I again just want to thank all of the people who reviewed my story. It put
a smile on my face! Thak you for reading it! Here's chapter 3!
"Now what could that have been?" Mrs. Hardy looked around the room, her eyes stopping on a ball with one of her picture frames laying beside it on the floor. "How did that happen?" Mrs. Hardy picked up her picture frame and set it back on the table then picked up the ball and looked at it. "This is Franks and Joes. I better go see what that was I heard in the kitchen." With that, Mrs. Hardy put down the ball and headed back to the kitchen. "Why is all of this silverware on the floor?" Mrs. Hardy asked out loud. "Hmmm. . . I think I'll go and see what my boys are doing." with that Mrs. Hardy picked up the silverware and headed up the stairs.
* * *
"Come on Frank, show me what you got!" Joe demanded impatiently looking at the covered plate Frank had in his hands.
"Shhh." Do you hear that?" Frank asked ignoring his brother.
"Hear what?"
"It sounds like someone coming up the stairs!"
"I bet it's Mom! Quick, put the plate under one of the beds!"
"You have got to be kidding me, right?" Frank scoffed. "With everything we have stuffed under our beds, a grasshopper couldn't fit under there!"
"Boys?" Mrs. Hardy called out, starting to turn the knob.
"Uh oh!" Frank stood in the middle of the room with the plate still in his hands.
Just as the door started to swing open, Joe threw himself into it, making it slam shut.
"Hey! What are the two of you doing in there? Open up this door!"
"Mom. . . !"
"Joe? Don't Mom me! This door had better be open before I count to three or . . ."
"Bu-but mommy!"
"One!"
"I can't open the door!"
"Two!"
"We're changin' !" Joe whined while Frank put the plate in their closet.
At this Mrs. Hardy stopped counting. "For goodness sake! Well, hurry up and finish then." Mrs. Hardy gave an exasperated sigh.
Joe looked at Frank who gave him a thumbs up sign, then he let go of the door and went and stood next to his brother. "Okay Mom, you can come in now.We're not naked anymore."
Mrs. Hardy rolled her eyes and opened the door, letting her eyes roam the room, then settling on the boys. "Why were you changing?" Mrs. Hardy asked. "And why all in black?"
Joe looked at his brother. "Why did we change all in black Frank?"
Frank gave hs brother a dirty look. "Uhm . . . we were . . . we were playing funeral!"
"Funeral?"
"Yeah, that's right, we were playing funeral." Joe added, "You see, we had to go to a funeral."
"Okaaay. Who's funeral did you go to?"
Thinking quickly Frank blurted out, "Yours!"
"Mine!" Mrs. Hardy exclaimed shocked. She didn't think she had been that mean to her children in their short lives for them to want her to be dead.
"Yours and Dads!"
"You see mom. What happened was, we all went on a cruise, and there was a mutiny, and the people on the cruise didn't like brown or blonde haired people, because they were all redheaded, and they threw you and dad over into the ocean, but me and Joe hid, so we didn't get thrown in . . ."
"Yeah!" Joe said getting caught up in the story, though he still had no idea what a mutiny was. "And there was this really big, I mean, huge whale, and it swallowed you and Dad up whole. So when we got back to land, me and Frank snuck away and we told the police that our parents were eatin' by a whale, 'cause the redheads threw ya'll away, and they went and caught all the redheads and sent them to prison, where they had to write "I will not throw people to man-eatin' whales" for the rest of their pit-e-ful lives!"
"Uh huh!" said Frank taking up the story. "And when we got home we had to have a funeral for ya'll, because you were our parents, of course though, we didn't have ya'lls bodies to bury, 'cause they were still inside the whale. But, we still got you both tombstones with ya'lls names on them and flowers and stuff. And at the funeral we said all kinds of nice things about you, because you birthed us, and about Dad, because he helped you make us. . . . and that's why . . ."
"And, that's why we're wearing all black!" Joe finished, and looked at his mom.
