Matthew, Kuki, Wallabee, Abby, and Nigel sat at the kitchen table, sipping
ginger tea and there was a plate of shortbread cookies in front of them,
but nobody could eat. Matthew quietly stirred his tea and looked down at
the table shyly.
"So, eh, Matthew...how old are you?" asked Wallabee, trying to start up a conversation.
"I'm 10" he answered.
"And you're a part of the Kids Next Door?" asked Kuki.
Matthew actually smiled. "Just like dad".
"Matthew...I hope this won't be rough on you, but would you mind telling us your story?" asked Nigel. "I mean...if you want to..."
The boy nodded. "Yes...I will. You see, when my parents were very young they always were partying. Dad and mom used to be big enimies, but dad got to know mom better. She lived in a big old mansion down the lane and her "father" always forced her to be apart of the family, wearing a white dress and a bow with her hair long...she was a part of a group called the Delightful Children or something"
Nigel's mouth dropped open. Matthew's mom was one of the Delightful Children From Down the Lane?! He looked at his friends, who were equally as shocked, trying not to show it.
Matthew went on. "Her name was Leigh"
"Go on" said Abby, softly.
"Mom and dad were only 15 when they had me. When my grandfather found out, he was raged. Mom had to sneak out to see dad. Dad wasn't even in the delivery room when I was born. Grandfather wouldn't allow it. I was passed on from relative to relative, since Grandfather would not take me in and my Grandmother Gilligan took me in for awhile, but she had a heart attack and survived, but I was three when that happened and she couldn't take care of me anymore. I now live with my Aunt Sally. I don't think she really cares about me much"
The story had been so touching for a 10 year old to tell. Kuki and Nigel had pulled out tissues and were dabbing their eyes.
"I only saw my dad every other month...mom ran off when I was seven and sends me postcards now and then. Aunt Sally dropped me off at the funeral, she didn't want to come. She gave me money for the bus too because she was at a bridge game and couldn't pick me up"
"It's okay son" Nigel said, patting the boy on the back. "I'll drive you home later. Spend your money on an ice cream cone"
Matthew smiled. "Thanks"
That's when the phone rang. Kuki ran to pick it up. "Hello? Oh yes, he's here. A bingo game? Sure that's fine we can keep him here...okay, bye then"
Kuki patted Matt on the shoulder. "You're going to stay here tonight...if you want.
"That's fine, thank you" said Matthew, politely.
"You're so polite" said Emily.
Matthew blushed.
"You look a lot like Hoag- your dad" commented Wallabee.
And he did. He wasn't necisarrily fat, but big boned with a mess of choppy brown hair. The only heredity from his mom was most likely his nose and eyes.
"You sure do have long hair" Nigel pointed out.
"Oh...yeah it's long. Aunt Sally doesn't have time to take me to the barber" he said.
"What about your wardrobe?" asked Abby, studing him. He had worn out shoes, a sweatshirt, torn jeans, and socks that had once belonged to someone elese obviously.
"She didn't have time to take me to go shopping either" he said quietly.
"Well" said Kuki. "Why don't I take you to do that tommorrow? Shopping, a haircut, and maybe lunch."
Matthew smiled. "Thanks".
"No problem" Kuki responded.
"Um...where will I sleep?" he asked.
"If you want to, you can sleep in your dad's old room" said Wallabee. "It's filled with all sorts of gaget's and flying devices. You can mess around with them if you want to, I'm sure he wouldn't mind"
"Come on, I'll take you there now" said Kuki.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Amazing...this room is awsome!" commented Matthew, when they had walked in.
"Yup...that's your dad's style. Here, I wonder if he has any old pajamas you can ware" said Kuki. She dug though Hoagie's old wardrobe, and found a pair of boxers and a tee shirt and handed it to him. Then she went outside and waited until he changed.
"A perfect fit!" she exclaimed, breaking into a grin. "You know, you really do take after your dad, Matthew."
"Thanks" he muttered and climbed into the cockpit bed that had crashed into the room several years ago. Kuki kissed him on the forehead and turned off the lights, just like a real mother would do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day was busy. Wallabee had discovered a football game on tv, and was shouting "GO GO GO!" every three seconds. Emily was napping. Abby was watching the twins for him while Kuki was out with Matthew. And mysteriously, Nigel was shopping.
At about 5:00, Kuki returned with Matthew, who had a nice haircut and new clothes. He had a big grin on his face.
"He looked so happy" said Kuki to Abby.
"I bet he was" agreed Abby.
Finally, an hour later, Nigel came home. He insisted on making supper for everyone that night. He returned with fancy brown paper bags, filled with pots, pans, and other supplies.
An hour later everything was complete. A big pot of spagehtti had been made, and to go with that was garlic bread, salad, and an apple pie for desert. There was wine for the adults, and ginger ale for the kids. Nigel had also insisted everyone get dressed up.
Nobody could think of an occasion. It was nobody's birthday, and not a holiday either. What was Nigel up to?
After the plates had been cleared and everyone had gotten their second helping, Nigel gently tapped his fork on his wine glass.
"Attention...can I please have your attention?" he asked.
Everyone looked up.
"I have a special announcement to make...but first, Abby, will you please come here?"
A confused Abby got up slowly and walked to Nigel, who was now on one knee.
He took a deep breath. "Abby...I remember all the good times we had together...and secretly, I have had a tad of an erm...crush on you when we were kids. Oh Abby, what I am trying to say, is...Will you marry me?"
