Saturday, March 30, 2013

The Protectiveness of Mothers

It is morning. Rossco has offered to take Sweezus and Arthur to the station. They have already said goodbye to Pastor Moon. They stop just up the road to say goodbye to Butterfly and Fish.

Sweezus knocks.

Butterfly and Fish run to open the door.

We've come to say goodbye, says Sweezus.

Daddy found a SNAKE, says Butterfly. In the garden.

And now we've got a NOODLE, says Fish.

Really? says Sweezus. what's a noodle?

Its a dog, silly, says Butterfly. Fish can't say it. It's a VOODLE.

A Cavoodle! calls Mummy from the kitchen. It'll scare away the snake.

..............

Sweezus and Arthur are on the train from Emu Plains to Sydney airport.

Arthur is looking gloomy.

What's the matter? asks Sweezus.

I'm thinking about what Ray said, says Arthur. About being a father.

Did your dad lock you in your bedroom? asks Sweezus.

No, he left when I was six, says Arthur. And never came back. He left mum, me and my brother and my three little sisters.

Your poor mum, says Sweezus.

Ha! says Arthur. Poor mum! She made me and my brother learn a hundred lines of Latin verse by heart, and if we got it wrong we got no dinner.

No dinner! says Sweezus. Shit. I always got my dinner. And mum and dad were pretty easy going.

That's why you're not creative, says Arthur.

That's where you're wrong, says Sweezus. I am creative. You should see the stuff I did on Richard the Third. Beyoncé thought it was awesome. Mega-awesome!

Did you write that? says Arthur. I saw it. Ray showed it to me. Bunny sent it through. Catch me doing that. If I wrote something I'd want to put my name to it.

Now Sweezus is cast down.

Here, says Arthur. Cheer up. Lets share this Humpty Dumpty.

As he yanks the Humpty Dumpty egg out of his pocket, it rattles intriguingly.

Perhaps it's full of Bunties!

It doesn't take much to cheer Sweezus up.


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