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Apr. 27th, 2017 09:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
guppy_sandhu"It was very kind of you to look after the dog." Guppy says quietly to Fry and Coral, as they sit at the kitchen table. "But you should not have agreed to it without asking me or Mum."
Fry sighs.
"But you're scared of dogs so you would have said no." he protests.
"What's rule number one?" Guppy asks, without missing a beat.
Fry gets out his notebook.
"'If you didn't ask because you knew Mum or Dad would say no, you knew you were doing the wrong thing'."
"Right." Guppy says. "I am your father, I make the rules. If I say you can't do something, you have to do as you're told."
"Sorry Daddy." Coral says.
"Dad, we can't abandon Buster." Fry says.
"I know." Guppy says. "I'm sure Mr Warfstache had his reasons for leaving Buster here, and that's why I suggested to Teja that if the dog does need to go elsewhere, he should go there temporarily, and be returned to the older Mr Warfstache. In the meantime, I don't want the two of you looking after the dog on your own."
He hesitates then adds. "But I think it would be appropriate to give Mr Warfstache a week to make alternate arrangements. So for one more week, you can feed and play with the dog - inside - with supervision by a responsible adult."
"Is this because you're scared of dogs?" Fry asks.
"No." Guppy says. "Buster is a very big, boisterous dog, Fry. He really isn't a suitable children's pet."
Fry keeps quiet. Dad never did find out about them both falling in that hole.
At that moment, there is a knock at the door. Guppy goes to answer it.
"Oh hey Joram." he smiles, letting the boy in. Joram's English has been getting a lot better, and he's got a bike now, so he's cycled over sometimes to play with the kids. Today, Joram looks a bit upset, and comes to find Fry.
"Hello Joram." Fry says.
"I did a bad." Joram says, sitting next to him.
"Me too." Fry says. "Dad told me off. What did you do?"
Joram gets a book out of his bag, and opens it at a page of maps. They have been printing out a map of Holby, and marking places they know on it. Fry looks at it, and sees Joram has written 'Friend Sandhus' with an arrow at his house.
"Why is this bad?" he asks.
Joram points to another arrow, which points to the next door neighbours. Here, he has written 'Archie'.
"Archie very cross." he says. "He say not say he live here."
Fry nods, now understanding.
"You did not do a bad." he says. "Nor did Archie. His Mum said they live nearer your school because your school gives children places if they live closer."
Joram doesn't look like he understands. He pulls his sleeve up and shows Fry that he has a bruise on top of his arm, then points at Archie's name on the map.
Well, Fry is not having any of that! He motions to Joram to follow, and marches around through the gap in the hedge to next door, to Archie's house. He batters on the door. Archie answers it.
"Did you thump him?" Fry asks, outraged, pointing to Joram's arm.
Archie goes pink. "We got in a fight, yes. I didn't thump him hard though. I think that was my friend Joshua."
"You shouldn't thump him at all." Fry says, defensively. "He's smaller than you. And it's not his fault your mum lies about where you live, how's he supposed to understand? He's a refugee, hasn't he seen enough fighting?"
Archie offers Joram a handshake, which Joram accepts.
"Sorry." Archie says. "Not your fault."
Fry takes Joram back through the hedge to his own house.
"Do you have friends at school?" he asks Joram.
Joram shakes his head. "I not speak much good English."
"Your English is much better than it was." Fry says. "You didn't speak any English a few months ago."
"Thanks." Joram says. "What bad did you do?"
"Oh, I looked after a dog for a scary man with a pink moustache." Fry says, but apparently that is lost on his friend.
Fry sighs.
"But you're scared of dogs so you would have said no." he protests.
"What's rule number one?" Guppy asks, without missing a beat.
Fry gets out his notebook.
"'If you didn't ask because you knew Mum or Dad would say no, you knew you were doing the wrong thing'."
"Right." Guppy says. "I am your father, I make the rules. If I say you can't do something, you have to do as you're told."
"Sorry Daddy." Coral says.
"Dad, we can't abandon Buster." Fry says.
"I know." Guppy says. "I'm sure Mr Warfstache had his reasons for leaving Buster here, and that's why I suggested to Teja that if the dog does need to go elsewhere, he should go there temporarily, and be returned to the older Mr Warfstache. In the meantime, I don't want the two of you looking after the dog on your own."
He hesitates then adds. "But I think it would be appropriate to give Mr Warfstache a week to make alternate arrangements. So for one more week, you can feed and play with the dog - inside - with supervision by a responsible adult."
"Is this because you're scared of dogs?" Fry asks.
"No." Guppy says. "Buster is a very big, boisterous dog, Fry. He really isn't a suitable children's pet."
Fry keeps quiet. Dad never did find out about them both falling in that hole.
At that moment, there is a knock at the door. Guppy goes to answer it.
"Oh hey Joram." he smiles, letting the boy in. Joram's English has been getting a lot better, and he's got a bike now, so he's cycled over sometimes to play with the kids. Today, Joram looks a bit upset, and comes to find Fry.
"Hello Joram." Fry says.
"I did a bad." Joram says, sitting next to him.
"Me too." Fry says. "Dad told me off. What did you do?"
Joram gets a book out of his bag, and opens it at a page of maps. They have been printing out a map of Holby, and marking places they know on it. Fry looks at it, and sees Joram has written 'Friend Sandhus' with an arrow at his house.
"Why is this bad?" he asks.
Joram points to another arrow, which points to the next door neighbours. Here, he has written 'Archie'.
"Archie very cross." he says. "He say not say he live here."
Fry nods, now understanding.
"You did not do a bad." he says. "Nor did Archie. His Mum said they live nearer your school because your school gives children places if they live closer."
Joram doesn't look like he understands. He pulls his sleeve up and shows Fry that he has a bruise on top of his arm, then points at Archie's name on the map.
Well, Fry is not having any of that! He motions to Joram to follow, and marches around through the gap in the hedge to next door, to Archie's house. He batters on the door. Archie answers it.
"Did you thump him?" Fry asks, outraged, pointing to Joram's arm.
Archie goes pink. "We got in a fight, yes. I didn't thump him hard though. I think that was my friend Joshua."
"You shouldn't thump him at all." Fry says, defensively. "He's smaller than you. And it's not his fault your mum lies about where you live, how's he supposed to understand? He's a refugee, hasn't he seen enough fighting?"
Archie offers Joram a handshake, which Joram accepts.
"Sorry." Archie says. "Not your fault."
Fry takes Joram back through the hedge to his own house.
"Do you have friends at school?" he asks Joram.
Joram shakes his head. "I not speak much good English."
"Your English is much better than it was." Fry says. "You didn't speak any English a few months ago."
"Thanks." Joram says. "What bad did you do?"
"Oh, I looked after a dog for a scary man with a pink moustache." Fry says, but apparently that is lost on his friend.
