----
"It was a tough time for Francine," Arthur continued, "but the worst was yet to come. How much time do we have left?"
"Uh...five more minutes until the next commercial break," said Fox Hansom, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Go on, I'm sure everybody in the viewing audience is on pins and needles waiting to find out what happens to Francine."
In the Read living room, D.W. and her parents had fallen asleep on the couch.
"So anyway," Arthur went on, "Francine's mom stayed in our guest bedroom that night, because she was so angry at her husband. And things didn't get any better the next day..."
----
"I haven't seen or heard from Francine this morning," said Muffy as she took a seat next to Arthur and Buster.
"Me neither," said Arthur. "Not since last night, when she took off with Catherine."
"I hope nothing bad has happened to her," said Buster. "I mean, besides the bad things that have already happened to her."
Mr. Ratburn called the class to order. "Good morning, children. Before we get started, I have some good news and some sad news. The good news is, Arthur is going to Hollywood next weekend."
Arthur smiled as the other kids clapped and cheered.
"Is he coming back?" asked Binky.
"Of course," said Mr. Ratburn. "Periodically, at least."
"What's periodically?" Binky wondered.
"From time to time," Mr. Ratburn explained.
George raised his hand. "What's the sad news?"
"It's about Francine's dad," said Jenna. "He's a no-good, worthless..."
"Now, Jenna, let's not make any rash judgments," said Mr. Ratburn. "Not until we know all the facts."
"But it's true, isn't it?" Brain interjected. "Any man who would gamble away his daughter's college fund..."
Mr. Ratburn raised a hand to silence Brain. "This isn't the time or place, Alan. Now, I received a note this morning from Francine's mother..."
The kids gazed with breathless anticipation as Mr. Ratburn pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. "Dear Mr. Ratburn," he read, "please excuse Francine Frensky from your class today and for the foreseeable future, as she is moving to another city for an indefinite amount of time."
The children started to murmur among themselves. Binky raised his hand. "What's..."
"Indefinite means they don't know how long they'll be gone," Mr. Ratburn explained.
"So it could be a few days, or it could be forever," Fern observed.
"I feel like I've been in third grade for an indefinite amount of time," said Buster.
"Yeah," Arthur added. "Feels like years."
"Where are they going?" Sue Ellen asked. "Did they say?"
"She didn't specify a location," Mr. Ratburn replied.
"I'll call her after class," said Muffy as she held up her cell phone. "I'll try to find out as much as I can."
----
"My uncle Max lives in Town City," said Francine into the phone. "I think that's where we're going, until Mom finds a place to live." Behind her, Mrs. Frensky and Catherine were laying articles of clothing into suitcases.
"Call me when you get there." Muffy sat on a bench in the center court of the school, holding her cell phone to her face.
"It doesn't look good at all," said Francine, her voice starting to break. "This could be the end of our family. I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave Dad, but Catherine says if I stay with him, I'll end up having to sell myself on the street. Whatever that means."
Muffy's voice took on a patronizing tone. "You know, Francine, all of this could be avoided if..."
"Muffy, if what you're about to say is about money, then don't say it," Francine snapped. "Money won't solve our problems. We had money, and now it's gone!"
"I'm sorry," said Muffy meekly.
"I'll be at the soccer field during morning recess," said Francine emotionally. "Get everybody together. There's something really important I want to tell them."
As Muffy wrapped up her cell phone conversation, Arthur saw a group of fourth-graders approaching as he walked down the hallway. Among them was Prunella and the talented young actor, Floyd Walton.
"Uh, Floyd?" said Arthur hesitantly as Floyd started to walk past him.
"What?" Floyd stopped, and looked none too happy to see Arthur.
"I...heard that you dropped out of the school play."
"What about it?" said Floyd impatiently.
Arthur cleared his throat. "Well...I was just curious..."
"Why I dropped out?" Floyd finished his thought.
"Uh-huh."
"Maybe I've decided to pursue other interests," said Floyd evasively. "But that doesn't concern you."
Arthur regarded Floyd curiously as he walked away. "I didn't realize he had other interests besides acting," he thought.
----
During morning recess, the kids in Mr. Ratburn's class, including Francine, gathered at the edge of the soccer field.
