Episode 1: An Unexpected Arrival

Episode 1: An Unexpected arrival

Things are written like this: ‘Ben: “Blah blah blah…” ‘ when the characters are talking normally.

Things are written like this: ‘Ben: “Blah blah blah…” ‘ when the characters are whispering.

Things are written like this: ‘Ben: “BLAH BLAH BLAH!” ‘ when the characters are shouting.

One evening, at the Cods’ house…

Sandra’s offspring are doing their homework while they wait for her to come home, in about an hour.

Poor Ben has lots of work…

And so does Melly.

“Ding dong!”

Ben: “I’ll get it. Anything to get away from maths…”

And so Ben goes to open the door…

Ben: “Hello?…”

Grandmother Cod: “Well? Are you going to invite me in or just stand there all night? It’s cold out here, you know!”

Ben: “Sorry. Come in, Grandmother Cod.”

Melly: “Grandmother Cod? Oh no!“

Grandmother Cod: “I see your mother still has incredibly poor taste.”

Grandmother Cod: “Where is she?”

Melly: “Work.”

Grandmother Cod: ” ‘Work’ is not a sentence, Melissa. It is a word. The correct way to respond is ‘She is at work.’ “

Melly (moodily): “She is at work.”

Grandmother Cod: “AH! What is this… CREATURE doing in the house?”

Ben: “We don’t have a garden.”

Grandmother Cod: “In that case, put it in the street. Hopefully, it will run away and get hit by a car.”

Grandmother Cod: ” Since no one invited me to take a seat, I might as well take that initiative myself if I don’t want to stand in the kitchen for the rest of eternity.”

Melly started writing something.

She held up her sign and pointed at something.

Ben looked down to see what she was pointing at.

Uh-oh…

***

Grandmother Cod: “I hate these TV programs… They were so much better in my day…”

Sandra: “Hi children! I’m back!”

Sandra: “Melly? Why aren’t you pestering me for a mobile phone?”

Melly shrugged.

Sandra: “Ben? I didn’t know you could cook!”

Ben shrugged.

Sandra: “Cookie? How come you’re not jumping around like a mad spring?”

Cookie yawned.

Sandra: “You all look completely worn out!”

Sandra: “Honestly, sometimes I really wonder what they do to you in that school!”

Sandra: “Anyway, never mind. I have an amazing story to tell you about work! I was showing a home to a middle-aged couple and… blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah…”

Melly: “Uh… Mum?”

Sandra: “…and she said…. blah blah blah blah… and I just couldn’t believe that blah blah blah blah blah…”

Ben: “Mum?…”

Sandra: “…so I said… blah blah blah blah blah… but then they… blah blah blah blah…. so I showed them the kitchen and… blah blah blah blah…”

Grandmother Cod: “Ah, Sandra. I thought I recognized that disgraceful voice.”

Sandra: “Mother! What are you doing here?”

Sandra practically ran to the stairs.

Sandra: “Come with me, children! We need to talk!”

Ben started going up the stairs.

Followed by Melly.

At the top of the stairs…

Sandra: “Why didn’t you tell me she was there?”

Melly: “Now this is the sort of thing that wouldn’t happen if I had a mobile phone!”

Ben: “More importantly, where is she going to sleep? We don’t have a spare room and she’ll never be happy with the sofa!”

Sandra: “Well she’s not sleeping in my room! I have to get up early in the mornings!”

Melly & Ben: “So do we!”

Sandra: “You two decide between yourselves. I’m going down to check up on her.”

Melly: “So where IS she going to sleep?”

Ben: “I think she should sleep in your room.”

Melly: “WHAT??? She is NOT sleeping in my room! I need my beauty sleep!”

Ben: “But she can’t sleep in MY room!”

“It’s way too messy!”

Ben thought for a moment.

Ben: “Okay, I’ve thought and thought and I’ve come to the conclusion that if we go on like this, we’ll just argue forever. We need a noble, warrior-like way to determine who lends their lair to the Fearsome Beast.”

Melly: “Oh! You mean Scissors Paper Stone?”

Ben: “Yeah.”