When they were finished, Mrs. Hardy's mouth hung open and her face had gone a shade paler than it normally was. "Uhmm . . .that was very . . .interesting. I just came up here to tell you that dinner will be ready shortly when your father gets home." Mrs. Hardy turned to leave. "Oh, and boys."
"Yes?"
"I don't think I want you going around playing funeral anymore. Okay?"
"Okay, mom." They both said. And with that Mrs. Hardy left.
As soon as she left, they both burst out laughing. "Did you see the look on her face?" Joe asked between peals of laughter.
"I sure did!"
When they finally calmed down. "That was a close."
"It sure was." Frank agreed. "I just knew we were gonna get caught. Oh yeah! I almost forgot. Wait until you see what I got." Frank then went to the closet and took the plate out and uncovered it for Joe to see.
"Wow! A chocoate chip cake!" Joe exclaimed happily. "I love those!"
"So do I. Lets eat!" Frank looked around. "Rats!"
"What is it?" Joe asked thinking something as wrong.
"I forgot to get forks." Frank said glumly.
"Is that all? Who needs forks when God gave us two good hands with working fingers?" Joe asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
Frank smiled. "Not us!" And with that he and Joe dug in with their two good hands with working fingers.
11 minutes 37 seconds later
"Frank? I don't feel too good. I think I'm sick."
"You think your sick? You are sick, with all of that chocolate on your mouth and hands."
"Hey!" Joe cried indignantly. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? I'm not the only one with chocolate all over himself."
"Joe, just be quiet right now, I don't fell to good either. Well, what can we expect when we just ate a whole cake in less than 15 minutes. I don't even think there is one crumb left."
At this Joe looked over at the plate, reached down, stuck his finger to it, put it in his mouth, and replied, "Not any more."
"Hey Frankie." Joe said as he crawled over to where his brother lay. "I'm not hungry anymore."
Frank just smiled wryly at him. "Come on Joe. We better wash ourselves off before it is time for dinner. Mom said it wouldn't be that much longer."
Joe just groaned and let Frank pull him to his feet as they went to the bathroom and wahed up.
* * *
A tall, handsome, dark-haired, man of 30 stepped out of his car in front of the house on the corner of Elm street and quietly opened the front door. Hearing humming coming from the kitchen he made his way there, then over to the form in front of the oven and was about to grab her when . . .
"Don't you even think about it Fenton Hardy." Mrs. Hardy said turning around to see her husband of 9 years.
"Hello Honey!" Mr. Hardy said smiling sheepishly at his wife then enveloping her in a tight hug and a kiss on the lips.
"Hey Stranger!" Mrs. Hardy smiled and pulled away. "So, did you get them?"
Mr. Hardy looked down at the floor.
"Oh....Honey I'm so sorry, I . . ."
Fenton looked up from the floor with a huge smile on his face. "I got them." He announced happily. "You are now looking at a licensed private detective."
"That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you. Wait until the boys hear."
"Where are the boys anyways?"
"Up in their room."
"Why are they up there? I thought they would be roaming the house or outside."
"We'll talk about it at dinner. Can you go get them for me and tell them dinners done?"
"MmmHmm! I'm as hungry as a bear. Be right back.
* * *
"There. That's better."
"Hey Frank, my stomach still hurts though."
"So does mine." Frank frowned, then brightened. "Maybe we're having sandwiches again tonight. That what be that hard to eat."
"I guess so." Joe said doubtfuly as they were coming out of the bathroom.
"Hello boys!" Fenton said surprising them.
"Daddy!" Both boys exclaimed and ran to their father who gave them a big bear hug.
"So, are you finally a you-know-what?" Frank asked excitily.
"What?" Mr. Hardy asked playing dumb.
"Dad!" Joe exclaimed.
Mr. Hardy laughed. "Yes! I finally am a you-know-what!"
Both boys let out loud glee's of joy.
"Boy, wait till we start school Joe, and we can tell all of the kids that our father is a private detective!"
"Hey Dad?" Joe asked while Fenton laughed, "Are going to be like the one's on tv?"
"Sorta." Mr. Hardy responded. "Come on, let's get down to dinner before your mom sends out a search party."