"I want you to listen to what I say carefully, and take it to heart," said Francine solemnly. "My mom's leaving, and she's taking Catherine and me with her. She may even go so far as a divorce, I don't know. But I may be gone for a long time."
"We'll visit you," said Muffy. "It's no trouble. I've got a chauffeured limo at my disposal, after all."
"That's fine, Muffy," Francine went on, "but that's not why I called you here. I'm worried about my dad."
"Who cares about him?" Jenna interrupted. "If my dad did something like that, I'd..."
"Shut up!" cried Francine.
Jenna and the other kids gaped at her in surprise.
"I'm sorry," said Francine humbly. "But I still love my dad, in spite of what he's done. And maybe leaving him is the smart thing to do. But..."
The kids fixed their wondering gaze on Francine as she gathered up courage.
"Imagine yourself in his place," she finally continued. "You've lost your job, you've lost all your money, and now you're losing your family. How would that make you feel?"
After a moment's silence, Arthur spoke up. "I...guess I would be really upset."
"How upset would you be?" Francine prodded him.
"Uh..."
The usually quiet Fern spoke up. "If I were in that situation," she said somberly, "I would be completely devastated. I might even consider..."
The kids looked at Fern anxiously.
"...suicide," Fern finished.
Arthur gasped. Binky swallowed.
"That's right, Fern," said Francine seriously. "Just because we're children doesn't mean we can't face reality."
"What can we do?" Brain asked.
"Go to my dad. Cheer him up. Try to give him hope."
"I have some good jokes I could tell him," said Buster helpfully.
"That'll help," said Francine. "But most importantly, help him get back on his feet. Tell him that if he gets a new job, and stays away from the casino, then he may get his family back."
"We'll do it," said Arthur confidently.
"You can count on us," said Sue Ellen.
"I knew I could," said Francine, smiling. "Now get to class. I'll see you again during lunch hour."
As the kids waved farewell to Francine and headed back toward the school building, Muffy turned to speak with Francine.
"Do you really believe that?" she asked.
"What?"
"That if your dad cleans up his act, your mom will come back."
Francine's face fell. "No. No, not really."
(to be continued)
"It was a tough time for Francine," Arthur continued, "but the worst was yet to come. How much time do we have left?"
"Uh...five more minutes until the next commercial break," said Fox Hansom, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Go on, I'm sure everybody in the viewing audience is on pins and needles waiting to find out what happens to Francine."
In the Read living room, D.W. and her parents had fallen asleep on the couch.
"So anyway," Arthur went on, "Francine's mom stayed in our guest bedroom that night, because she was so angry at her husband. And things didn't get any better the next day..."
----
"I haven't seen or heard from Francine this morning," said Muffy as she took a seat next to Arthur and Buster.
"Me neither," said Arthur. "Not since last night, when she took off with Catherine."
"I hope nothing bad has happened to her," said Buster. "I mean, besides the bad things that have already happened to her."
Mr. Ratburn called the class to order. "Good morning, children. Before we get started, I have some good news and some sad news. The good news is, Arthur is going to Hollywood next weekend."
Arthur smiled as the other kids clapped and cheered.
"Is he coming back?" asked Binky.
"Of course," said Mr. Ratburn. "Periodically, at least."
"What's periodically?" Binky wondered.
"From time to time," Mr. Ratburn explained.
George raised his hand. "What's the sad news?"
"It's about Francine's dad," said Jenna. "He's a no-good, worthless..."
"Now, Jenna, let's not make any rash judgments," said Mr. Ratburn. "Not until we know all the facts."
"But it's true, isn't it?" Brain interjected. "Any man who would gamble away his daughter's college fund..."
Mr. Ratburn raised a hand to silence Brain. "This isn't the time or place, Alan. Now, I received a note this morning from Francine's mother..."
The kids gazed with breathless anticipation as Mr. Ratburn pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. "Dear Mr. Ratburn," he read, "please excuse Francine Frensky from your class today and for the foreseeable future, as she is moving to another city for an indefinite amount of time."
The children started to murmur among themselves. Binky raised his hand. "What's..."
"Indefinite means they don't know how long they'll be gone," Mr. Ratburn explained.
"So it could be a few days, or it could be forever," Fern observed.
