HF: Brianna and Ronald

[Laraqua]

The woman seems to have the wind taken out of her and slumps back into her seat. Everyone in the bomb shelter is watching the interchange as though it were their favorite drama on television (or in this case, the radio). She doesn't bother accepting the sweets unless Ronald presses them into her hand. At least Lionel's statements that Ronald is a broken soldier seem to have dropped the hostility that had been raised by her comments. Now the rest of those in the shelter seemed placid again, where before they had been about to rise to 'mum's' defence.

Brianna's tummy growls. From what little she knows about these air raids is that they went on for days. She remembered hearing that somewhere but couldn't remember where. She didn't even get much food last night (even hospital fare is better than a single woman's rations spread across several people).

In fact, everyone, including Agnes, is hungry. Agnes, in particular, would likely be looking at the lollies with regret. Although few would think of taking candy from a kid, it didn't mean the adults didn't like to live vicariously through the few sweets they could watch a child eat.

[Mr. Handy]

Lionel goes over to Ronald and Brianna. "Ronald, please," he says. "The food is safe to eat here, I assure you. I told you I'll taste it myself to prove it to you. We'll discuss this further when we have a chance to have a private session, but for now Brianna needs to eat something. We're all hungry, as it's been some time since our last meal, but she's a growing child and she really needs something in her belly more than we do. You saw that Agnes's cooking was safe to eat - and quite delicious too! But she can't feed us indefinitely, and we can't go back to her kitchen now at any rate. We're going to be here a while, and she's only going to get hungrier. We didn't think to bring food with us, so please apologize both to Brianna and this kind woman."

[trixie]

Brianna begins to chew her lip, looking nervously between Lionel, Ronald and the woman with the lollies. Why was everyone yelling about lollies anyways? Was it that big a deal?

Brianna had always been the peacemaker at home too...being the oldest and responsible for younger siblings. It wasn't in her nature to cause a ruckus over nothing. She stayed quiet for the longest time but after watching in dismay as the three of them bantered, she stood, no longer able to listen to it.

She covers her ears with her hands, and shouts, "Enough! I don't want the lollies okay! I'm sorry! Just please don't argue anymore!" After losing her parents, Brianna had issues with feeling responsible for their death, blaming herself for part of the reason they were on the road that day. She didn't want their little group torn apart because of a disagreement that was all her fault.

[Mr. Handy]

"You've done nothing to be sorry about, Brianna," says Lionel. She's blaming herself for something that's not her fault, he thinks. Just like Sarah. "I won't argue with Ronald any more about this, sweetie. I've said my piece. I'm not angry at him, or you, or anyone. He's just gone a bit funny in the head, and I'm trying to help him get better."

[trixie]

Brianna screws her face up at Lionel, "Funny in the head?" She leans in close, looking around, "That's not a very nice thing to say about someone, Lionel."

Brianna flashes Ronald a dejected look and sits down, beginning to play with Edgar the bird.

[Mr. Handy]

"You're right, Brianna, I'm sorry," says Lionel. "Ronald is my friend, and I want to help him. He's been through some terrible things; we all have. I understand that it's hard for him to trust people he doesn't know. Sarah is the same way at times, but she doesn't have exactly the same problem. He just needs to understand that the food is okay to eat."

[kabukiman]

-Hum, what did the food exactly? Poisoned people?

[trixie]

"Well, we think it makes you go all uuuuunnnnhhhhhh!!!" Brianna sticks her hands out in front of her, rolls her eyes back in her head and moans, zombie style, walking towards Agnes and Ronald slowly. Then she bends over, giggling.

[kabukiman]

Agnes looks puzzled at Brianna and then to Lionel.
-You start walking in your sleep?

[Mr. Handy]

"Well, no," says Lionel. "It made people become like the young man who was crawling around and chasing people in the hospital. It was more the water than the food, but it's perfectly safe to eat and drink now. We'll discuss it in more detail in our next private session. At any rate, Ronald's fears are unwarranted in this case. He does believe he's protecting Brianna, he just can't understand yet that he's doing her more harm than good."

[Laraqua]

Ronald can feel all eyes in the shelter shifting from him to the other members of the group as the 'audience' watches them intently and with keen interest. It seemed that for the next hour or so, their only entertainment was each other, so privacy sure wouldn't be had anytime soon.

