Madame Zelda: Life is a Beach

Chapter 3
Chapter 3

’THE BUS! Why didn’t I think of it before?’ Timmy wondered as the bus rolled into the parking lot. ’Lisa, start rounding the stuff up and let’s get home!’

’No, I don’t wanna go yet! We’re still having fun!’

Timmy had been on a slow boil all day long. Although it had been his idea to visit Madame Zelda, everything was turning out wrong.... and it was Lisa’s fault! He’d bit his tongue all day long because he knew if anyone figured out what was going on there would be loads of questions. The last thing he wanted to do was call attention to the situation. If anyone found out about Madame Zelda and went to her for answers he was afraid what she would do to him! Lisa’s latest defiance was the last straw. The youthening had stopped and no one was still getting younger so he figured now was as good of a time as any to put his foot down.

’LISA! I’m your big brother and I say it’s time to GO! Either you come with us or you stay here by yourself!’

’You can’t make me! I’ll stay if I want! Everybody’s having fun ’cept you!’

Timmy decided to use some psychology on her. ’OK, you stay if you want. Have all the fun you want. But in just a little while it’ll be dark here. This is the last bus. What will you do if a policeman stops you? What about a stranger? There’s lots of strangers here!’

’Well, you don’t scare me..... I’ll go ’cuz I wanna..... It’s getting too dark anyways!’

Timmy smiled because he had won a round. He watched as everyone gathered up their things. He saw Lisa dig around the rock by Baby Becki. It was the vial....she’d buried it and Timmy had been right by it!

’You’d better giva that to me....’ he said as he pointed at the vial.

’Nope, you’ve been too mean today. This belongs to Mommy. And I’m gonna keep it safe for her!’

The smile on Timmy’s face quickly disappeared. He may have won a battle but he was yet to win the war. There wasn’t any time to fight about or they’d miss the bus! At the least, they were heading home as soon as they boarded the bus.

Timmy picked up Baby Becki who was happily cooing and sucking on her thumb. He folded the bottom of the T-shirt and scrunched it up around her. Timmy hadn’t been around a real baby since his sister was born and so didn’t know much about babies. He figured she was about a year old or maybe a little more. Every once in a while she would try to form words. As he picked her up she started babbling ’Da.....Da?......oooo’ As soon as he held her she started grabbing at his nose!

’Quit that....’ he told her as he tried to move her hand away. She seemed to grin and then grabbed his finger as he tried to keep her from grabbing his nose.

Timmy herded everyone onto the bus and then paid the fare. Soon, the bus was rolling. In a couple of stops they would be walking distance from his home. He relaxed in his seat as the girls started singing. He could tell they were annoying some of the older passengers but he didn’t care at this point.

Then Baby Becki started crying.....and crying some more!

’Shhhhhhh stop baby.....don’t cry....shhhhhhhhh....people are starting to stare....SHHHHHHH....C’mon...Quit crying....Stop it baby! Shhhhhhh....’

’You seem to have a problem, young man!’

Timmy looked up. It was an older couple who had gotten up and moved next to him

’I dunno....she won’t stop crying....’

’Maybe she needs changed?’ the woman asked.

’Changed?’ Timmy thought ’She’s changed plenty for one day!’. He wanted to say it out loud but decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea. He also realized just what the lady meant!

’Ummmmm I don’t think so’ Timmy finally answered.

’As she had anything to eat? Maybe she is hungry.’

’Yeah, she had a hot dog earlier....’ his voice trailed off as he realized a baby wouldn’t eat a hot dog.

’A HOT DOG? Why on earth would you give a baby a HOT DOG?’

The woman’s husband joined in the conversation. ’Honey, maybe you better check her out? So are all you kids together? Where’s your mother?’

’Uhhhhh she’s not here....ummmm she was.... I mean....uhhh’

’Are you runaways? You’re not running away from home are you?’ the man then asked.

Timmy realized he was going to have to think quick. The lady took the baby from him and starting trying to get her to stop crying.

