FRUIT VILLE PART-1

 HI!

I have taken you on a journey to Kidtopia, haven't I? So let's dive into the zany world of my friends at Terra Cibaria, where everyone has a name as quirky as today's lunch menu! Our adventure kicks off in the lively town of Fruit Ville!

Picture this: Fruit Ville is packed with people named after fruits—yes, you heard that right! I’ve got a friend there, Beatrice Banana. Now, the Banana family isn’t just loud; they’re practically the town’s sound system! If sound waves could travel to Antarctica, the Banana family would have a special direct line! You can hear Mama Banana exclaiming, "Bexley, will you please stop running around like a circus monkey while I try to put your socks on!" And Papa Banana yelling frantically, "Brianna, honey! I lost my work tie again!" Or maybe- "Ma! Brian ate my cake again!" with Brian retorting, "Beatrice's piece was bigger than mine!"

The oldest Banana kid is Brian, the cool, popular kid, with silky blonde hair and sparkly brown eyes. Classic, until you find out he is actually a gadget geek, whose only form of entertainment is pulling apart perfectly good TV remotes.

Then there’s Beatrice. She’s your classic “middle-child syndrome” ripe for chaos, the brains of the Banana Sibling Trio. Constantly getting good excuses for the rest of the kids in return for their pocket money. She can hold a bargain!

And let’s not forget about Bexley, the youngest. And he is - well - Bexley. You can't complain about that!

However, not everyone appreciates the Banana family's circus-like energy. Enter Mrs Cranberry—the cranky, ancient woman next door who has all the enthusiasm of a soggy sock. What do kids do with cranky old ladies? That’s right, prank them! Brian, Beatrice, and Bexley are like the Fruit Ville prank masters. With whoopee cushions on every seat (grape-flavoured, of course) and a rotten fish adventure right under her bed—no one knew how fast her face could turn cranberry-red until that incident! Switching her glasses with a pair shaped like bananas? Classic!

Naturally, Mrs. Cranberry waved her walking stick like a sword at the giggling trio, who would dash away like they were in a cartoon. If laughter is the best medicine, then the Bananas must be the town’s unofficial doctors, armed with jokes and shenanigans while Mrs Cranberry is left grumbling like a blender stuck on a smoothie setting! 

Our tale begins when Brian and Beatrice are out on a picnic. "No, you can't come, Bex," chided Beatrice as the little boy made a fuss in front of her, "Picnics are for big kids and you are not a big kid. You're only six!"

"But-but you're only two years older than me Bea!" wailed Bexley. "Yes Bex," said Brian, matter-of-factly, "12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days. Now stop wailing, will you? My eardrums are about to pop off. Go do some little kiddy stuff, go on!"

And Brian and Beatrice went out the door, with a picnic basket on Beatrice's arm and a box full of games in Brian's. Bexley stared after them, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. Why this will not do! He should show those two big kids how much fun he could have- on his own!

He grabbed a rainbow-coloured ball and ran out the back door. He smiled when he remembered how he, Beatrice and Brian managed to aim at Mrs Cranberry's head and give her such a hard blow that she almost toppled off her ridiculous purple high-heeled shoes. They got grounded, but it was so fun seeing the look on old Cranberry's face. But Bexley shook his head, "Focus Bex, you gotta have the most fun ever!"

He walked into their backyard. It was a nice summer day and he could smell the tanginess of the fruits at the nearby fruit orchard. Beatrice promised to take him there next week. "Focus Bex!"

He started bouncing the ball repeatedly over and over again, his face screwed up in concentration. Finally, the ball bounced over the wooden fence separating his house from Cranberry's.  He groaned, how was he supposed to get the ball now? "Where is Bea when you need her?" he muttered to himself as he hauled himself over to retrieve the ball, "Go in and go out," he whispered as he crept towards the ball. "Now that tactic won't work here, will it?" said a voice he only knew too well. He looked up and saw the short stubby old figure of Mrs Cranberry standing over him. "Oh hey, Cran. How ya'-"

"Don't call me that!" yelled Mrs Cranberry in a temper. Bexley cringed. This wasn't gonna end well. Suddenly, Mrs Cranberry took hold of Bexley's ear and pulled him away. "OW! Mrs Cranberry! Let go!" yelled Bexley, trying to wriggle. "About to throw that thing at me again eh?" asked Cranberry, nodding to the ball, a few feet away. "No-"

"LIES!" yelled Cranberry, "I've had enough of this! You come with me Banana, I'll put an end to your shenanigans!"

With that, she pulled him out of her back gates and onto the street, "I have exactly the place to keep you and your meddling loud voice away!"

"Bex! We saw Penelope Pineapple today! We know you love the toys she makes! We got you some," said Brian loudly walking into the house with Beatrice. Brianna, the mom looked at him with shock, "Bex isn't with you?"

"No, he wouldn't fit in with big kid games. Why! Where is he?" asked Beatrice, a sense of fear filling up inside her. Brianna's face went pale, "Ben, Ben! Where is Bex!" she called out. The trio's father came out of a room, looking quite drowsy, "Why, he's gone with Bea and Bry of course- wait-what are you doing here?"

The Banana Family went frantic, turning the house upside down and calling out for rBexley, they also went out and asked every one of their neighbours. Including Mrs Cranberry. When they went into Cranberry's house they saw little Mrs Cranberry sitting on her armchair, reading a book with her tiny reading glasses set on her small nose. When she saw them she smiled, a way that sent a shiver down Brian's spine. "No, I haven't seen little Bexley. Hopefully, nothing bad happened to him," she lied. "Hopefully," said Mrs Banana tearfully. The Bananas were too soft hearted to think the petite little woman next door would do anything to their little Bexley. Ever since Bexley went missing, Brianna became a wreck. Her face was always tear-stained and her eyes were red. Her usual calm, cheery demeanour vanished and all she did was cry. Mr Banana, Ben, wasn't too good either. His hair was messy and tangled and his shirts remained unironed and wrinkled. He walked around with shadows under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for ages. Not at all the Ben Fruit Ville knew and loved. 

"Inconsiderate!" yelled Beatrice when Sara Strawberry called her to go to the Fruit Orchards, "My one and only little brother is missing and you expect me to go berry picking with you!"

"Soorryyy," said Sara, "I thought berry picking would help you take your mind off things. You've been an awful wreck lately, y'know?"

Beatrice thought about it, "Well, it would- ah great why not!"

Grabbing her fruit basket Beatrice took off with Sara to the Fruit Orchards. Little did she know what she would encounter there.

TO BE CONTINUED

N.M SIRIUS