed myself up some so that I could look into my Dad's eyes, and then I asked him:

"Daddy, what is an 'octopus'?"

Looking surprised at hearing me asking my first correct question ever, my Dad thought for a few seconds before he answered:

"An octopus is an animal that lives in the water like sort of a fish, but it has no regular fins except for eight so-called 'tentacles' to catch its prey. Wait, I will try to show you one..."

Using his own Shaman abilities, my Dad tried to send me a picture, directly from his mind into mine, that showed a really strange looking animal with a huge bulky head and seemingly no visible body at all, having no regular 'fins' as Michail's caught fishes always showed, but eight very long 'tentathings' that were attached directly onto its head! WHAT? Was this extremely strange creature really looking like ME?

Involuntarily chuckling with sudden disgust, I answered:

"Daddy, I am NOT an 'octopus' with eight tenta... tenta-thingies. Look at my body; it has only one, two, three, four lims!"

Without answering, my Dad nodded his head to indicate that he agreed. Then, he started to stroke my back, probably because he didn't have any valid answers that would satisfy my too boundless curiosity; and he knew already from his former experiences that I loved this funny feeling very much... Feeling totally happy, I slumped down on his broad chest and basked in the pleasant sensation of being this close to each other and also loving each other dearly. That is, until I became too drowsy and involuntarily closed my eyes... Within a minute, both my Dad and I were happily snoring together!

After I woke up from my nap on my Dad's stomach, I first yawned a few times. Then, I crawled down from my still sleeping Dad, carefully slid off our coach towards our carpeted floor without any help, and started to crawl around again. However, now that I was able to move around all on my own, absolutely nothing in our caravan was safe for me anymore! Soon, I disappeared into our very interesting kitchen, where I tried to take a closer look and have a possible feel at every colorful or blinking thing that caught my attention...

Fortunately, my Mom saw me disappearing into her too dangerous kitchen just in time, so that she sprinted towards me and quickly took me back to our much safer living room and my slowly waking Dad. For quite some time, my parents were busy preparing our caravan for my extremely early moving around. Working closely together, and of course now and then 'helped' by me, they placed everything out of my reach that could be opened, put into my mouth, or would be too sharp to handle. Fortunately, and also much to my happiness, both my Mommy and my Daddy were still loving me dearly, so that they never complained about their perhaps a tad too adventurous little son.

After our caravan was set ready for my early crawling, my Dad took me to our front window, where he sat down on our couch and lifted me onto his knee, to help me look outside. I always loved sitting on my Dad's knee, from where I could look outside at our faintly glowing campfire and our circle of wooden benches around it. A couple of older grownups were sitting on their usual benches, softly talking to each other whilst drinking coffee. Several suntanned kids were playing around or chasing after each other, sometimes shouting at each other but always having lots of fun. Of course, I still wanted to join the playing children and partake in their always-happy games! However, my Dad had already explained that I had to wait until I would be able to walk around properly, before my parents allowed me to go outside and join our happily playing children.

My Dad had also explained that, at least in our secluded Gypsy community, after our 'babies' could walk properly without any help from anybody else, they were called 'toddlers'. When they didn't need to wear diapers anymore during the day, they were called 'infants', and when they didn't need to wear any diapers at all and stayed dry during both day and night, they were called 'minors' and were allowed to enter our surrounding woods. I only had to be patient and wait some more, until I would be able to walk around as a 'toddler'...

Well, up to now, 'patience' hadn't exactly been my most favorite pastime, because I always wanted to have my want NOW. When would I finally be big enough to become a 'toddler', so that I could join our happily playing kids outside? A few playing kids saw me looking at them from behind our windows, left their games, and waved at me! Feeling elated, I raised my own hand and waved back at them. The kids had recognized me, and they clearly wanted to be my friends. Therefore, I now wanted to join them outside even more!

Unfortunately, my 'baby' body was still too young and too small to become such a 'toddler' and join my new friends outside. Again, my bright brainiac brain started to think. Couldn't I skip a couple of years, so that I would be old enough to go outside immediately? I so longed to join my new friends who were again chasing after each other and having lots of fun around our faintly glowing campfire...

