Flushed away: The next chapter
Roddy lay on his mostly comfortable bed on the Malone's couch in their small living room. He thought about the previous predicaments he and Rita had whipped away and thought of how much he wanted to avoid going through something like that again. He would not take his chances of losing Rita if there was a next time. Coming as close as he had to losing her had pertrified him. He did not want to bear the pain, not to mention the loss of purpose in his life. Rita was Roddy's reason to live, if not a person to fuel him up through life. He had grown fond of her company, and she was not a closed door anymore, not an empty seat in a theater, something that could be forgotten as soon as you saw it. As Roddy slowly drifted off to sleep, he thought about the start of the building of the Jammy Dodger II.
All the time with Rita...learning a thing or two about shipbuilding... Roddy thought unconsciously. By the time he had finished thinking without thinking, he was asleep, quietly breathing a rythmic deep sound, not a snore, but a sound he would make as soon as he was sleeping contentedly.
Rita opened the door to her old room and gazed around. The place needed a major dusting job. She had not been in the room since she had moved out, about six months ago. at first, she was scared because she forgot to ask her dad for help building a sleeping area and had to sleep on the deck. She would sleep on the makeshift bed for the first thirty minutes, then run to the cockpit snd sleep there the rest of the night. Her father had had a few chuckles over this, and Rita would turn a bright shade of tomato or scarlet before she could get away from the room which her family of thirty six(for all she knew, there could be a couple more babies upstairs in the nursery, sleeping until their mum was doing something that was important, like dishes, or laundry, or something that was mandatory). Rita smiled as she remembered this and searched her dresser for her old pair of pajamas. Sure enough, she found them, but she had gotten thinner while she was gone and the pants were way too big and the top too small. She grabbed a clip and the rubber band from her hair to make the shirt a little bigger and the pants a little smaller. She combed her hair and almost yelped when she tried to pull the comb through. There were a good lot of tangles in it.
"Gees, I should have brought something like a comb with me when I went to snatch the ruby. My hair is going to need a long, hard washing to get the tangles out. If i keep trying like an idiot to brush this, I will be in a bunch of pain in the morning. I'll ignore it tonight. I need the sleep. After all, the first pin and hammering of the Jammy Dodger II will take place tomorrow."
Rita climbed into bed and gave a deep sigh. Roddy was like a breath of fresh air. He was something special. He was kind enough to keep a deal even though sheft him on a duck a couple days ago.
He is soo charming and forgiving. Roddy kept his end of the deal even though I left him on a duck. With nothing but the clothes on his back and a guitar for a paddle. He is my hero, like I am his. He saved my life while I got him home to kensington. I'll worry about it tomorrow. G'night.
The next morning, Roddy woke up rested and restored. His energy and muscles had been severely strained the day before, so he was full of energy but his arms and legs, and not to mention feet, hurt so bad he could hardly walk. He thought Rita must feel exactly the same, though her throat must have hurt a bit because of the yelling and fearful screaming she had had her share of the days before. Roddy decided not to wake anyone else up unless he needed to. He decided to get some much needed breakfast and write a not to Rita, put it on the inside of her door, and leave to go do some clothes shopping. All he had was the white shirt and black pants he had on now.
He got some breakfast then wrote the note. It read,
"Rita, don't be mad at me, but I took the rental boat to do some clothes shopping. I need some new stuff. I have my own money that someone gave me, so I am not going to spend or drain any more of your family's money. I should be back by at least five. Right now it is eleven. If I am not back by five thirty, then you should come and look for me. I may have gotten myself into a bit of trouble."
Roddy folded the paper neatly and tried to find a bit of tape. He was sucessful in his search, and he went quietly back up the stairs and stopped by Rita's door. He gathered up all his stealth skill and silently opened the door. Rita was laying on her bed, back to Roddy. Roddy noticed how pretty her hair was, even if it looked like a twister the size of Kensington had gone through it. It was down, shinier than copper in come places,and as dark as a real ruby in others. It was completely natural, and her hair had never, ever been dyed. it wouldn't be right to dye such beautiful locks and ruin the effect.
Ok, enough of admiring Rita. Time to go. Roddy stuck the note on her door and went to carefully shut the door, but tripped over something. It was Shocky, Rita's 20th little brother. The little rat did not have his battery with him for once, and Roddy quickly pushed Shocky out of the room when Rita began to stir. She groaned a bit, opened her eyes, then shut them again. She was out like a light, to Roddy's surprise. She normally would open her eyes and get up and start working out her day, but she was apparently exausted. Roddy was not terribly surprised.