"I feel like I've been in third grade for an indefinite amount of time," said Buster.
"Yeah," Arthur added. "Feels like years."
"Where are they going?" Sue Ellen asked. "Did they say?"
"She didn't specify a location," Mr. Ratburn replied.
"I'll call her after class," said Muffy as she held up her cell phone. "I'll try to find out as much as I can."
----
"My uncle Max lives in Town City," said Francine into the phone. "I think that's where we're going, until Mom finds a place to live." Behind her, Mrs. Frensky and Catherine were laying articles of clothing into suitcases.
"Call me when you get there." Muffy sat on a bench in the center court of the school, holding her cell phone to her face.
"It doesn't look good at all," said Francine, her voice starting to break. "This could be the end of our family. I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave Dad, but Catherine says if I stay with him, I'll end up having to sell myself on the street. Whatever that means."
Muffy's voice took on a patronizing tone. "You know, Francine, all of this could be avoided if..."
"Muffy, if what you're about to say is about money, then don't say it," Francine snapped. "Money won't solve our problems. We had money, and now it's gone!"
"I'm sorry," said Muffy meekly.
"I'll be at the soccer field during morning recess," said Francine emotionally. "Get everybody together. There's something really important I want to tell them."
As Muffy wrapped up her cell phone conversation, Arthur saw a group of fourth-graders approaching as he walked down the hallway. Among them was Prunella and the talented young actor, Floyd Walton.
"Uh, Floyd?" said Arthur hesitantly as Floyd started to walk past him.
"What?" Floyd stopped, and looked none too happy to see Arthur.
"I...heard that you dropped out of the school play."
"What about it?" said Floyd impatiently.
Arthur cleared his throat. "Well...I was just curious..."
"Why I dropped out?" Floyd finished his thought.
"Uh-huh."
"Maybe I've decided to pursue other interests," said Floyd evasively. "But that doesn't concern you."
Arthur regarded Floyd curiously as he walked away. "I didn't realize he had other interests besides acting," he thought.
----
During morning recess, the kids in Mr. Ratburn's class, including Francine, gathered at the edge of the soccer field.
"I want you to listen to what I say carefully, and take it to heart," said Francine solemnly. "My mom's leaving, and she's taking Catherine and me with her. She may even go so far as a divorce, I don't know. But I may be gone for a long time."
"We'll visit you," said Muffy. "It's no trouble. I've got a chauffeured limo at my disposal, after all."
"That's fine, Muffy," Francine went on, "but that's not why I called you here. I'm worried about my dad."
"Who cares about him?" Jenna interrupted. "If my dad did something like that, I'd..."
"Shut up!" cried Francine.
Jenna and the other kids gaped at her in surprise.
"I'm sorry," said Francine humbly. "But I still love my dad, in spite of what he's done. And maybe leaving him is the smart thing to do. But..."
The kids fixed their wondering gaze on Francine as she gathered up courage.
"Imagine yourself in his place," she finally continued. "You've lost your job, you've lost all your money, and now you're losing your family. How would that make you feel?"
After a moment's silence, Arthur spoke up. "I...guess I would be really upset."
"How upset would you be?" Francine prodded him.
"Uh..."
The usually quiet Fern spoke up. "If I were in that situation," she said somberly, "I would be completely devastated. I might even consider..."
The kids looked at Fern anxiously.
"...suicide," Fern finished.
Arthur gasped. Binky swallowed.
"That's right, Fern," said Francine seriously. "Just because we're children doesn't mean we can't face reality."
"What can we do?" Brain asked.
"Go to my dad. Cheer him up. Try to give him hope."
"I have some good jokes I could tell him," said Buster helpfully.
"That'll help," said Francine. "But most importantly, help him get back on his feet. Tell him that if he gets a new job, and stays away from the casino, then he may get his family back."
"We'll do it," said Arthur confidently.
"You can count on us," said Sue Ellen.
"I knew I could," said Francine, smiling. "Now get to class. I'll see you again during lunch hour."
As the kids waved farewell to Francine and headed back toward the school building, Muffy turned to speak with Francine.
"Do you really believe that?" she asked.
"What?"
"That if your dad cleans up his act, your mom will come back."
Francine's face fell. "No. No, not really."
(to be continued)
