Swamped – 4

Posted on 24/02/2014 by margotoele

Swamped extra

Hello there. I have been here all this time waiting for your return! Thanks, I am overjoyed.

Today I will tell you all about Ms. Perfect, Didi Lutz having lunch at the Hanky’s and how that went. Yes, a lot happened that day. It might seem insignificant to some of you, but this experience has changed all of them drastically. It was THE major breakthrough in their lives. Go ahead read all about it!

Thanks all of you wonderful artists here at TSR for all the CC I can’t live without! Thanks to all of you readers and commentators! Poseidon loves you to pieces!

*****

– “Son, I am so proud of you right now. You have this beautiful lady friend who is coming over for lunch today. I didn’t think I would live to actually see one of my children have a date…. *snickers* …Be good Ted, I know you can.”
– “Ma!… It’s not just MY date! You were the one telling me to invite her for a family lunch, remember?”

Angie was pretending not to be in the room and say things she would regret later.

– “But Ted…, I can spot you have a warm feeling for Ms. Lutz from miles and miles away! This might be your one shot at happiness son. Go for it!” Ma just said the words Angie was trying so hard to swallow.

When Ma left the room, Angie got up.
– “Ted…, I can spot your warm feelings from where I am standing…. Go hit the shower man! You have ghost spit all over you! Go! Shower!. .. hop hop!

Oh, and before you go…; you don’t get it do you…?! This is your one opportunity to escape this hole. This muddy and swampy hole we have been locked up in for ages! Don’t you go ruining this all now. Be NICE. Be… ehrrr… be a NICE Ted, not a ‘your-everyday-same-old-Ted’, but… argghhh…. Remember the movie ‘Ghost’? I want you to be like Patrick Swayze before he turned into one! Now go shower, and put the wood in the hole for once!”
Totally confused Ted went to take that shower.

– “Ted!!! It’s Ms. Lutz!! I have to get dressed. TED!!??? She is here!Hurry!…TED!!! ANGIE!!!”
Ma heard several doors slam shut and she made her way upstairs to her boudoir to get dressed.

12:30… on the dot. Didi Lutz was on time for lunch. The Fairy statue blew her a welcome kiss. Didi thought that this house was one of the strangest and most unorthodox she had even seen. She felt excitement, not just from being in that house, but being around the Hanky family. They stirred the otherwise mirror smooth surface of the ocean of her perfect life. Somehow she couldn’t resist. She loved the excitement…; it made her feel tingly.

Strange…, the door was open. She had rang the doorbelltwice, but no one was there to welcome her in.

So she let herself in. No one was here. How odd. They should be home, no one in his right mind would leave a door open here in Twinbrook. Not on this part of the sewers anyway…

The kitchen was empty. No signs of a lunch being prepared, nothing that would tell her they were expecting her. Didi now was getting a little nervous. Lunch was set for today yes? She was sure it was. No mistakes in her agenda. She was absolutely sure.

–  “Ted?…”, she called. Nothing! She made her way upstairs and walked into the room where the door was left open. That one room that was Ted’s Sanctum.

Ooooohhhh! Holy Mother of Sims Resources! What was this?
Somewhere a door opened… and she still stood there with her jaw dropped to the floor when Ted came in.

– “Good gracious Ted…, I… I.. am sorry for barging in like this… but WHAT is this?”
Ted felt very uncomfortable with Didi here in his room. She had no right to be here. She looked very nice today, it caught his attention right away. Be nice Ted… be nice!– “Meet my friends Ms. Lutz. May I know why you are in my room??”

It was almost too much for Didi. Ted was still staring at her, waiting for an answer. She had none. She regained her composure and simply said: – “The door was open, and since no one was there I thought I’d go look for you.

Then I saw this…, your friends? Hmmm… Which ones were mine?”
– “The flashy red one” said Ted. “And the turquoise one… oh…and a yellow one, the one on the bottom. I like to keep them apart from each other. They seem more communicative with other neighbors, with ghosts they don’t know yet…,you see?”

– “You could try unscrew the lid and let them go. Give them some peace.” Didi dared to say. Ted thought that was unheard of. Why catch them in the first place?
– “Let’s go down…” he said. “We’re having Dim Sum.”

– “Have a seat Ms. Lutz.” Ted and Angie stood there looking at Didi, while Ma had sat down and was eating already. It made her very uncomfortable at that moment. She shouldn’t have trespassed. She shouldn’t have come here…

– “I’m really very sorry about trespassing the way I did. I don’t know how that idea came to my mind. I apologize, and please…, please call me Didi.”
– “OK…. Well Didi, sit down then and eat.” Angie said in a comforting tone. “We should have been here to welcome you in the first place. Now, especially while we were raving about being such good hosts.”

Didi was very relieved. – “Oooohhh…Dim Sum! My favorite!”, she exclaimed with a bit too much enthusiasm. The Hankys didn’t notice that though.