Roddy finished shutting the door and looked back at Shocky. He was standing, but his eyes were closed and he was drooling, as if in a trance.
Roddy decided against surprising him with a sudden surprise of saying, "Shocky!" into the little guy's ear. Instead Roddy picked Shocky up carefully took him to the room he shared with many of his brothers, including Liam. As soon as the young rat was settled back in his bed, Roddy went outside to the Dodger, started the engine, and took off for town.
Rita woke a few hours later, and felt like a lead weight. Her arms hurt, and her legs ached. Her stomach was sour, and so was she. She got up and groaned while she stretched, and as she finished stretching, she saw the note. She snarled as she walked over to read it. Well, she did not read it at the door, but she grabbed it and slumped on her bed then read it.
Her muscles ached as she laid motionless on her bed reading the note dozens of times, trying to make it all compute. It finally did, but she did not care. Wht popped into her hed suddenly was,
"uh-oh, I forgot. I have to take a shower! It will be good for my hair, as well as my tensed muscles and my sore throat. Then I am going to go into town and find Roddy. It should be about time for him to e home by then."
She went to her closet and oulled out another pair of clean British Flag pants, made out of an old piece of British flag from the surface. She chose a shirt that was dark green, tight, and would withstand a lot of limping and shoulder rubbing. When she got out of the shower, she was going to go into town and get a much needed, pain relieving massage.She needed it.
he hot steam from the shower loosened the muscles, and she could hardly pull herself away from it. Her hair shined, and she decided to keep it down today. She could not help but think, "If I see Roddy, I should look decent and a little different." She looked in the mirror. She had immense dark circles under her eyes. She had a tube of cover up makeup on the mirror table, so she used that to hide the circles. She loked better already.
"Gees, I feel awful," she admitted. "but it's a good thing I am alive and not frozen in the wave outside. "
She brushed her hair and decided to braid it. It would look ok, considering that braids always looked good, weaved into her red, shiny hair. A hairdo like that might make her look a little feminine, but it was just her hair. Who knows, maybe she would take it out and just do with a ponytail. That would look a bit more tomboyish. The house sudenly lurched to the right, sending Rita flying across the room with a "OOMPH!" as she hit the wall. Her sister had grabbed onto Rita's bedroom door for support, and it had popped open. Her sister saw what The sudden movement had done to Rita, and what sound Rita had made and what she hit. Jojo giggled when she saw the stunned face Rita had on.
Rita had to laugh at herself. Even if it was a bit scary. Her sister was now laughing, having dropped to her knees when she saw her big sister laughing at herself.
"You know, Rita, that was funny and totally took you off your guard!"
Rita looked at her sister and took a deep breath. "Let me guess. Fergus just jumped literally out of his bed?"
"Yep."
"That explains the jolt perfectly. Jojo, you and I need to talk to mom about Fergus's ravid leaping out of bed. It's bad for the house, not to mention the siblings on the top floor. If the house had moved to the left and not the right, I would be swimming or drowning right now."
Jojo nodded in agreement,and then the house lurched to the left, and rita almost went out the window, but grabbed onto her bed. She turned to her sister.
"See what I mean? I couldhave gone out my window if I had not have grabbed onto something!"
Just then, Rita's mum called upstairs, "Lunch, children!" and a bunch of little rats poured down the stairs. Rita rolled her eyes and stayed in her bedroom a while longer. She was going to not eat lunch here and see if she could find Roddy and see if he wanted to go to lunch. She quietly sneaked down the stars and went to the door. She was about to open the door when her mum called, "Rita!" Oh, gees, she was busted. "Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat lunch?"
Rita slowly tuned around to face her mother across the room.
"No, mum. I'm going to go to town and eat lunch there. I am going to find another shirt hopefully and new pajamas, because the ones in my room are way too small. Soon they will fit Jojo, she she can have them."
Jojo's face lit up, and she looked at Rita and mouthed, "Thanks!" Rita smiled and walked out of the house.
Roddy St.James needed driving lessons. Badly. He had swerved just intime to not to hit a bakery boat, and a few loaves of bread fell into the water. So Roddy had to pay the baker for the loaves and his money was almost run out. Maybe he sould find another pair of shoes with whatever money he had left. Just then he spotted a familiar face. It was Rita! He tried to get her attention.
"Rita! Rita! Over here!"
She saw him annd ran for the nearest dock. He parked the boat he had rented and got out. Rita ran up to him and asked,
"Have you eaten yet?" Roddy replied no, and that he did not have enough money to eat lunch, so she shushed him.
