"Big Bob Pataki here! Beepers for every-hey,hey,hey! You call this coffee? I call it dirt, now go get me a real cup of joe or its your job!"
Bob Pataki stood in the middle of his store, alternating between greeting customers, yelling at his employees, and waiting to read the latest invoice for beeper shipment. He stood head and shoulders above most people so it was no wonder his employees were so easily intimidated by him. He gave a final grin that could break glass before heading back to his office. He sat down in the leather chair and closed his eyes for a few moments, before opening them to the constant beep of his answering machine. He had three new messages.
"Yeah hi Bob, this is Pete from Powerful Pete's Pagers, and this is my final offer to buy your-"
Bob sneered as he pressed delete.
"Hello Mr. Pataki, this is Ms. Julie Tirran and I'm from the Children's-"
Bob grumbled, "Stupid solicitors... who needs 'em?"
"Bob? This is Miriam, and I hope you get this message soon because we have a major problem. Helga was called down to the office at school and a social worker told her that she was going to be removed into a foster home and-"
Bob deleted this message also, but for a different reason altogether. He was running towards the exit and trying to pull on his jacket at the same time.
-_-_-_-
Arnold walked home slowly, ignoring his friend's calls for him to join in their game of baseball. He wasn't in the mood for it. Despite her bullying him, Helga was a good friend, and usually came through for him and everyone else in the end. For example, when they made the float for the parade. Arnold knew he could never have done that without Helga. She was the one who had asked her Dad for money. And also this summer, she had helped save the neighborhood, and although she didn't get any of the credit, Arnold knew she was glad to do it.
He opened the door to the boarding house and stood to one side as the usual mob of animals came rampaging out. He took his jacket off and made his way to the kitchen for some milk and cookies. They always made him feel better. When he got there Ernie and Mr. Hyunh were arguing over the last ones and Arnold wasn't in the mood for a fight so he walked towards his living room. In their he heard his Grandma yelling at Mr. Kokoshka for turning off the power so that she couldn't cook a meal. He made his way to his room and flopped down on his bed, contemplating the mixed feelings he felt at the moment.
Shortly after, a knock came at the door. "Ya in there, short man?"
"Yea, Grandpa." Arnold was not surprised, he figured Grandpa would wonder why Arnold didn't stay out to play with the neighborhood kids or say hello to him when he got home.
"What's the matter? Why aren't you playing with your friends?"
"I didn't feel like it. I just heard some bad news about one of them..."
"What's that? Does it have to do with your little ugly friend with the unibrow?"
"Helga? How did you know?"
"Well, I have my ways. Besides I figured not even Big Bob would be able to escape the dreaful Ms. Tirran for long."
"That's the lady Phoebe told me about, she's taking Helga away from her family. And how did you know about her?"
"Well way back when you were just a little kid, littler than you are now, I mean, we had a boarder named Julie Tirran. Well I saw her the other day, and she was back in town working for social services. Asked me if knew the Patakis and I told her what I knew."
"You told her about the Patakis?? So you helped her to get Helga away from her family! How could you?"
"Now, listen Arnold, I know that you think it was wrong but I think that little girl staying in that house is wrong. Why, I've even heard Big Bob call her the wrong name, do you think she likes living like that? I only did because I think she needed it. Listen short man, you should know by now that not all things in life are fair and this is what of those things."
"But...I don't understand, I could never stand being taken away from you and Grandma and the boarders."
"I know, Arnold, I know. Well, I gotta go help your Grandma rewire the building, that darn fool Kokoshka took out all our electricity so that Pookie wouldn't cook tonight."
Arnold lay on his bed and watched the sky cloud over with the swiftness of an unexpected Autumn storm, more confused than before he had talked with his Grandpa.
-_-_-_-
Bob had come in on an unusual site for his household. Helga was being held by his wife in a way that reminded him of when she was just a baby. Miriam was on the phone with someone and both looked up when he entered the room.
Miriam spoke first, "B, this is our lawyer Mr. Owen and he is going to help us keep Helga. Here you take the phone for a minute while I talk to Helga."
Bob stared at the phone before he began listening desperately to the man who could help him save his baby girl.
Miriam directed Helga up the stairs to her room and had her repeat everything that happened when she was talking to Ms. Tirran. Helga suddenly remembered one detail that she forgot to say.
"Mom! I was supposed to meet her after school but I left the back way and came here, that means she'll probably be coming here to-"
Helga stopped dead as the doorbell rang, and looked at her mother for support. Miriam's mouth had gone dry once she heard the ominous ring and clasped Helga to her once again, as if to give the support that she had neglected to for so long.
Downstairs Bob had just hung up the phone and was unprepared to open the door when the doorbell rang again and someone announced,
"Open up, Helga, its me Phoebe!"
