Hopeful Round Eyes

Yuck! This red drink is disgusting, says Terence.

Let me try it, says Gaius.

He tries it.

Beetroot and ginger. Quite refreshing and zingy.

Would you like me to add a little water? asks Katherine.

No, says Terence. I want my dead Greedy.

Perhaps you should have told the flight attendant not to take her, says Katherine. 

You asked for plasters, says Terence.

We can always take them off again, says Katherine.

Terence imagines this happening:

Greedy is fixed, with plasters, blown up, and sealed with a bread tie.

She says thanks, I thought I had died.

And Terence says, you HAD died. I wrote you a poem. 

And Greedy says, what is it?

And Terence says, it's not finished. There's going to be a surprise ending.

Then Greedy will look excited.

And Terence will have to decide what the surprise ending is. 

Will he rip off the plasters?

The flight attendant is now on her way back, having plastered the pencil holes in Greedy.

Here's your toy, Terence, says the flight attendant. All fixed up.

She's still dead, says Terence.

But now we can blow her up, says Katherine.

Yes, I didn't want to do it myself, says the flight attendant. Health and safety.

Terence takes Greedy, and looks at her face, with the plasters.

Greedy looks back at Terence, with hopeful round eyes.

I wrote you a poem, says Terence. If you stay dead you can hear it.

Not really, says Katherine. If she stays dead she can't hear it. Give her to me.

Not yet, says Terence. Greedy wants to stay dead a bit longer.

Poor Greedy. She doesn't!

But the trouble with being dead is you don't have a say.

Surprise Ending

You'd better go back to your seat, says Nerida. The trolley is coming.

Okay, says Terence.

He takes Greedy with him, and goes back to Katherine and Gaius.

Guess what, says Terence. I've been making a poem.

About Greedy? asks Katherine.

Yes, says Terence, Greedy has died it wasn't my fault she broke the pencils and then a few nice things.

What else did she break? asks Gaius.

Nothing, says Terence.

I suppose that's a nice thing, says Katherine.

Yes BUT, says Terence, Nerida said we should fix her with plasters.

Even nicer, says Katherine.

But then Greedy wouldn't be dead, says Terence. Remember what my first line was?

Greedy has died, says Katherine.

See? says Terence. 

You can overcome that with a surprise ending, says Katherine. Greedy is resurrected. Not that I believe in such things.

Surprise endings, says Terence. 

Resurrections, says Katherine. 

Tea, coffee, juice, water, snacks? asks a flight attendant, stopping by with a trolley. What would the liitle boy like?

No surprise ending, says Terence.

Oh dear, I should hope not, says the flight attendant, smiling.

A red drink, please, says Katherine. And have you got any plasters? 

I could get you some, says the flight attendant, Is the little boy injured?

No, says Terence. It's Greedy ( he waves Greedy at the flight attendant). But she died. 

Is that your toy? asks the flight attendant. How CUTE! A pink rubber glove with a face. We can't let it DIE. Would you like me to take it and fix it?

No, says Terence, because my poem would be...

But she has taken possession of Greedy, and given Terence a red drink in exchange.

Organic beetroot juice with ginger. 

A surprise ending.

Terence was expecting Ribena.

Ruined Poem

Terence tries to think of a good second line for his poem about Greedy.

It's not his fault that Greedy has died. 

How's it going? asks Arthur.

I've only got 'Greedy has died', says Terence.

That's a good start, says Nerida.

It wasn't my fault, says Terence.

It kind of was, says Nerida. You stuffed her in with the pencils and they must have been sharp.

They weren't sharp, says Terence. They were broken.

So put that in the poem, says Nerida. 

Okay, says Terence. Greedy has died, it was her fault, she broke the pencils.

That's blunt, says Arthur. 

Nerida laughs. 

Terence doesn't know why.

It would be good to say something nice about Greedy, says Nerida.

She wanted to help me catch frogs, says Terence.

We're not CATCHING them, are we? says Nerida. I though we were counting.

