The Fights

Chapter One

"MELVILLE!" yelled Mummy, as Daddy got home.

Uh-oh, thought Beebo, as he gulped down his dinner. This sounded like trouble.

"Melville! Do you know what time it is?"

Daddy just quietly sat down. There was a scowl on his face.

"Beebo! Beezy! Are you done with your dinner?"

Both Beedle boys just nodded their heads. They were too scared to say a word in fear that Mummy might scold them for something they did, or didn't do, or should know how to do.

"Well, go to your rooms NOW. And take Milly with you."

This did not sound good. Beebo and Beezy did as they were told. But even from behind the closed room door they could hear Mummy and Daddy fighting. Lately, that's all they seemed to do. 

In the mornings at breakfast they fought over what time Daddy was coming home. In the evenings at dinner they fought over what time Daddy did come home.

Mummy screamed that Daddy didn't care about the children anymore. Daddy raised his voice and replied that it wasn't cheap looking after  a family with three kids and he was doing the best he could to make ends meet.

The boys were scared. Well, Beebo was scared. He tip-toed out of his room to listen to the grownups. Beezy just sat quietly in the corner of Beebo's room where he played with Milly.

Beebo knew all about when grownups fought. Peeper's parents used to fight … a lot. And then one day, Peeper's father went away and never came back.

Beebo sat glumly on his bed. What was going to happen? Would Daddy go away?

Chapter Two

The next day when Beebo woke up, the house was quiet; too quiet.

Beebo crept out. Beezy and Milly were already having breakfast. Mummy was quietly busying herself in the kitchen.

Nobody said a word. And where was Daddy?

Beebo coughed as if to clear his throat and break the silence.

"Mummy?" he asked, "where's Daddy?"

Mummy turned around to face Beebo. Her face was white and she looked like she had been crying all night. Her eyes were all red and puffy.

"Er … your daddy's gone to the shop early today, Beebo."

And that was the end of that. The rest of breakfast was quiet and everyone seemed to be taking extra care in eating their food quietly. Even Milly on this particular day did not spill any of her food.

Beebo boarded the bus as Mummy got in to drive. They would go to Peeper's house first to fetch him and leave Beezy and Milly in Mrs Pooper's care.

"Hey, Beebo!" said Peeper very cheerily this morning as he got on the bus.

"Yeah, what?" barked Beebo unexpectedly.

"Er, just Good Morning."

Beebo just looked sullenly out the window.

"Are you all right, Beebo?"  asked his concerned best friend.

"Yeah! Sure! Just fine!"

Beebo and Peeper sat quietly during the whole journey.

In Kindy School, Miss Cherry asked everyone how their weekend was. Peeper told the class all about how he and his mum went to visit some cousins in the city, and how much fun he had had.

Then it came to Beebo's turn.

"Beebo?" called Miss Cherry.

But Beebo wasn't there, mentally that is. His mind was somewhere else as he remembered how his mum and dad fought and wondered what would happen to him, and Beezy and Milly.

"Beebo?" said Miss Cherry again. This time Beebo was jolted to reality when Peeper nudged him with his elbow.

"Huh?"

"Beebo, how was your weekend?" asked Miss Cherry.

Beebo just stared at her for a while than he exploded: "It was horrible. I hate weekends. I hate School. I hate EVERYBODY!!!!"

Everyone stared as Beebo ran out of the classroom.

Chapter Three

That night, Beebo, Beezy and Milly ate dinner at Auntie Pooper's house. Auntie Pooper didn't offer any explanation. 

Beebo did not see Mummy or Daddy. He didn't feel like eating.

After dinner, Daddy came to take Beebo, Beezy and Milly home.

"Where's Mummy?" asked Beebo, almost too scared to hear the answer.

"Mummy's gone to Grandma's house for a few days. Grandma is very sick," answered Daddy.

The same thing happened the next few days.

Beebo missed Mummy. He wondered if this was it. Mummy would never come back, and he'd have to eat Auntie Pooper's cooking for the rest of his life.

Daddy looked very sad. As the days passed, Daddy looked worse and worse. He hardly ate, he hardly slept and worst of all, he stopped shaving.

This meant a very prickly face greeted Beebo everytime he kissed Daddy before he went to sleep. Ouch!

Chapter Four

Three days later, Beebo woke up to the wonderful smell of … pancakes!

Could it be? Was it possible? Was Mummy back at home?

Beebo rushed out of his room without brushing his teeth or changing or combing his hair.

It WAS! There she stood at the stove frying some glorioussuperfantabulouslywornderful pancakes! It was ... PANCAKES! Beebo's favourite breakfast!

Beebo ran over and hugged Mummy from the back.

"Beebo! Sweetie, I missed you too!" said Mummy as she turned around to give Beebo a big bear hug. This time, Beebo didn't care if Beezy and Milly were in the room to see Mummy get all mushy with him.

"Beebo?" asked Mummy. "Why are you crying? Sweetie, Mummy's home now."

"Mummy!" wailed Beebo, not being able to control himself anymore.

"Mummy! I thought you were never coming back!"

Beebo was crying and crying now, the tears streaming down his face.

"Beebo? Why did you think that?" Mummy asked as Daddy walked into the kitchen.

"Peeper's daddy and mummy were fighting a lot and then … and then …"

"Oh!" interjected Daddy. "Beebo," said Daddy carrying Beebo up in his arms, "Daddy and Mummy are not going anywhere, you know. Daddies and mummies fight sometimes. It doesn't mean that the family is breaking up. And it sure doesn't mean that Daddy and Mummy don't love each other anymore."

Mummy and Daddy gave Beebo a big bear hug now. Beebo stopped crying. He was smiling now that he was in his safe place again – in Daddy's and Mummy's arms!

And all was well in DeliLand and the Beedle household again. Daddy and Mummy didn't fight so much anymore. Grandma got better and Mummy said that they would go visit Grandma soon!