"I brought my own shopping money and lunch money so let's go eat. There is a wonderfully good outdoor cafe right around the corner, so let's go."
Roddy saw the cafe, then smelled it, and almost started salivating. He had not eaten since morning, and now it was four. He was starved after walking around stores and such.
"Oi, this place is good. Looks and smells that way. Not to mention taste." Rita said.
Roddy was already looking at the menu, and saw, 'Deep Fried tadpole' and about threw up. Rita noticed it and then looked at Roddy's face. She smothered a laugh with her hand.
"don't worry, it tastes like that chicken stuff they have up top. It's really very good. Here, I'll order it for you. just forget wat the name is."
She casually walked up to the counter and waited for service. A tall female rat came to take her order.
"Hi, Rita! Who's this? Your new boyfriend of the month?" she giggled.
Rita blushed a brilliant pink and said, "No. I need two deep fried Tadploes and a small water and a large iced tea for him. He is grossed out about eating tadpoles, so add a few extra napkins."
The cashier rang it up and gave Rita the total, who in return gave the cashier the money. Rita went to a table and sat down. Roddy warily walked over.
He decided to start a conversation with Rita.
'So, um, Maybe we should start the Dodger II in a few weeks. I don't think my arms, legs, feet and throat could handle it tomorrow. I am so incredibly sore."
Rita replied, "Yeah, My throat hurts from having my share of yelling at and for you and terrified screaming yesterday. I am going to get a few throat lasanges to soothe my throat."
Rita's name was yelled throughout the cafe, and Rita got up and went to the counter to pick up the order.
Rita walked back to the tabe she and Roddy shared, and set a tadpole down in front of him. The look he got on his face struck Rita as hilarious. She smothered yet another batch of laughs with her hands, and decided to start eating hers. She thought it was heaven. Roddy reluctently began cutting it up in little squares and was really surprised at how good it was.
Rita swallowed the bite she had in her mouth and said, "See, Rod? It's not half as bad as you assumed it would be. I thought it was sickening when I first tried it, but it tastes just like that stuff they have up top. Hey, look at the bright side. Isn't it better than knowing you are eating maggots? Or seeing the 'rice' all go to one side when you put the salt in?"
Roddy smiled and had to agree with her. The two finished their dishes and threw away the paper plates.
Roddy decided to ask her to help him find another pair of shoes. Rita decided to ask him to help her find another shirt and a pair of shoes, preferably boots.
Both started to ask the other at the same time.
"Rita, would you-" Roddy started.
Roddy, would you be-" Rita began.
Both looked at each other and laugh. Roddy says, "You first."
Rita said, "Ok, me first. Would you be willing to help me find another pair of pajamas, a new shirt, and a new pair of shoes?"
"Yes, I could help you and you could help me find another pair of shoes."
"Ok, let's hit the stores, Rod!"
While the two were shopping, the song, "Kiss the Girl" by the human Ashley Tisdale was playing over the speakers.
Rita was quietly singing along to it, and Roddy didn't know how pretty her voice was.
"There, you see her, sitting there across the way,
she don;t got a lot to say, but there's something about her,
And you don't know why, but you're dying to try you wanna, kiss the girl.
Yeah, you want her, and there's a chance she wants you too,
it doesn't take a word, not a single word until you kiss the girl."
Roddy was walking next to her, listening.
Rita sang,
"Shalalalalala, my oh my, looks like the boy'a too shy, aint gonna kiss the girl.
Shalalalalalala, aint that sad, he's gonna miss the girl."
Roddy spoke up. "You know, Rita, your voice is beautiful."
Apparently she had forgotten he was there.
"Oh, really, it's nothing." She blushed a tomato red, and desperately looked around for a store to go into and find something to help him forget he had ever heard her. She had no such luck.
"Ri, I mean it. Your voice is perfect. A little gruff and it is a star's voice!"
"Roddy..."
"Oh, c'mon, Rita, your voice is beautiful!"
She finally admitted, her cheeks turning darker and darker shades of red. "Ok, you have me cornered. I do have a good voice. I got it from my mum. Have you heard her sing? It is like she is part angel."
Roddy stopped her. "Well, I guess some of the angelic genes were passed down. I think I am going to help this angel stay on the ground."
CHAPTER 2--------------------------------------------------------
Rita got a call on her pager that she found to come home. Something tradgic had happened.
"Roddy, we have to get home now," she said, panic overtaking her. "Something has happened that has me worried. Let's go. I am driving."