Everyone gasped. Abby's eyes filled with tears. "Yes" she whispered. Everyone broke into grins and applauded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All I am saying, is stay tuned for the eplilouge!
"So, eh, Matthew...how old are you?" asked Wallabee, trying to start up a conversation.
"I'm 10" he answered.
"And you're a part of the Kids Next Door?" asked Kuki.
Matthew actually smiled. "Just like dad".
"Matthew...I hope this won't be rough on you, but would you mind telling us your story?" asked Nigel. "I mean...if you want to..."
The boy nodded. "Yes...I will. You see, when my parents were very young they always were partying. Dad and mom used to be big enimies, but dad got to know mom better. She lived in a big old mansion down the lane and her "father" always forced her to be apart of the family, wearing a white dress and a bow with her hair long...she was a part of a group called the Delightful Children or something"
Nigel's mouth dropped open. Matthew's mom was one of the Delightful Children From Down the Lane?! He looked at his friends, who were equally as shocked, trying not to show it.
Matthew went on. "Her name was Leigh"
"Go on" said Abby, softly.
"Mom and dad were only 15 when they had me. When my grandfather found out, he was raged. Mom had to sneak out to see dad. Dad wasn't even in the delivery room when I was born. Grandfather wouldn't allow it. I was passed on from relative to relative, since Grandfather would not take me in and my Grandmother Gilligan took me in for awhile, but she had a heart attack and survived, but I was three when that happened and she couldn't take care of me anymore. I now live with my Aunt Sally. I don't think she really cares about me much"
The story had been so touching for a 10 year old to tell. Kuki and Nigel had pulled out tissues and were dabbing their eyes.
"I only saw my dad every other month...mom ran off when I was seven and sends me postcards now and then. Aunt Sally dropped me off at the funeral, she didn't want to come. She gave me money for the bus too because she was at a bridge game and couldn't pick me up"
"It's okay son" Nigel said, patting the boy on the back. "I'll drive you home later. Spend your money on an ice cream cone"
Matthew smiled. "Thanks"
That's when the phone rang. Kuki ran to pick it up. "Hello? Oh yes, he's here. A bingo game? Sure that's fine we can keep him here...okay, bye then"
Kuki patted Matt on the shoulder. "You're going to stay here tonight...if you want.
"That's fine, thank you" said Matthew, politely.
"You're so polite" said Emily.
Matthew blushed.
"You look a lot like Hoag- your dad" commented Wallabee.
And he did. He wasn't necisarrily fat, but big boned with a mess of choppy brown hair. The only heredity from his mom was most likely his nose and eyes.
"You sure do have long hair" Nigel pointed out.
"Oh...yeah it's long. Aunt Sally doesn't have time to take me to the barber" he said.
"What about your wardrobe?" asked Abby, studing him. He had worn out shoes, a sweatshirt, torn jeans, and socks that had once belonged to someone elese obviously.
"She didn't have time to take me to go shopping either" he said quietly.
"Well" said Kuki. "Why don't I take you to do that tommorrow? Shopping, a haircut, and maybe lunch."
Matthew smiled. "Thanks".
"No problem" Kuki responded.
"Um...where will I sleep?" he asked.
"If you want to, you can sleep in your dad's old room" said Wallabee. "It's filled with all sorts of gaget's and flying devices. You can mess around with them if you want to, I'm sure he wouldn't mind"
"Come on, I'll take you there now" said Kuki.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Amazing...this room is awsome!" commented Matthew, when they had walked in.
"Yup...that's your dad's style. Here, I wonder if he has any old pajamas you can ware" said Kuki. She dug though Hoagie's old wardrobe, and found a pair of boxers and a tee shirt and handed it to him. Then she went outside and waited until he changed.
"A perfect fit!" she exclaimed, breaking into a grin. "You know, you really do take after your dad, Matthew."
"Thanks" he muttered and climbed into the cockpit bed that had crashed into the room several years ago. Kuki kissed him on the forehead and turned off the lights, just like a real mother would do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day was busy. Wallabee had discovered a football game on tv, and was shouting "GO GO GO!" every three seconds. Emily was napping. Abby was watching the twins for him while Kuki was out with Matthew. And mysteriously, Nigel was shopping.
At about 5:00, Kuki returned with Matthew, who had a nice haircut and new clothes. He had a big grin on his face.
"He looked so happy" said Kuki to Abby.
"I bet he was" agreed Abby.
Finally, an hour later, Nigel came home. He insisted on making supper for everyone that night. He returned with fancy brown paper bags, filled with pots, pans, and other supplies.
An hour later everything was complete. A big pot of spagehtti had been made, and to go with that was garlic bread, salad, and an apple pie for desert. There was wine for the adults, and ginger ale for the kids. Nigel had also insisted everyone get dressed up.
Nobody could think of an occasion. It was nobody's birthday, and not a holiday either. What was Nigel up to?
After the plates had been cleared and everyone had gotten their second helping, Nigel gently tapped his fork on his wine glass.
"Attention...can I please have your attention?" he asked.
Everyone looked up.
"I have a special announcement to make...but first, Abby, will you please come here?"
A confused Abby got up slowly and walked to Nigel, who was now on one knee.
He took a deep breath. "Abby...I remember all the good times we had together...and secretly, I have had a tad of an erm...crush on you when we were kids. Oh Abby, what I am trying to say, is...Will you marry me?"
Everyone gasped. Abby's eyes filled with tears. "Yes" she whispered. Everyone broke into grins and applauded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All I am saying, is stay tuned for the eplilouge!