’Nahhhh....we’re just uhhhhhh.... well the baby sitter didn’t show up so I kinda took over and we just went to the beach...... we do it all the time!’ Timmy was pretty proud! That answer sounded good to him. The man looked skeptical but seemed satisfied as well.

’Frank! This baby doesn’t have a diaper! These kids shouldn’t be taking care of a baby! We need to see that this baby gets home safe and then have a long talk with its mother!’

’Argh, so much for my story!’ Timmy thought. ’We’ll be OK...honest....’ ’I’m afraid not son. When Maggie sets her mind to something it is best to do as your told’

’Yes sir....’ Timmy answered meekly. From thinking he had everything worked out Timmy had gone to thinking he was in worse shape than ever!

’So where IS your stop?’ Frank asked.

’The next one....We live a few blocks down the street....’ Timmy replied.

The bus rolled to a stop and they got off. Timmy pointed the way home and the group began walking. In reality it was more than a few blocks! For 10 year old Timmy the distance didn’t seem all that far, but for Frank and Maggie it seemed like an eternity. Finally, they made it to the house.

’This is it..thanks for helping us....See ya, mister’ Timmy said as he held out his hands to take the baby. He didn’t figure they would leave, but he thought it was worth a shot!

’Oh nooooo... we’re going to wait on your parents. Besides, this baby needs a diaper’ Maggie told him.

They entered the house and Maggie asked where his mother kept the diapers.

’Uhhhh I dunno...’

Maggie looked at Frank with a look of concern. ’You don’t know where your mother keeps the baby’s diapers? Where is the baby’s room?’ ’Ummmm down the hall...’ Timmy said only stalling the inevitable. He knew there was no nursery for the baby!

Lisa looked at Timmy wondering what he was doing. She knew the baby didn’t have a room and didn’t know why Timmy sent them down there!

’Sis...you gotta give me the vial! We gotta make them younger so they don’t get us in trouble!’

’NO!’

’Shhhhhhh...We have to hurry! There gonna find out that there’s no place for a baby here and we’ll have to tell them about Madame Zelda....’

’Huh uh.... You just want me to give you the stuff ’cuz you don’t want anybody to have any fun!’

’Whatever....Ok, YOU go fix some water or something and put some in it and we’ll give it to ’em!...Don’t use too much!’

’How much?’

’Ummmm I don’t know...they must be atleast 40 so use 6 drops...errrr 7 drops..that’ll do it! Just HURRY!’

Frank and Maggie returned. ’Son, I don’t know what is going on but there’s no room for the baby down there....’

’Uhhhh we just moved here...It’s not ready yet! It’s gonna be down there’ lied Timmy, still stalling.

Once again the couple looked skeptical.

’Well, I found some safety pins and some soft material that’ll probably do until your mother gets here. But I think someone has a lot of questions to be answered!’ Maggie told him.

’Yes, mam.... Mom could probably answer ’em....’

Maggie laid Baby Becki on the couch and grabbed her legs. Baby Becki didn’t seem to want anything to do with a diapering! She kicked and made noises ’Na....uhhhhhhhh Na.....’

’Stop your fussing baby....’ Maggie said softly as she wiped something on the baby’s bottom.

’Who did this to the baby’s nails?’ Maggie demanded to know as she saw the nail polish. ’Uhhhh Lisa did it....’ Timmy told her.

’DID NOT’ said Lisa as she and the other girls returned carrying a pitcher of ice water and some glasses.

’Well, who did then?’ asked Maggie.

’She did it herself!’ Lisa answered.

Timmy knew THAT answer got HIM off the hook!

’Who ever did it....don’t do it again!’ Maggie said, her eyes staring directly at Lisa.

Maggie continued to diaper the baby. Once the diaper was on Baby Becki seemed to settle down. Once again she happily placed her thumb in her mouth.

’Hey Look! The girls brought you something to drink....for while we wait on mom. Dad’s out of town’ Timmy told the two adults.

’Out of town...It figures!’ Maggie whispered to Frank.