-_-_-_-
i don't own Hey arnold or any characters.
i keep forgetting that.
Bob Pataki stood in the middle of his store, alternating between greeting customers, yelling at his employees, and waiting to read the latest invoice for beeper shipment. He stood head and shoulders above most people so it was no wonder his employees were so easily intimidated by him. He gave a final grin that could break glass before heading back to his office. He sat down in the leather chair and closed his eyes for a few moments, before opening them to the constant beep of his answering machine. He had three new messages.
"Yeah hi Bob, this is Pete from Powerful Pete's Pagers, and this is my final offer to buy your-"
Bob sneered as he pressed delete.
"Hello Mr. Pataki, this is Ms. Julie Tirran and I'm from the Children's-"
Bob grumbled, "Stupid solicitors... who needs 'em?"
"Bob? This is Miriam, and I hope you get this message soon because we have a major problem. Helga was called down to the office at school and a social worker told her that she was going to be removed into a foster home and-"
Bob deleted this message also, but for a different reason altogether. He was running towards the exit and trying to pull on his jacket at the same time.
-_-_-_-
Arnold walked home slowly, ignoring his friend's calls for him to join in their game of baseball. He wasn't in the mood for it. Despite her bullying him, Helga was a good friend, and usually came through for him and everyone else in the end. For example, when they made the float for the parade. Arnold knew he could never have done that without Helga. She was the one who had asked her Dad for money. And also this summer, she had helped save the neighborhood, and although she didn't get any of the credit, Arnold knew she was glad to do it.
He opened the door to the boarding house and stood to one side as the usual mob of animals came rampaging out. He took his jacket off and made his way to the kitchen for some milk and cookies. They always made him feel better. When he got there Ernie and Mr. Hyunh were arguing over the last ones and Arnold wasn't in the mood for a fight so he walked towards his living room. In their he heard his Grandma yelling at Mr. Kokoshka for turning off the power so that she couldn't cook a meal. He made his way to his room and flopped down on his bed, contemplating the mixed feelings he felt at the moment.
Shortly after, a knock came at the door. "Ya in there, short man?"
"Yea, Grandpa." Arnold was not surprised, he figured Grandpa would wonder why Arnold didn't stay out to play with the neighborhood kids or say hello to him when he got home.
"What's the matter? Why aren't you playing with your friends?"
"I didn't feel like it. I just heard some bad news about one of them..."
"What's that? Does it have to do with your little ugly friend with the unibrow?"
"Helga? How did you know?"
"Well, I have my ways. Besides I figured not even Big Bob would be able to escape the dreaful Ms. Tirran for long."
"That's the lady Phoebe told me about, she's taking Helga away from her family. And how did you know about her?"
"Well way back when you were just a little kid, littler than you are now, I mean, we had a boarder named Julie Tirran. Well I saw her the other day, and she was back in town working for social services. Asked me if knew the Patakis and I told her what I knew."
"You told her about the Patakis?? So you helped her to get Helga away from her family! How could you?"
"Now, listen Arnold, I know that you think it was wrong but I think that little girl staying in that house is wrong. Why, I've even heard Big Bob call her the wrong name, do you think she likes living like that? I only did because I think she needed it. Listen short man, you should know by now that not all things in life are fair and this is what of those things."
"But...I don't understand, I could never stand being taken away from you and Grandma and the boarders."
"I know, Arnold, I know. Well, I gotta go help your Grandma rewire the building, that darn fool Kokoshka took out all our electricity so that Pookie wouldn't cook tonight."
Arnold lay on his bed and watched the sky cloud over with the swiftness of an unexpected Autumn storm, more confused than before he had talked with his Grandpa.
-_-_-_-
Bob had come in on an unusual site for his household. Helga was being held by his wife in a way that reminded him of when she was just a baby. Miriam was on the phone with someone and both looked up when he entered the room.
Miriam spoke first, "B, this is our lawyer Mr. Owen and he is going to help us keep Helga. Here you take the phone for a minute while I talk to Helga."
Bob stared at the phone before he began listening desperately to the man who could help him save his baby girl.
Miriam directed Helga up the stairs to her room and had her repeat everything that happened when she was talking to Ms. Tirran. Helga suddenly remembered one detail that she forgot to say.
"Mom! I was supposed to meet her after school but I left the back way and came here, that means she'll probably be coming here to-"
Helga stopped dead as the doorbell rang, and looked at her mother for support. Miriam's mouth had gone dry once she heard the ominous ring and clasped Helga to her once again, as if to give the support that she had neglected to for so long.
Downstairs Bob had just hung up the phone and was unprepared to open the door when the doorbell rang again and someone announced,
"Open up, Helga, its me Phoebe!"
-_-_-_-
i don't own Hey arnold or any characters.
i keep forgetting that.