Mr. Hardy started down the stairs while the boys looked at each other and followed slowly behind.
"Now what could that have been?" Mrs. Hardy looked around the room, her eyes stopping on a ball with one of her picture frames laying beside it on the floor. "How did that happen?" Mrs. Hardy picked up her picture frame and set it back on the table then picked up the ball and looked at it. "This is Franks and Joes. I better go see what that was I heard in the kitchen." With that, Mrs. Hardy put down the ball and headed back to the kitchen. "Why is all of this silverware on the floor?" Mrs. Hardy asked out loud. "Hmmm. . . I think I'll go and see what my boys are doing." with that Mrs. Hardy picked up the silverware and headed up the stairs.
* * *
"Come on Frank, show me what you got!" Joe demanded impatiently looking at the covered plate Frank had in his hands.
"Shhh." Do you hear that?" Frank asked ignoring his brother.
"Hear what?"
"It sounds like someone coming up the stairs!"
"I bet it's Mom! Quick, put the plate under one of the beds!"
"You have got to be kidding me, right?" Frank scoffed. "With everything we have stuffed under our beds, a grasshopper couldn't fit under there!"
"Boys?" Mrs. Hardy called out, starting to turn the knob.
"Uh oh!" Frank stood in the middle of the room with the plate still in his hands.
Just as the door started to swing open, Joe threw himself into it, making it slam shut.
"Hey! What are the two of you doing in there? Open up this door!"
"Mom. . . !"
"Joe? Don't Mom me! This door had better be open before I count to three or . . ."
"Bu-but mommy!"
"One!"
"I can't open the door!"
"Two!"
"We're changin' !" Joe whined while Frank put the plate in their closet.
At this Mrs. Hardy stopped counting. "For goodness sake! Well, hurry up and finish then." Mrs. Hardy gave an exasperated sigh.
Joe looked at Frank who gave him a thumbs up sign, then he let go of the door and went and stood next to his brother. "Okay Mom, you can come in now.We're not naked anymore."
Mrs. Hardy rolled her eyes and opened the door, letting her eyes roam the room, then settling on the boys. "Why were you changing?" Mrs. Hardy asked. "And why all in black?"
Joe looked at his brother. "Why did we change all in black Frank?"
Frank gave hs brother a dirty look. "Uhm . . . we were . . . we were playing funeral!"
"Funeral?"
"Yeah, that's right, we were playing funeral." Joe added, "You see, we had to go to a funeral."
"Okaaay. Who's funeral did you go to?"
Thinking quickly Frank blurted out, "Yours!"
"Mine!" Mrs. Hardy exclaimed shocked. She didn't think she had been that mean to her children in their short lives for them to want her to be dead.
"Yours and Dads!"
"You see mom. What happened was, we all went on a cruise, and there was a mutiny, and the people on the cruise didn't like brown or blonde haired people, because they were all redheaded, and they threw you and dad over into the ocean, but me and Joe hid, so we didn't get thrown in . . ."
"Yeah!" Joe said getting caught up in the story, though he still had no idea what a mutiny was. "And there was this really big, I mean, huge whale, and it swallowed you and Dad up whole. So when we got back to land, me and Frank snuck away and we told the police that our parents were eatin' by a whale, 'cause the redheads threw ya'll away, and they went and caught all the redheads and sent them to prison, where they had to write "I will not throw people to man-eatin' whales" for the rest of their pit-e-ful lives!"
"Uh huh!" said Frank taking up the story. "And when we got home we had to have a funeral for ya'll, because you were our parents, of course though, we didn't have ya'lls bodies to bury, 'cause they were still inside the whale. But, we still got you both tombstones with ya'lls names on them and flowers and stuff. And at the funeral we said all kinds of nice things about you, because you birthed us, and about Dad, because he helped you make us. . . . and that's why . . ."
"And, that's why we're wearing all black!" Joe finished, and looked at his mom.
When they were finished, Mrs. Hardy's mouth hung open and her face had gone a shade paler than it normally was. "Uhmm . . .that was very . . .interesting. I just came up here to tell you that dinner will be ready shortly when your father gets home." Mrs. Hardy turned to leave. "Oh, and boys."