But she did want to, says Terence.

She couldn't have caught any, says Nerida.

Put that in, says Arthur.

It's not nice, says Terence.

It's nice for the frogs, says Nerida.

But not Greedy, says Terence. 

I didn't know her, says Nerida.

She took part in Candide, says Arthur. She played the plump hand. And she learned to speak English.

Wow! says Nerida. 

She looks at the flaccid Greedy with respect.

Maybe we could fix her, with plasters, and blow her up again. She sounds like an asset.

Terence is confounded.

That would ruin his poem.

Died By Pencil

Who's Saint Roley? asks Nerida. I never heard of him.

Terence's parrot, says Arthur.

Oh, says Nerida. I didn't think they ate frogs.

Parrots don't, says Arthur. Saint Roley's an unusual case.

Why? asks Nerida.

Arthur is about to explain when Gaius taps Nerida on the shoulder.

Yes? says Nerida.

The stapler, says Gaius. Did we pack it?

I brought mine, says Nerida. Do you need it already?

Unfortunately yes, says Gaius. My notes are out of order.

Give them to me, says Nerida. Are they numbered?

No, says Gaius. Perhaps they should be. 

What happened? asks Arthur. 

Terence wanted the pencil box, says Gaius. I took my back pack out of the overhead locker, and my notes all fell out.

What about the pencil box? asks Nerida.

You wouldn't believe it, says Gaius. Terence is most upset. Did you know he had put Greedy in it?

Er, yes, says Nerida. Are the pencils all right?

It's not the pencils, says Gaius. Greedy has deflated.

Can we blow her up again, asks Nerida.

Katherine thinks not, says Gaius. She is riddled with holes.

From the pencils? asks Nerida.

Yes I suppose so, says Gaius. 

Terence has left his seat and followed Gaius.

Guess what? says Terence.

Greedy popped, says Nerida. We know.

By the stupid pencils, says Terence. I'm INSOLABLE!

Inconsolable, says Gaius.

Yes, says Terence. And so is Greedy.

He holds Greedy up.

She flops downwards, dangling empty pink fingers, with holes.

Come and sit with us, says Nerida. We're making up poems.

Can I do one for Greedy? asks Terence.

Ours are all about frogs, says Nerida.

Yay! says Terence. I'll do one for Greedy.

Stapler? says Gaius.

Nerida gives Gaius the stapler.

He goes back to his seat, to reorganise his notes.

Terence wedges himself between Arthur and Nerida.

He already has his first line.

Greedy has died.....

The second line is the problem.

Frogs are Sentimental

You shouldn't pick at your scabs, says Nerida.

It helps me to think, says Arthur.

About what? asks Nerida.

How I got them, says Arthur.

Did you fall off your bike? asks Nerida.

Got them surfing, says Arthur.

I LOVE surfing, says Nerida. Pity there's no surf where we're going.

There is in Gladstone, says Arthur. It's the last good surf spot.

Last? says Nerida.

And it's in crocodile country, says Arthur.

Lucky were not stopping there, says Nerida.

Yes, lucky, says Arthur.

There won't be crocs in Kroombit Tops will there? asks Nerida.

Only frogs, says Arthur. 

You're kidding, says Nerida. 

Yes, says Arthur, I am.

Are you really into them? asks Nerida.

Frogs, says Arthur. I've known a few. 

One jumped into a pool, where it was nice and cool, then there was just one speckled frog, sings Nerida.

Did you just make that up? asks Arthur.

No I learned it in kindergarten, says Nerida. Whenever someone says 'nice and cool' I remember it.

I didn't say nice and cool, says Arthur.

But you reminded me about frogs, says Nerida. Is there a frog poem you remember?

Yes, says Arthur. I remember a poem by four green and golden bell frogs, called Saint Roley the Good.

How did it go? asks Nerida.

Saint Roley the Good/ Did he eat us? No! Although he could/ We lost ninety percent of our brothers / Through development schemes/ He shared with us his last mollusc/ And we shared our dreams.