Angie saved lunch, which had been delightful. Didi asked about the house and about how she liked it. She couldn’t help but think about Ted, and the ghosts and how he had been so nice to her. Especially since she had no reason to be upstairs in his room. The Hankys had shown her a little bit of family life. Be it strange, but Didi had no reference point whatsoever to having a family. Why not be a good neighbor and ask them over to her place? That was the least she could do.
– “Come outside for a bit Didi, we will chat some more in the hot tub!”

While she went for the door to go and meet up with her new friends, she noticed the puddles in the room. Oh my…! This was exactly what her perfectness and neatness needed. –“Oh…, I will get that Didi. It happens every now and then, I don’t know, but lately there have been more of them. I should call a plumber.”

– “Why don’t you go outside and have some fun with the others. I’ll clean it up.
The water came seeping through the floor tiles, making gurgling sounds. Ma was mopping it all up, and Didi thought she heard all kinds of little humming sounds coming from upstairs. She hurried outside.

– “Get in Didi!…It’s extremely nice in here. Too hot for me though…. I will go and cool off in the pool and make some room for you. Ted… be a gentleman, entertain Didi for a while will you?”

– “Is that what you do for a living?” Ted was surprised that writing novels was a lucrative business. He also said that if he was to sell his collection of friends he kept in his room, he would be able to live on his own too. At the same time the thought of that scared him to death.

Didi and Ted sat in the tub for hours, telling each other about the every day things keeping them busy. Didi told Ted her Foreign Exchange Professor would arrive this coming weekend. She had applied for being a host to the professors exchange program some time ago, and now she was assigned a project. Her exchange professor was from Arabasia and he would be helping her around the house when he was not giving some lectures at Bridgeport University. He was rich…
– “Don’t tell my mother” Ted said.

– “Well Ted…, I should go. I had a delightful time, and please come over and visit me soon! You and Angie should meet the professor. I’d love to have you over. We are not only neighbors, we are friends!”
– “I would love to, Didi. I’d love to see what the house looks like now that it is not haunted anymore…or would you like me to bring some of my friends to keep you and what’s his name…, the professorsome company? “
– “Ha-ha…, very funny Ted…. Maybe you should look for more real friends and sell the ones in your room like you just told me, so you can be free to climb that stair to the next level in your life.”

Didi got out and promised she would call Ted to invite them over as soon as she had checked her schedule. She hugged and thanked Ma for her hospitality and told her she would be no stranger and visit again soon.

– “Thank you my dear Angie. I am so happy I made a friend today! Thank you for making me feel very comfortable and for welcoming me in your life. I am most grateful. I think you are a sweetheart!” Didi said goodnight to all and left.

That night Angie couldn’t sleep. Never, never in her life she had a friend. She was overjoyed. She kept smiling thinking about this past day and had to jump for joy! A friend…YEHAAWW…, she had a friend!!!!

Oh YES! Didi Lutz! We will come over and visit you. You can count on that!
YEEEHAWWWWW!!!!

To be continued….

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Swamped – 3

Posted on 24/02/2014 by margotoele

Swamped extra

No, you are certainly not late for this tale telling party! Maybe you might want to read the previous chapters just to know what happened so far. Last chapter ended where Ted Hanky swooped up the ghosts at the Frederick Fahrsythe Mansion where they had been haunting Ms. Perfect, Didi Lutz.

We learned something about the Hanky family and I am telling you the story of their sunken Emporium. Grab a seat or sit on the lawn. Help yourself to a nice cup of tea or coffee, and sit with me for the duration of 29 screens in which I will dig deeper into the Hanky household.

My gratitude goes to all artists who’s wonderful stuff I use to give this family and their home(s) the grandeur it needs. Special thanks also goes to my muses: Martoele, Spitzy sis Barb and Haagje. And of course to all you readers! Poseidon loves you!!!

*****

Ted stepped out of the bathroom as soon as he sucked that last pesky spirit in his ghost catcher and opened the door. He bumped into Ms Perfect as she was about to enter the room at the same time. Their eyes locked for a nano second.

– “Gee… Mr. Ghost Buster…. That is one big tool you’ve got there.”
Ted blushed.

– “Now shoo…! It’s late and I need my beauty sleep. I say thanks a lot and bye- bye…!”

So Ted went home, locked himself in his room and started to stack his catches. After that they all watched who is the next ‘top chef show’ on TV. All that time Ted thought about how Ms. Lutz had shooed him out of her house, and that she had the most peculiar red hair he had ever seen.

Ted kept himself quite busy, and he was getting an expert in dealing with the afterlife.

He talked to the ghosts and spirits. He was good at that. Much better than he was at talking to the living. He had a great way comforting them, telling them to pass over to the other side, or he just simply zapped them and added them to his growing collection…

…which he kept in his room. There was this strange electrical sort of humming sound in his room and Ted liked that. He would just sit with them for hours and listen. He loved the quietness of their company. They gave him comfort. They did not reject him, like one certain red headed lady did , and... *DING DONG*.

