Bye Bye DeliLand

Chapter One

"THIS town is too quiet for a shopkeeper," announced Daddy Melville one day during breakfast.

Beebo looked up. He didn't know what Daddy meant. DeliLand was so noisy especially when all its people got together for one of their Deli parties.

Beezy and Milly just looked up from their dinner plates. Beezy was busy carving a face on his potato. And Milly had just splattered another spoonful of yucky stuff on the wall.

Mummy Biddy walked over to the kitchen counter to get a cloth to wipe the wall as she asked: "What do you mean, Mel?"

"Well," answered Daddy. "The business here is good but you know it could be better. Look at Delili. He's been in the deli business for the longest time and he's not getting any richer. Maybe it is time we left for the city."

Beebo couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Daddy had just returned from a trip into the city and he'd been complaining ever since.

Maybe Daddy was getting old and this was what adults who were getting old talked about.

"Close the door, Beebo!" said Mummy when Beebo went outside to play.

Beebo rolled his eyes in disbelief. Mummy was always nagging him about something or other. Lately it was about closing the door when he went outside. So he'd forgotten to close the door a few times. What harm could come of it? No where was it as safe and as peaceful as it was in DeliLand.

Chapter Two

Beebo worried for a while that all that talk at dinner would mean living miles away from Peeper and all his friends at school.

He met Peeper in the field and the two decided to sit under the big tree to think better. There they could see the valley below where the citylanders lived. And up there they would surely be inspired with a plan on how they could repay the Strange twins for the trick they had played on Beebo yesterday.

Chapter Three

Beebo and Peeper returned to their homes without a plan in mind. Somehow whenever they tried thinking of a plan all they could think about was what Daddy Melville had said about moving to the city.

What would they do then? Who would they play with? It would be too far for Beebo to come to Kindy School in DeliLand. And they would have to wait for the holidays to visit each other.

When Beebo got home, Mummy was not preparing dinner as she usually did. And Daddy was already home. Maybe Daddy had decided to come home early to play with them!

Instead of receiving hugs and kisses, Beebo came in to find both Mummy and Daddy looking worried and searching for something under the chairs and beds.

"Beebo! Beebo, have you seen your sister?" asked Daddy.

"No."

"Beebo, did you remember to close the door like I asked you to when you went out?" asked Mummy.

Beebo hung his head in shame. But instead of receiving the scolding he'd expected, Beebo was just ignored by both Mummy and Daddy!

Boy! This must really be serious, thought Beebo.

"It is getting dark, Mel," Mummy told Daddy. "I don't think the townsfolk are going to look for Milly today. Maybe we should go out and look ourselves?"

So Milly was missing? That was what Daddy and Mummy were looking for? Oh no, thought Beebo. If anything happens to Milly, it's my fault and Daddy and Mummy will never forgive me.

Just then Dr Whoopee came in. "Whoopee! Whoopee, everybody. Not to worry about looking for Milly." He had arrived just in time to hear what Mummy Biddy had said. "We wouldn't think of not looking for little Milly, even if we have to use our torch lights. Whoopee!"

Everything started and ended with Whoopee! for Dr Whoopee. Beebo wondered why. It must have been exciting to have such Whoopee! in one's life.

Chapter Four

Milly had always been seen as a troublemaker and a noisemaker. She was always getting in the way of Beebo's and Beezy's plans. But she was still his sister and it was his job to take care of her. And he was worried now.

If anything happened to Milly, what would they do? Who would he and Beezy blame accidents and missing sweets on?

Mummy and Daddy were sitting in the hall. They were just sitting there, not talking, not laughing. They weren't even watching the telly. Beebo couldn't stand it. The silence made him more worried about his missing baby sister.

At last there was a knock on the door. It was Dr Whoopee with Milly in his arms.

Boy was everyone relieved to see Milly again, even though she was still crying very loudly. All the DeliLanders stepped into the Beedle house as Mummy went into the kitchen to make some snacks and drinks.

And to Beebo's joy Daddy announced that they would not be leaving for the city.

"We may not have a lot of money but as long as we have friends like you, we'll always be rich. Thank you for bringing Milly back to us.

"Yahooooooo!!!!" said Beebo.

"Not so fast young man. There's the matter of your punishment for not listening to your mother and closing the door when you went out," said Daddy.

Everyone laughed. Beebo just hung his head in embarrassment.

"Urp!" said Milly.

Beebo accepted his punishment without objections. And he never again forgot to close the door after him whenever he went out.

He tried harder to obey what Mummy asked him to do because he realised there was a good reason for everything after all.