That's beautiful, says Nerida. 

Frogs are sentimental, says Arthur.

Dark Isn't Terrible!

Adelaide airport.

Has Arthur turned up yet?

Yes here he is now, just in time for boarding.

They queue to get on. Gaius first.

Welcome, Mr Secundus, says the boarding attendant. 

She looks hard at his pass.

Is something wrong? asks Gaius.

She smiles sympathetically, scans his pass and waves him along.

The others go through without incident.

Even Terence.

Do I get my own seat? asks Terence.

Yes, says Katherine. I paid for it. 

Yay! says Terence. I don't have to go in a back pack!

Is that what you normally do? asks Nerida.

Sometimes, says Terence. And then I have to go in the overhead locker, and it's dark.

That must be terrible, says Nerida.

They are now shuffling onto the plane.

No, says Terence. DARK ISN'T TERRIBLE!

Why are you shouting? asks Katherine.

So that Greedy can hear me, says Terence.

Greedy isn't here, says Katherine. Is she?

Yes! says Terence. She's in the pencil box.

THE pencil box? asks Nerida.

Why didn't she look in the box?

You brought Greedy, says Katherine. And she's in a pencil box. Is it Gaius's pencil box?

Yes, says Terence.

What did you do with the pencils? asks Nerida.

Nothing, says Terence.

So they're still in there, asks Nerida.

They might be, says Terence.

Nerida looks worried.

Don't worry dear, says Katherine. We can always buy more pencils. And I have my trusty old pen.

Nerida looks a bit happier. And she is about to get more so.

She has a seat next to Arthur.

She sits down beside him.

Arthur is scratching dried scabs off his knee.

Mother Of Nonsense

Next morning, Dad drops Nerida at Gaius's house.

Where's this chaperone? asks Dad. I ought to meet her.

She's meeting us at the airport, says Gaius. 

Where's Arthur? asks Nerida.

Ditto, says Gaius. Now you're here, I'll order a taxi.

No need, says Dad. I'll drop you.

Very kind, says Gaius. Perhaps Nerida would like to go through my checklist.

Okay, says Nerida. Where is it?

In my head, says Gaius. I'll list everything and you can tell me if I've left anything out.

Go on then, says Nerida.

Notes on the Kroombit Tinker Frog, says Gaius. Pencils, sharpener....

Stapler, says Nerida.

I was coming to that, says Gaius. 

Shouldn't she be checking if you've packed them? asks Dad.

Certainly, says Gaius. She can do that while I go and find Terence. He's out the back somewhere.

Who's this Terence? asks Dad.

I don't know, says Nerida. But we're sure to find out.

She opens Gaius's back pack.

Oh no. Underpants at the top.

She shoves them down to the bottom, under a pile of loose papers.

She feels about for pencils etcetera.

I don't think he's packed them yet, says Nerida.

She is looking for pencils when Terence runs in with a pencil box.

You must be Terence, says Dad.

I must be, says Terence. Guess what's in this box though?

Pencils, says Nerida. Put them in here.

No... begins Terence.

Nerida takes the box from him and packs it.

Everyone ready? asks Gaius.

Rightio, let's go, says Dad.

They climb into Dad's Hyundai and head to the airport.

At the airport, Dad parks the Hyundai, and they all get out.

Where is Arthur?

Not there, but Katherine is waiting.

Hello Gaius, says Katherine, hello Terence. And this must be Nerida.

That's me, says Nerida.

What a lot of lovely friendship bracelets, says Katherine.

Thanks, says Nerida. Would you like one? I can make you one. I brought all the things.

I would LOVE one! says Katherine.

I hear you're a philosopher, says Dad. 

Mother of, says Katherine. 

I suppose that's just as good, says Dad.

It's better, says Katherine. Less nonsense.

Dad likes that. 

Nerida has a kindly and sensible chaperone.

He says goodbye to his daughter, and heads off to work.