ใครเคยอ่านหนังสือนอกเวลาFruitcake specialบ้างงงช่วยเราทีนะนะนะ

#1 | -/hauia | 13 ส.ค. 56 11:06 น.

In a way, once Uncle Dalton had died, I think a part of Aunt Molly died too. She was still a hard worker and remained a good mother to Winston and Clement. Indeed, the routine of running the house was something she no longer needed any help with. My parents and Uncle Dalton's parents — my grandparents — all helped Aunt Molly with the decision making. But the cheerfulness that we had come to expect from her had gone. It was as if all her cheerfulness had died with Uncle Dalton, her 'dear Dally'. She got some money from the bus company because Uncle Dalton had been killed at work. At least she didn't have to leave the twins in order to earn money.

Life continued.

The twins grew into fine boys. But by the time they were fourteen they wanted to see a bit more of the world outside their comfortable home. Both of them were bright and interested in the world outside. Especially Winston. They were beginning to get bored with life at home with all its safe routines.

That's where the trouble really began. Aunt Molly had not really changed since their father's death. She had not even learned to read properly. She never went out and had no outside interests. She spent what free time she had listening to the radio or watching the television, especially game shows.

The boys, though they loved their mother, wanted to decide more things for themselves. And like me, they wanted to go out more. Aunt Molly, however, just wanted to stay at home all the time. The boys never went out much with their mother - whenever they did go out, it was with me and my parents or with our grandparents. Aunt Molly always stayed at home.

It was Winston who thought of taking their mother to the theatre on her next birthday. She would be thirty-nine. The boys planned it all out carefully with the help of the rest of the family. We were all there, my parents and my grandparents.

'I don’t think Mum would like to see a Shakespeare play or anything like that,' said Clement. 'But I'm sure that going to see something would do her good!'

'You're right,' said Gran. 1 think your mother should go to see something she would enjoy. It would make a nice change for her. Something like those shows she likes on the television.'

'Gran, you're brilliant!' said Winston. 'What about that show on the television with that hypnotist guy . . . the Maxurell Marvel Show! Mum loves that!'

'What's that all about?' asked Grandpa. I don’t think I've seen it.'

'You must be the only person in the country who hasn't,' said Clement. 'Maxwell Marvel is an expert hypnotist - he gives people suggestions and orders after he has made them go to sleep. When they wake up they do all kinds of funny things. Then, at an order from Maxwell Marvel, they go to sleep again. When they wake up again, they can't remember a thing about it.'

Grandpa laughed, 'I’ve had a few evenings like that myself.' Gran looked at him. 'Er . . . when I was much younger, of course,' he added quickly.

'Mum would really like to see that show - I just know it,' said Winston.

'Yes, but how do we get your Mum on a television show? Won't it be expensive? How will we get the money?' I asked.

'Relax,' said Winston. 'All we have to do is write to the television company and they'll send us the tickets free - that's where they get their live audiences from! All we have to do is make sure we let them know in time for the show.'

We all agreed that this was a great idea. So we did it. Aunt Molly, of course, was at first unwilling to go along with it. However, we had all made the decision for her and we wouldn't take no for an answer. In her heart, though. she did not really care what happened to her, not since her dear Dally had gone. But she went along to please her boy because she cared deeply for them, and did not want to disappoint them.

*********
The television studio - the place where the show took place - was not at all what Aunt Molly imagined it would be like.