"Yes?"
"I don't think I want you going around playing funeral anymore. Okay?"
"Okay, mom." They both said. And with that Mrs. Hardy left.
As soon as she left, they both burst out laughing. "Did you see the look on her face?" Joe asked between peals of laughter.
"I sure did!"
When they finally calmed down. "That was a close."
"It sure was." Frank agreed. "I just knew we were gonna get caught. Oh yeah! I almost forgot. Wait until you see what I got." Frank then went to the closet and took the plate out and uncovered it for Joe to see.
"Wow! A chocoate chip cake!" Joe exclaimed happily. "I love those!"
"So do I. Lets eat!" Frank looked around. "Rats!"
"What is it?" Joe asked thinking something as wrong.
"I forgot to get forks." Frank said glumly.
"Is that all? Who needs forks when God gave us two good hands with working fingers?" Joe asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
Frank smiled. "Not us!" And with that he and Joe dug in with their two good hands with working fingers.
11 minutes 37 seconds later
"Frank? I don't feel too good. I think I'm sick."
"You think your sick? You are sick, with all of that chocolate on your mouth and hands."
"Hey!" Joe cried indignantly. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? I'm not the only one with chocolate all over himself."
"Joe, just be quiet right now, I don't fell to good either. Well, what can we expect when we just ate a whole cake in less than 15 minutes. I don't even think there is one crumb left."
At this Joe looked over at the plate, reached down, stuck his finger to it, put it in his mouth, and replied, "Not any more."
"Hey Frankie." Joe said as he crawled over to where his brother lay. "I'm not hungry anymore."
Frank just smiled wryly at him. "Come on Joe. We better wash ourselves off before it is time for dinner. Mom said it wouldn't be that much longer."
Joe just groaned and let Frank pull him to his feet as they went to the bathroom and wahed up.
* * *
A tall, handsome, dark-haired, man of 30 stepped out of his car in front of the house on the corner of Elm street and quietly opened the front door. Hearing humming coming from the kitchen he made his way there, then over to the form in front of the oven and was about to grab her when . . .
"Don't you even think about it Fenton Hardy." Mrs. Hardy said turning around to see her husband of 9 years.
"Hello Honey!" Mr. Hardy said smiling sheepishly at his wife then enveloping her in a tight hug and a kiss on the lips.
"Hey Stranger!" Mrs. Hardy smiled and pulled away. "So, did you get them?"
Mr. Hardy looked down at the floor.
"Oh....Honey I'm so sorry, I . . ."
Fenton looked up from the floor with a huge smile on his face. "I got them." He announced happily. "You are now looking at a licensed private detective."
"That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you. Wait until the boys hear."
"Where are the boys anyways?"
"Up in their room."
"Why are they up there? I thought they would be roaming the house or outside."
"We'll talk about it at dinner. Can you go get them for me and tell them dinners done?"
"MmmHmm! I'm as hungry as a bear. Be right back.
* * *
"There. That's better."
"Hey Frank, my stomach still hurts though."
"So does mine." Frank frowned, then brightened. "Maybe we're having sandwiches again tonight. That what be that hard to eat."
"I guess so." Joe said doubtfuly as they were coming out of the bathroom.
"Hello boys!" Fenton said surprising them.
"Daddy!" Both boys exclaimed and ran to their father who gave them a big bear hug.
"So, are you finally a you-know-what?" Frank asked excitily.
"What?" Mr. Hardy asked playing dumb.
"Dad!" Joe exclaimed.
Mr. Hardy laughed. "Yes! I finally am a you-know-what!"
Both boys let out loud glee's of joy.
"Boy, wait till we start school Joe, and we can tell all of the kids that our father is a private detective!"
"Hey Dad?" Joe asked while Fenton laughed, "Are going to be like the one's on tv?"
"Sorta." Mr. Hardy responded. "Come on, let's get down to dinner before your mom sends out a search party."
Mr. Hardy started down the stairs while the boys looked at each other and followed slowly behind.