’I think this ice cold water will certainly hit the spot. These 50 year old bones of ours can’t handle those long walks like they used to!’ Frank said as he gulped on his glass of water.

Maggie took hers too. ’Thank you, children’ she told them.

’50 years?’ Now Timmy wondered if there was enough potion in the water. He kept close watch to make sure they drank all that was in their glasses. With 7 drops they should still end up teenagers. Maybe that would be enough so that they would stop worrying so much. Now he had to stall! He hoped that since they both would be getting younger neither would notice the others transformation.

Minutes seemed like hours to Timmy. He saw the two adults changing but it seemed painfully slow. Maggie looked a little more fit and Frank’s belly seemed to be a little less pronounced.

He thought Frank’s hair was moving forward a bit. And it seemed darker. All the while they kept asking questions. Timmy did his best to answer without really saying anything meaningful. He just wanted them to get younger and leave him alone! They seemed oblivious to any of the changes.

Timmy glanced at the clock. It had been an hour. Baby Becki had fallen asleep with her thumb in her mouth. Lisa and Suzy had went outside to play on the swing while Kelly had stayed inside to watch over the baby. Since the baby was asleep she decided to join the others on the swingset. Timmy had tried to seem overly interested in the TV in order to curtail the conversation with the two adults. He didn’t even want to look their way for fear that they might start asking questions again. Finally, he gave in and looked. Instead of the couple he had saw earlier he saw a much younger couple. They had scooted closer together and seemed to be more interested in each other than him! Maggie’s hair was down around her shoulders and Frank’s hair was now almost completely regrown. Only a trace of a receding hairline! She had taken her glasses off. Her skin had taken on a healthier glow and his also looked less course. Timmy figured they weren’t much older than Kelly’s mom....atleast Kelly’s mom’s REAL age!

Timmy turned back to the TV. All he could do was wait and hope. He figured that by the time Frank and Maggie returned to normal his mother would be back to her ’old’ self and could explain everything and they’d have to believe her. He knew they would never believe that Little Suzy was his mother right now though! The

Another hour passed. Timmy heard a noise and looked to see what it was. It was Frank and Maggie! This time they looked like college students! No receding hairline or beer-belly on Frank and a very attractive, athletic looking Maggie snuggled up against him. Her hair was messed up and looked like it had gotten longer than before. He looked away before they saw him staring. In a few more minutes he peeked again. This time he saw that Maggie had taken off a shoe and was rubbing he foot up and down Frank’s leg. They were snuggled even closer together and their clothes had grown loose. Timmy decided that they could barely be 20..if that! Both looked youthful and full of energy....and very much in love...just like what Timmy sometimes saw on TV if he watched real late! Timmy was amazed at how much different they looked than from when he first saw them on the bus!

A few more minutes passed and he started hearing some light moaning. He looked again. This time Maggie looked like a high school senior! Still athletic, but less defined. Maybe even a bit skinny. Frank looked every bit the ’gawky’ teenager. Skinny and no real muscles to speak of. Maggie’s long curly hair was mussed up and Timmy could see one of Frank’s hands in her hair as he kissed her. He looked for Frank’s other hand and saw that Maggie’s dress had been pulled up exposing her thigh and Frank’s hand had disappeared under the material.

Almost as if she had felt a presence watching her, Maggie opened one of her eyes and saw Timmy staring at her. ’HEY....he’s watching!’ she told Frank.

’Huh?...Oh, don’t worry ’bout it’ a young sounding Frank replied.

They whispered a bit and then Frank spoke ’Kid, you’ll be OK won’tcha? We probably oughta be takin’ off....’

’Uhhh yeah...sure.... See ya!’ Timmy said bursting with joy. This was working better than planned!

Maggie tried to put on her shoes and Frank tugged on his pants. Nothing fit anymore. This seemed to confuse them a little but they had other things on their minds!

As the two teens left Timmy noticed Maggie’s eye-glasses sitting on the table. He yelled to her ’Maggie, you forgot your glasses!’

She blankly looked at Frank and the yelled back ’Glasses? I don’t wear glasses!’

 

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