From time to time, my parents had to fulfill an Important Task in the so-called 'gadjo' world outside our secluded Gypsy camp, because they were our Beloved Gypsy King and his Queen. Before they left our camp, they always asked my Big Friend, Michail, to take care of their little son, until they would be ready and returned home. I always relished these times very much, when I could be together with my Big Friend and romp with him or play our usual games. Michail was never tired of rolling a plastic ball towards each other, or stacking as many colored pillows as we could, until the heap suddenly collapsed. Then, we both shrieked with laughter and happily started to restack another and hopefully even higher pile of wobbly pillows. We always had lots of fun, and Michail never complained or got bored.

Sometimes, Michail's so-called 'betrothed' or 'girlfriend', Felicia, accompanied my Big Friend. Then, she always sat very close to her 'boyfriend' on our couch, as if she desperately tried to catch more and more of his attention... From the first day we met and saw each other, I was already sure that Felicia didn't like me at all! Could she be a bit jealous of the attention my Big Friend and I were paying each other? Fact was that Felicia never helped me and always left everything to her boyfriend, even bathing me or changing my smelly diaper. To be honest, I certainly didn't protest and always crawled straight towards Michail if I needed any help. Well, my Big Friend didn't protest either, and he always happily did everything that I had asked for.

One day, Felicia sat on our couch next to Michail, silently sulking and moping, probably because her boyfriend was again cuddling and romping with ME, while I wriggled around on his lap and in his arms. For quite some time, I could clearly feel my Big Friend growing more and more irritated. Then, Felicia started to complain about feeling bored...

Suddenly, Michail growled at his openly pouting girlfriend:

"Please, Felicia, SHUT UP and leave us alone!"

Very much to my delight, Felicia really listened to her boyfriend! Angrily, she rose from sitting extremely close to Michail, stomped out of our caravan, and slammed our front door shut with a loud bang. Fortunately, my Big Friend first only laughed at Felicia's silly antics, and then confidentially told me she always made it up to him again, usually after a few more days of moping and looking angry.

Smiling back at Michail, my clever inside thought that Felicia was acting a tad too 'childish', but I wisely kept my mouth shut and didn't dare to say a word. Ultimately, who was I, to talk about being 'childish'? Now that Michail and I were all alone, I enjoyed our togetherness even more, while I happily cuddled up against my Big Friend's broad chest. This was always my most favorite place, next to lying curled up on his enormous lap or enveloped in his safe arms, sometimes to take a quick nap, or at other times to just enjoy our special friendship. And, obviously, Michail was enjoying ME just as much!

After some time, Michail wanted to fetch fresh coffee for himself and a baby drink for me. Therefore, he lifted me off his lap and sat me down on our couch. While my Big Friend went to our kitchen, I crawled past my pile of colored pillows towards our front window. First, I pulled myself upright against one of the armrests. Then, I stretched my body out at full length and craned my neck, to be able to take a look outside. Longingly, I stared at the again happily playing children around our campfire who clearly had lots of fun playing and chasing after each other, as usual. Every time I saw them playing outside, I so wanted to join them and partake in their happy games...

Unfortunately, I couldn't join them until my too wobbly legs would be strong enough to walk around on my own and I would be a 'toddler'. When would my leg muscles finally be strong enough to let me walk outside and join my playing friends around our campfire?

Again, a few kids caught me staring at them, this time without any help from my Dad. Clearly wanting to contact me, they turned around and nudged several other friends, and then all the kids enthusiastically smiled at me and waved at me! Feeling touched by so much affection, I lifted my own hand to wave back at them in return. Unfortunately, that caused me to lose my balance. With a loud yelp, I fell backwards against our couch and from there slid down onto the floor. Obviously, my wise Dad had been right again, and my tiny legs were really still way too wobbly to keep me upright for such a long time. Fortunately, this time, my head didn't get another swelling lump.

Immediately when he heard my loud yelp, my Big Friend showed up from our kitchen, clearly to find out why I was making all those unexpected noises. Still lying on the floor, I forced myself to smile broadly, as if I had gone through a really funny experience! Feeling reassured, Michail scooped me off the floor, looked me over for a second, and then returned me to our couch. Quickly, he went back to our kitchen, to go on brewing his coffee and my baby drink.

After my Big Friend returned from our kitchen and sat down, I crawled onto his inviting lap and again leaned against his broad chest. Sitting together like this, both of us started to sip our tasty drinks, while my Big Friend now and then cleaned my dripping chin with a tissue. After we had finished our drinks and put our empty cups onto the table, Michail unexpectedly lifted me from his lap and tried to let me stand upright on our floor, while he continued to hold my hands...