There was someone at the door. No one ever…, EVER came by to visit. The only one downstairs was Ma. It startled Angie for a minute. –“Ma?… Ma! Are you getting that?”

– “I’ll get it!!”
– “Ma…, NO solicitors. We have everything we need.” Angie shouted from upstairs.

– “Yes?”
– “Hello, excuse me…, I was looking for Mr. Hanky. I believe he lives here?”
– “…TED!!!! Get down here. You’ve got company!”

– “It seems you have a visitor Ted…! Where are your manners? Please offer her a drink, for I notice she ran all the way to see you, since she is in her athletic wear. She must be thirsty. Now excuse me, I need to get dressed. I am so sorry Ms. Lutz.”

– “But Ma…! Err… Do you want something Ms. Lutz?”
– “Ted, I have raised you better than that. Would you like something to drink… Ted…; not, do you want…, Ted.”

– “Ms. Lutz,  is there anything I can possibly get for you Ms. Lutz? Would you care for a nice glass of ice cold lemonade perhaps?

Now listen…! What is it you want? What brought you out here? You want those ghosts back I recently caught at your place? Is that it?”
Ted hadn’t forgotten the ice cold shoulder Ms. Lutz had given him that night when she’d told him to leave because she needed her sleep.

Didi Lutz was in shock. She had never met a more inappropriate man in her entire life. She was appalled. But Ted wasn’t ready yet. – “I was just doing my job! You could have shown me SOME respect!”

Ma stood frozen in her spot….
Ted was waiting for an answer….
Didi was lost for words…and Ted said: – “Good, if that’s all…A rose is a rose is a rose…, and he left the room.

She fled outside also, standing there counting to ten… a few hundred times.
All she came here to do was to say thank you to the man who made it possible for her to sleep again at nights. Her house had been free of ghosts ever since this… this… man…, this Ted Hanky had freed it from them.

Ted went out too to hide in the reeds. Ms. Stuck up Lutz would surely be gone in a while. Good riddance!

– “Ms. Lutz…, my brother needs to apologize to you.”
– “Huh…, Whah…Who are you? Are there more of you?”
– ”My name is Angie. I am Ted’s sister. My Ma just told me what happened. We don’t know you, but we Hankys are great hosts, IF we have visitors. Ted had no right being rude to you.”

In a small voice Ted squeaked for help... – “HELLP”

That’s when Angie found him.
– “Ted…, being a grown up means that you can’t go hide in the reed whenever something happens you don’t like. Those days are long gone. I know you could get away with it when we were kids, but… SNAP out of it!!!”

– “She was RUDE to me Angie. She hurt my feelings.”
– “You don’t say Ted…; that is unheard of! You would NEVER do that to anyone, I am sure. I am surprised and happy that you think you have feelings though. I never noticed before. Now GO and apologize. Be a man!”

 – “OK. Shake hands and say sorry to Ms. Lutz Ted.”
Didi Lutz just stared at the woman in front of her. Heavens to Betsy, this was a person she’d hate to see lose a battle.

That night Ma explained Ted how concerned she was about his mental health. She had seen him act this afternoon, and she definitely not liked what she had seen.
– “You are going to give that Ms. Didi Lutz a call son. I want you to make up for everything you did wrong this afternoon. This is not how I raised my kids.

Ted, in no mood to argue with his mother, said he would give Didi a call first thing in the morning. – “Yeah… and pigs might fly! Do it Ted. I mean it! I want you to invite her for lunch. I will tell Angie to make Dim Sum…, hmm…, I like Dim Sum. Yes, good idea. Call her Ted!”

Being a good boy he picked up the phone and an image of Didi Lutz had conveniently appeared on his contact list. There was no way he could go against his Ma’s wishes. She was wearing the trousers, not him. He felt like a looser. Didi was not home. He left her a message though. Would she be kind enough to give him a second chance? To give him the opportunity to show off some of the famous Hanky hospitality? He invited her over for lunch.

Ted went up to his room and got ready for bed.
– “What are you all looking at? Huh!? Mind your own measly businesses, or I will put you all in my closet and lock the door!” He looked at the ghosts he had captured at Didi’s house. He felt vibration coming from some of the jars, he also felt the heavyness of the spirits inside creeping onto his shoulders.

– “WHAT??? Tell me! You must know her better than I do. You have been haunting her for ages! What is it I need to know? Be nice???”
Meeting again with Didi Lutz was all of a sudden something that was predestined. There was no simple bailing out of that luncheon date. How it had come to this, Ted was clueless.

Not one of them. Not a single ONE knew what impact the arrival of Ms. Didi Lutz would have on their lives. Not even Ms. Perfect herself. For some odd reason she found herself RSVP-ing the invitation. Yes, she accepted. Why? She didn’t know.

To be continued…

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