Roddy knew not to argue with Rita when she was edgy like this.
Roddy, remember. You need to walk on eggshells right now. She has never been like this before.
When the two got to the house, they had to park somewhere else. An ambulance boat was parked outside on the main dock.
Rita's eyes filled with tears and she ran off the boat.
"Oh, no..." she said. Had someone been killed, seriously injured? WHAT?
Roddy followed her, and he had to sprint to keep up to her.
Rita burst into the house, and immediatly saw her mum on the stretcher.
"MUM!!" she yelled, and ran to her mother. She was unconscious.
"What happened? Rita asked desperately. "Is she alive?"
A paramedic rat moved over to where Roddy and Rita were standing and kneeling.
"Miss Malone, is it? Are you her oldest daughter?"
Rita hastily replied, Yes. She's my mother. And is she alive?"
The paramedic replied slowly, "Barely. She had a massive heart attack, and I'm surprised she got through it. She might not live much longer, though. We are going to take her to the intensive care unit at the hospital, and we will try to get her back on line. SHe might not make it, remember. Don't get your hopes up, Rita."
Rita watched with tears as the paramedics carried her mum out on the stretchers. She stood up and looked at Roddy.
Roddy was already feeling a sense of loss. He had known her mum for a few days, but she was a person you could become attached to very quickly. He looked away from his shoes and noticed Rita looking at him. She looked as if she were going to break down and cry enough tears to fill the London sewers. She began to tremble, then started to softly cry. It was obvious that she was holding in the river of tears she had held inside her for the past eight years. Then her trembling turned to shaking, and then she shook her head and fell into Roddy, taking him off his guard. She sobbed, her hot tears staining his shirt. He put his arms around her, in an attempt to soothe her, console her. She tried to take a few deep breaths, but that would not regulate her breathing. She sank to her knees as another huge, immense wave of sobs wracked her body.
Rita felt as if she was going to have a total breakdown, and struggled to her feet and dashed up the stairs. She ran to her room, but she could'nt open the door. Roddy followed her up there, and she fell into him again. He rubbed her back soothingly. He was beginning to worry about how tense she was. She seemed tired already, and it was probably from crying so hard. She finally felt like she could sleep a whole day. She yawned, still whimpering. She leaned sleepily into Roddy's shoulder. She found herself shutting her eyelids as she was held by him. She actually felt secure. She fell asleep on Roddy's shoulder.
Roddy felt her calming. She must be tired from crying like that. I know i would be. She was breathing normally. Roddy then realised that she was asleep.
Poor girl. I have'nt lost anyone near to me, so I can't even imagine what she feels like.
Roddy hooked his arm around her shoulders, so that her head would be against his chest. He opened her bedroom door and put his other arm under her knees. He carried her into her bedroom.
He put Her on her bed and stroked her flaming red hair once, and whispered, "It's going to be alright." into her ear. She silently slept, but she slept shallowly. The slightest dream about her mum sent her shooting up in bed.
After he set her on her bed, he stood there and watched her for a moment. She had seemed so happy earlier, and now she had a tear stained face and a messy ponytail. He looked at his shirt. It was wet, drenched in some spots, from her big, hot tears. He wasn't angry about it though. He quietly shut the door and walked to his room. There he pulled out a journal, which had emergency and nonemergency numbers on the back cover. He called the hospital for an update on Rita's mom.
The receptionist answered the phone. "Piccadilly Hospital, how can I help you?"
Roddy spoke into the phone, "Yes, I need an update on Herriet Malone, please."
"Can I get a name, sir?"
"Rodderick St.James."
"Yes, let me transfer you to the room phone. Please hold momentarily. Oh, and, Roddy, tell Rita that I am feeling sympathetic for her, would you please?"
Roddy nodded. "I will when she wakes up. She cried herself to sleep on my shoulder."
"Poor thing,"
Roddy patiently waited as music played in his ear. Suddenly a male voice spoke into the phone. "This is Dr. Kandger,"
Roddy replied anxiously.
Yes, I need a report on Mrs. Malone, please.
The docter gave a deep sigh, as if readying himself for something horrid.
"Um, Mr. St. James, is Rita anywhere around?"
"No. she is asleep."
"Ok, good. she would not want to hear this anyway."
"Ok, doc, spill it."
"Roderick, Mrs Malone died moments ago. She was fine and we don't know what got to her."
Roddy found himself staggering back onto his bed. How could that be?
Ok, um, thank you, er, sir."