Why would my Big Friend be doing such an unusual thing? By reading Michail's mind, my inherited Shaman abilities found out what he wanted me to do, and I felt absolutely elated! Clearly, my Big Friend wanted me to start WALKING, while he carefully kept my wavering body upright by holding my two hands! Yesss! Walking around was what I had wanted to do all the time, so that I finally could join my happily playing new friends outside!

Feeling more than elated, I started to 'walk', by prancing around proudly whilst holding my still clumsily swaying body upright onto Michail's enormous hands. Patiently and carefully, my Big Friend guided me along our couch and around our table, only now and then chuckling at seeing my still way too wobbly baby steps. From time to time, he had to pull me upright again, so that I stayed more or less vertical on my still very wobbly legs.

Wow, this was the real work! Finally, I was able to walk around, with the invaluable help of my Big Friend! Feeling thankful for his help, I took the next step that was already less wobbly. All the time, my Big Friend held my hands, while he tried to teach me how I could walk around our living room without wavering or wandering too much. All the time, I was holding my trembling body upright at Michail's enormous hands.

For quite some time, I pranced around and around, with the help of my Big Friend's hands, so that my still untrained leg muscles could get used to the unusual new sensations and hopefully soon become a lot stronger. Finally, I was really walking around, for the first time ever, although my body was only four months and a few days old!

At last, my legs became too tired, so that I asked my Big Friend to take me onto his lap and into his safe arms. With a big smile on his proudly beaming face, Michail scooped me off the floor, sat down on our couch, retook me onto his enormous lap, and refolded his warm arms around my tiny body. Feeling grateful, I thanked my Big Friend for his help, but he shrugged it off and explained that his own Dad had helped him in the same way while he too was only a tiny boy...

Feeling really tired but also truly happy, I closed my eyes and slowly drifted into a refreshing slumber. From now on, I only had to train my leg muscles more and more, until I finally could walk around all alone without any help at all. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I would ask my Dad or my Mom to help me walk around like this, until I would be able to do it all by myself.

After several days of arduous training, at first with lots of help from my parents, and then all by myself by holding onto our couch or our table, I finally found out how I could walk around in our living room without ever losing my balance. Day after day, I had taken my wobbly steps whilst holding myself up against anything around me. Only, anytime I tried to walk without any help, I stumbled over my own feet, lost my balance, and fell down on our carpeted floor with a dull thump!

Of course, my parents tried to comfort me, by telling me that my tiny baby body was still too small to walk on its own, but I just didn't believe them, and therefore stubbornly went on trying to walk without any help, by guiding myself along our couch. I just WANTED to be able to play outside, like all the other kids in our camp were doing, preferably as soon as possible! I was sure that I was an extremely fast learner, and my steadily developing leg muscles were already strong enough, due to my arduous training! I only had to find out how I had to walk without stumbling over my own feet...

One day, my bright 'brainiac' brain finally found out what I had been doing wrong all the time. Again, I had pulled myself up against our couch and taken a couple of wobbly steps, and again I suddenly stumbled over my own small feet and fell down on our carpeted floor. Feeling disappointed, I slumped down and stared at my still walking Mom and Dad. What the heck was I doing wrong all the time that they were doing correctly? Feeling irritated, I decided to take a much closer look at how my parents were walking without ever stumbling.

Finally, I found out what I had been doing wrong all the time. Clearly, other people didn't step their feet behind each other, but they always stepped them NEXT to each other! That was why my own feet always seemed to be in the way and I always stumbled over them while I tried to take the next step. Why had I never seen this before? Ten seconds later, I was really walking around in our living room, all by myself, and without any help from anything or anybody else! Or, to say it more correctly, I was now toddling around, still wavering from left to right, but feeling truly proud of myself. Although I knew what I had to do whilst taking the next steps, my still too inexperienced leg muscles also had to learn how to keep a proper balance.

Trying not to stumble too much, I toddled towards my busy Mom in our kitchen, to take a look at what she was doing. Whilst trying to look up at her, I suddenly lost my balance and nearly fell down, but I could rescue myself at the very last moment, by pulling myself upright against my Mom's apron. Fortunately, my severely shocked looking Mom wasn't too angry with me, although she made it very clear that she nearly stumbled over her too curious baby son and almost poured a pan of already boiling water all over my tiny body that was wearing only a diaper! Therefore, could I PLEASE stay out of her kitchen until I would be able to walk around without ever stumbling again?

