The CBB :: View topic - Mary-Lou meets the Barrass'

#1: Mary-Lou meets the Barrass' Author: CBB Secret Santa,

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 3:00 pm

Mary-Lou had been running an errand to the butcher’s for mother when she’d heard the news about the arrival of the new family. Old Mrs Bennett had been talking to Mrs Wylie in the shop and apparently the family had two children, a boy and a gril who were about Mary-Lou’s age. She wondered about them on her way home and what they’d be like, and more importantly would she have the chance to be friends with them. It’s all very well having mother and Gran, she thought to herself as she wandered along the road clutching her sausages, but all the same it might be nice to have some real friends of my own age who aren’t as awful as those vicarage girls were. Mother and Gran had already heard the news and weren’t as curious as she was. Gran commented that maybe the girls would be suitable company for Mary-Lou. That night in bed she lay awake for a long time thinking about the new family; she’d always had mother and Gran and had never really wanted anyone else. She didn’t remember her father, she’d only been tiny when he’d gone away to South America on the Murray-Cameron expedition; but quite often she’d imagine what adventures he would be having. From a young age she’d spent hours staring at the globe or poring over the atlas fascinated, tracing the line of the Amazon or the borders of the countries with her fingers wondering where her father would be. She didn’t miss him as such, she just wondered about him and what he was like.

Over the next few days she heard more of the snatched gossip about the new family. Apparently the father was a famous painter and they’d lived all over, and now he was coming here to paint. Mary-Lou never caught the name of the family but she’d built up a picture of them. In some ways she didn’t want them to come, she liked being the young person in the village and the attention that came with it. Besides, she’d read books and she knew what boys and girls could be like and she didn’t think she wanted to be like that. She contented herself with the fact that they probably went away to school and so they wouldn’t be around much. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to get caught up in playing rowdy games and getting all untidy. She was curious about heir father however, as he was a painter. She wondered what he’d painted and whether she’d ever seen any of his pictures. She imagined them to be a happy family who were always doing things together.

The new family arrived the following Thursday. She heard the news from Mrs Bennett when she’d gone to take a note from Gran; Mrs Bennett had seen the mother and the children in the butcher’s buying sausages for their dinner. Dawdling on her way home Mary-Lou wondered when she’d meet them, and if mother would do the ‘done’ thing and incite them for afternoon tea. It turned out that she didn’t have to wait too long since out of nowhere suddenly a mass of arms and legs appeared and bowled Mary-Lou clean over.

“Oh gosh. I say, I’m sorry,” came a voice from above her.

Shaking her head Mary-Lou saw the mass of limbs was a young boy of her own age, perhaps a little older, staring down at her. She wasn’t too sure how to react, whether to accept his apology or to assume an air of indignation about what he’d done.

“Here, let me give you a hand up,” he said offering out his hand, which Mary-Lou decided it would only be proper to accept. “I’m Tony Barrass,” he began.
“Tony you absolute mook!” called another voice. Mary-Lou looked up to see a read haired girl a few years older than her running towards them. “What on earth have you done now?” I say, he didn’t hurt you, did he?” this last addressed to Mary-Lou, who shook her head shyly. “I’m Clem Barrass,” said the girl with a smile. “We’ve just got here today, we’ve come to live for as long as dad finds things to paint.”
“I… I’m Mary-Lou Trelawny,” the owner of the voice managed to stammer. “I’ve always lived here.”
Clem grinned. “You could show us around tomorrow then, it’ll be great fun. That is, I mean, if you’d like to…” She broke off as Mary-Lou nodded shyly in reply. “Where are you going now?”
“Home,” replied Mary-Lou. “I have to take this note back to Gran.”
“Oh, well, if you’d like, Tony and I will walk with you. It’s the least we can do after he bowled you over like that. Then we should get back and help mother since dad’s already gone out painting and we thought we’d be better off out from under mum’s feet, since Tony only ever gets in the way anyway.”

Clem rolled her eyes as Tony stuck his tongue out at her, and Mary-Lou gave a nervous giggle. They walked back to Mary-Lou’s house with Clem and Tony chattering away and Mary-Lou gradually overcoming her nerves and finding that, after all, she really quite liked them, they seemed good fun. She wondered how she could have ever even considered that she didn’t want them to come.

#2: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 3:49 pm

All excited now. The thrill of seeing that this was here, and that was about Mary-Lou as well...and a nice one!

Thank-you so much my Secret Santa, I loved that, and it is so how I can see her feeling and how it could happen. Thank you for being nice to her. Razz

#3: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 6:27 pm

A nice picture of the young Mary-Lou - thanks

I like the way we're all getting to benefit from everyone else's Secret Santa! Very Happy

Liz

#4: Author: Miriam, Location: Jerusalem, Israel

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2004 7:36 pm

Quote:

I say, he didn’t hurt you, did he?” this last addressed to Mary-Lou, who shook her head shyly

I think that must be the only time that the words Mary-lou and shyness have featured in the same sentance!

I agree though; it's nice how we all get to read the drabbles, not just the person involved.
Thank you to everyone for sharing their drabble presents! Very Happy

#5: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:21 am

Another wonderful chapter in Mary-Lou's story.

#6: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 4:06 am

Hooray! Another little scene filled in! And a very good one, too, playing off the line about how the three of them interacted.

The CBB -> Cookies & Drabbles

output generated using printer-friendly topic mod, All times are GMT

Page 1 of 1