Roddy hung up, already racking his brain for ways to break it to Rita. He was feeling a deep tang of sorrow, like a knife had been plunged into a spot where it wasn't vital, and he was laying on the ground in agony, very slowly dying. Rita was going to geel the same.
Suddenly he heard a rustling noise. It was coming from Rita's room. Roddy got up and went to Rita's door. She opened the door, her face streaked with tears. She walked over to Roddy and asked,
"How's mum?"
Roddy's conscience was screaming, "Tell her! Just tell the girl!"
Roddy took a deep breath and readied himself for the falling and sobbing she would soon be performing.
"Rita, um...the doctors couldn't save her. She died about 20 minutes ago."
Rita looked stricken, and big, huge, absolutely huge teardrops rolled down her face ond onto the front of her shirt. She said something under her breath, but Roddy couldn't make it out. She walked away from him, slumped against the wall, and tried not to sob.
Good thing I didn't put on a new shirt, 'cause she'll be coming in, 4, 3, 2, 1...blastoff!
Rita could'nt hold the wave in any longer. She ran to Roddy, who had his arms held open. She sobbed her heart out into his warm, comforting chest. He wrapped his arms around her to help her feel loved and secure, and apparently it helped. She calmed down slightly and closed her eyes. She felt as if she had known him all her life and she had found him after a few years.
She couldn't believe mum was dead. She seemed so healthy when Rita left to find Roddy, and she came back to find her struggling for life on a stretcher. Now she was dead. Rita was the woman of the house now. She had to learn how to cook, give up her career as a scavenger, and stay home 24/7. This was gonna stink.
"Roddy," she choked out, "I just realised that I am going to have to take care of my siblings now, just like mum did. I can't scavenge anymore. I have to cook, clean, wash, care and do everything. You are going to need to learn how to drive a boat and scavenge in my place. Yeah, it'll be dangerous, but you'll be fine once you overcome your klutzy side." She managed a slight smile.
Roddy wasn't working out how to drive a boat. He was thinking of a way to stay home and work with a trading company. He could work from home, it would be easier on him and Rita. Then she wouldn't have to do everything by herself. He was guessing that this would be better for the little ones, having their sister care for them, and her friend helping her. That would be easier than scavenging on his own, with a bunch of henchrats on his tail.
"Well, Rita, I was thinking I could work from home. That way I could help you with the little kids. You, in my personal opinion,are a little young to be doing ALL the motherly things. You're seventeen! You are definately too young to do it all yourself. I am going to help you. I can work with a trading company a few days a week, and that will keep food on the table and a roof over our heads, even if it leaks a little."
Rita had to smile at his generosity, offering to help her. He was very considerate.
"Roddy," she choked out as her breathing returned to the norm, "You don't have to do that."
Roddy pushed her away a bit and looked her square in the eyes. "It would be the right thing to do. Yeah, you have a little babysitting experience but not all out mothering experience. Your dad can;t help you, cuz he's a little stiff right now."
Ha, a little stiff... hey, that's funny...
Rita leaned back into him and he held her a litle bit longer. Then she pulled away and wiped her eyes. She took a deep breath, relaxed herself, and exhaled. It was a stress treatment her mum used when she was in over her head, workwise. Amazing, so THAT'S how she put up with me when I was younger.
The situation became brighter as Rita worked out the remainder of her life. She knew a girl who babysitted for an official living. She could hire her and pay her a pound or two a month. That would save Rita's career, as well as her first mate's job to assist her. If that worked, the babysitter could be a live in guest, like Roddy. But Roddy would have his own room by then. Then the Malones could pay the girl and she could buy an airbed, wall divider, and everything else she needed to make part of the living room her home.
Rita wiped her eyes again and took another deep breath. She could remember when a street of Picadilly had frozen over. It was a freezing cold day in the sewers, and an even colder day up top.
The family had gone skating, and Rita kept falling and accidently fell on Jojo, and a crack formed in the ice. Rita had almost fallen in, but her dad had saved her. This had happened when she was ten years old. Gees, Ri, that was random. I have never been random! Well, not never...
By now evening was rapidly aproaching, and the moonlight sparkled on the untouched ice outside. The two decided to go moonlight ice skating, and it was very cold but romantic looking outside. It would be like figure skating on a beautifully lit rink, like Roddy had done back in Kensington. He would pull out a pan of ice and skate, beautifully, on the sturdy ice. He could show Rita how to skate! He could turn her into an official, 'S8TER GIRL'.
"Ri, let's go ice skating. The ice is slightly wet and perfect for pulling doubles and stuff like that.