[Mr. Handy]

"I've had a thought," says Lionel. "Ronald, perhaps you could put on a show for everyone. Brianna would certainly enjoy it, and everyone else in here might like it too. You don't have to be a child to appreciate the entertainment. You could do some of your magic tricks, play the banjo, maybe sing a song or two - as long as it's something appropriate to your audience."

[trixie]

Brianna grins, "Yes Ronald! Could you do your act from the hospital?" She claps her hands and giggles, thinking back to the dozens upon dozens of times she'd seen Ronald perform. "How about the pickle skit? Or the songs you did....um.....My hillbilly gramma was jammin?" She furrows her brow, "You were the one that did that one weren't you?"

[OC Thought I'd challenge your creative mind? LOL]

[DSIGFUSS]

Ronald smiles and shuffles hsi feet. He reaches into his backpack and pulls out Mickey!

He then bends over and whispers into Mickey's ear.

Spoiler:

You be good now Mickey! Or it's back in the bag!

Ronald had been rehearsing a few songs since before all the madness in the hospital began. he thought he'd sing one of the classics... Clean and cute... That's what won the parents over... Kids could handle a little sarcasm or a little dark humor but not the mums and dads of the world... Ronald started in with his intro.. Mickey chiming in whenever he thought it was appropriate.

Alright kids... gather round!



Yeah Gather round boys and girls! It's time to have some fun!

Actually Mickey... It's story time!

That's what I said dumbo! It's time to have some fun!

Oh Mickey!

This is a little song I heard when I was about your age....

Yeah like a hundred years ago!

Mickey!

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Anybody here ever heard of the Vikings....

Ooooooooooooh! Scary!

Not all Vikings were scary Mickey! Vikings had little boys and girls just like everybody else.

Not like you Ronald!

No Mickey I don't have any kids... but we got Brianna and she's all we ever needed right kiddo.

Roanld stops and pats Brianna on the head before turning back to the crowd.

Now the Vikings come from a far away land and they travel around in long boats through the freezing cold waters of Iceland. Now just like all of your daddy's, the Vikings would go away for a long long time. Legend has it... To keep their daddy's safe, little girls and boys would sing to the Belugas.

What's a Beluga Ronald?

Do you guys know what a Beluga is? It's a whale! The cutest little white whale you ever did see!

Like a Gray Whale?

Smaller

Like a Humpback Whale!

Smaller

Like a Killer Whale!

Even Smaller....

Belugas weren't much bigger than your Daddy's car.

Ha! You can't even afford a car Ronald!

No I can't Mickey and thanks for reminding me..

Now if my daddy were off to war and I wanted to keep him safe... I'd sing this song! And I want all the boys and girls and mummys and daddys to sing along when you can OK? OK? Here we go!

Ronald picks up his banjo and begins...


Baby beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
And a little white whale on the go.

Baby beluga, baby beluga,
Is the water warm? Is your mama home,
With you so happy?

Way down yonder where the dolphins play,
Where you dive and splash all day,
Waves roll in and the waves roll out.
See the water squirting out of your spout.

Everybody!

Baby beluga, oh, baby beluga,
Is the water warm? Is your mama home,
With you so happy?

When it's dark, you're home and fed.
Curled up snug in your waterbed.
Moon is shining and the stars are out.
Good night, little whale, good night.

Everybody!

Baby beluga, oh, baby beluga,
Is the water warm? Is your mama home,
With you so happy?

Baby beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
And a little white whale on the go.
You're just a little white whale on the go.

You're just a little white whale on the go.

Now quiter....

You're just a little white whale on the go.

Now louder..

YOU'RE JUST A LITTLE WHITE WHALE ON THE GO!

Now like you have a mouth full of candy!

Mra fra fra frittle frite gail on ga no!

Now like a bull frog... really low!

You're just a little wgite whale on the go!

Now like a little bird... really high!

You're just a little white whale on the go!

Now like a cow!

Moo moo moo moo moo moo moo moo mooo moooooo

Now like a chicken!

Brawk Brawk Brawk Brawk Brawk Brawk Brawk Brawk Brawk Brawk!

Now like a sheep!

Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah!