Although my inexperienced baby brain didn't even fathom what terrible damage such a 'pan of boiling water' could do to my tiny body, I felt shocked at sensing my Mom's unexpected panic! By reading her mind, I found out what could have happened to me, mumbled "Sorry Mom", and quickly left her kitchen, to avoid any more disasters.

From now on, morning after morning, as soon as my Mom or my Dad had washed me, applied a fresh diaper, fed me, and taken me to our living room, I quickly pulled myself upright against our couch. Determinedly, I started to toddle around in our living room, whilst trying to keep a proper balance. Of course, after nearly being burnt by a pan of boiling water, I didn't enter our kitchen anymore! Stubbornly, I toddled on and on, on my way avoiding all the furniture that always was in my way; until I finally started walking faster and faster, without ever grabbling around to keep myself upright.

At last, I was racing around in our entire living room without ever falling or stumbling! Finally, I could WALK, and even RUN, all on my own and without any more help from anything or anybody at all! Feeling truly proud of myself and of what I had achieved in such a relatively short amount of time, I raced towards my parents and started to demonstrate my newly acquired abilities. Would they now allow me to go outside and start playing with the other children?

Again, my stunned looking Mom told me she couldn't believe her own eyes; while my proud looking Dad assured me:

"Boy, you really are a little 'brainiac'; and I am truly proud of your extremely rapid progress! Ultimately, you are only six months and a few days old. Therefore, statistically, your tiny body should be still too young to be able to walk around all on its own, so that you again are extremely early for such a young kid. Other kids your age are still crawling around on their hands and feet... However, now that you can walk and even run around on your own, you are a real 'toddler' and allowed to go outside and play with your fellow toddlers!"

The next morning, immediately after I had devoured my Mom's so-called 'healthy breakfast', she first put another fresh diaper on my nervously wiggling little bottom. Then, my proud looking parents took me outside our caravan, for the third time since I was born as a baby, this time to let me discover some more of our secluded Gypsy world. Helpfully, my Dad opened our front door, where I first waited for a few seconds... Then, my Dad guided me outside and down along the few steps of our caravan. The very moment I stepped onto the solid ground, my Dad released me and told me to have fun!

Although I had already looked outside many times before through our caravan windows, stepping outside like this was still a brand new experience! Looking around with bulging eyes, a fascinating new world opened up to me that was again full of interesting things and many unexpected surprises. For a few minutes, I stood only still, and stared at all those colorful caravans around me and at all those wooden benches that were neatly put in a circle around our faintly glowing campfire. Although I had already seen them several times before; seeing them from this new point of view turned out to be even more fascinating.

Vividly, I remembered the last time I had been here, sitting on my Dad's lap whilst waiting for our Wise Woman to look at my past lives and my possible future. This time, most benches were empty, except for a few older people who were drinking coffee whilst softly talking to each other. Now and then, they smiled at their so extremely early little Crown Prince, making me smile back at them.

Supported by the clearly welcoming atmosphere, I soon felt more at ease. Happily, I started to toddle around whilst trying to keep my balance on the bumpy ground that felt strange beneath my naked feet. Feeling over-curious as always, I soon started to look in, under, and behind all those interesting things that were already calling for my immediate attention; while I also started to try out all the other things that could move, open, or have a peculiar taste...

Of course, my always-worried looking Mom immediately started to follow me around, obviously to keep a very close eye at everything I did. Now and then, she quickly trotted towards me, to stop me from pulling burning branches from our campfire, eating tasty looking mud, or putting living ants into my mouth. Many times, she admonished me to be a lot more careful with those unknown things...

Only, I just felt too over-enthusiastic and too over-curious to listen to her repeated warnings; and I was already toddling towards the next very interesting thing that was calling for my undivided attention. What terrible things could possibly happen to me, in this relative safety of our secluded Gypsy camp, with both my Dad and my Mom around, and without any 'pans of boiling water' to burn my skin?

Near the end of the morning, several suntanned children showed up who had been playing their usual games of 'hide and seek' around our caravans. When they recognized their little Crown Prince, they immediately surrounded me and reacted enthusiastic! A few kids even tried to talk to me...

However, today, I just felt too occupied to let myself be distracted by my suddenly disappointed looking subjects. A next time, I would try to take some more time to talk to them, and perhaps even to partake in their usual games, but today I was feeling way too busy! Therefore, I only waved a hand towards them to acknowledge them, and immediately went on toddling towards the next interesting object that already called for my immediate attention.

The disappointed looking kids chuckled some, turned around, and just restarted playing their usual games of 'hide and seek'.