Now like a Franchman

Your zust a lttle vite vale on ze go!

Now like a Proud and Brave Englishman!

You're just a little white whale on the go!

One more time! FOR ENGLAND! EVERYBODY!

You're just a little white whale on the go! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!

[Laraqua]

Singing along in a bomb shelter isn't particularly uncommon but the song was outrageously childish enough that, at first, the audience sang in low, uncertain voices. Then three men, drunk as hell and still dressed in uniform, stood, arm linked in arm and began bellowing the song, calling out for others to do it to benefit "the little girl".

[Mr. Handy]

Lionel grins and sings along with the others, pleased that they're being so well received now and that the crowd in the bomb shelter is in a good mood. "Bravo, Ronald!" he cheers when the song is concluded. "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy have nothing on you and Mickey."

[trixie]

Brianna laughs hysterically, clutching at her stomach and smooshing her cheeks in pain from laughing.

She begins to laugh harder when Ronald starts "And now like a cow!"

And finally, she starts the chicken dance with the "bawk bawk bawk bawk bawk bawk"

She claps at the end, laughing still, and looks around at everyone in the shelter that joined in.

"Oh, Ronald, can't you do one more?" She asks when he stops. She's still grinning ear to ear.

[DSIGFUSS]

Ronald smiles down at Brianna and then strums a few chords on his banjo.

Sure kiddo!

Now this is one I think you'll all enjoy.

I dediciate this song to old mum!

Ronald smiles at the old woman who offered Brianna a piece of candy.

We'd all like a piece of candy now and then... I sometimes wish the whole world was made of candy. The streets and the trees and even the mountains.... That would be sooooo beautiful.

On a summer day in the month of May a burly bum came hiking
Down a shady lane through the sugar cane, he was looking for his liking.
As he roamed along he sang a song of the land of milk and honey
Where a bum can stay for many a day, and he won't need any money

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

There's a lake of gin we can both jump in, and the handouts grow on bushes
In the new-mown hay we can sleep all day, and the bars all have free lunches
Where the mail train stops and there ain't no cops, and the folks are tender-hearted
Where you never change your socks and you never throw rocks,
And your hair is never parted

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

Oh, a farmer and his son, they were on the run, to the hay field they were bounding
Said the bum to the son, "Why don't you come to the big rock candy mountains?"
So the very next day they hiked away, the mileposts they were counting
But they never arrived at the lemonade tide, on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

One evening as the sun went down and the jungle fires were burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking, and he said "Boys, I'm not turning."
"I'm heading for a land that's far away beside the crystal fountains;"
"So come with me, we'll go and see the Big Rock Candy Mountains."

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, there's a land that's fair and bright,
The handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars all are empty and the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees and the cigarete trees,
The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, all the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hay
Oh I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall, the wind don't blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, you never change your socks
And little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too
And you can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains the jails are made of tin,
And you can walk right out again as soon as you are in
There ain't no short-handled shovels, no axes, saws or picks,
I'm a-goin' to stay where you sleep all day
Where they hung the jerk that invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

I'll see you all this comin' fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountains!

Ronald puts Mickey back onhis hand and he feels a sudden relief that he hadn't felt in a long time wash over his body.

Let's hear it for the Bean Pole. Yaaaaaay!

Mickey claps enthusiastically.

[Mr. Handy]

Lionel applauds, still smiling. I used to sing this song to Sarah when she was little, he thinks. Those nights after Beatrice died were a lot less difficult to get through for both of us because we had each other. I'm so glad I thought of this. It has done Ronald as much good as it has Brianna.

[Mr. Handy]

Lionel blinks for a second, but quickly pulls himself together. Great Scott! he thinks, then comes to a realization. That was me, wasn't it, back in the ash? I say that all the time. But it couldn't have happened already. I hadn't seen Dahlia when I was there before, and the setting looked unfamiliar. Am I seeing the future? But how is that even possible? I couldn't live to be 128, could I? Although, if I could go back in time I can go forward as well. That means...that means we failed to stop it. No, we must not fail! There must be a way to break the cycle. And it also means...yes, Sarah told me Dahlia got out of the hospital with her and they went to a military base. If Dahlia is there with me, then maybe Sarah is too and I'll see her again after all!