Beezus and Ramona - Beverly Cleary [12]
“I know how to play tiddlywinks.”
Beezus did not answer. Her mind was on the game as she watched Henry’s move very carefully.
“I said we could play tiddlywinks,” yelled Ramona.
Beezus looked up from the checkerboard. “Ramona, you stop bothering us,” she said in her severest voice.
Ramona scowled and pedaled backwards away from the coffee table while Beezus returned to her game and studied the board. She had to be careful, because Henry had already captured half of her checkers. Let’s see, she thought, I could move from here to there—no, that wouldn’t work, because then he could—but if I move from there to there—yes, that was it! Beezus lifted her hand to pick up the checker.
At that instant Ramona pedaled as fast as she could toward the coffee table. Crash! The front wheel of Ramona’s tricycle rammed into the table. Checkers bounced into the air and showered over the table, falling to the floor and rolling across the rug.
“There!” said Ramona, and calmly pedaled away.
“Hey!” protested Henry.
“Mother!” Beezus called. “Ramona’s bothering us!”
Wiping her hands on her apron, Mother came out of the kitchen. “Ramona, you know you’re not supposed to bother Henry and Beezus when they’re playing checkers. Now go to your room and stay there until you are able to behave yourself.”
“No,” said Ramona. “I don’t have anybody to play with me and I want Beezus and Henry to play with me.”
“You heard me.” Mother lifted Ramona off the tricycle.
I’ll bet she has a tantrum, thought Beezus, as she picked up the checkers.
“No!” screamed Ramona.
“Ramona,” said Mother in a warning voice, “I’m going to count to ten.”
Ramona threw herself on the floor and kicked and screamed.
“One…two…” began Mother.
Ramona went on kicking and screaming until Mother counted to seven. Then she lay still on the floor, watching to see if Mother really meant what she said.
“Eight…nine,” said Mother.
Ramona got to her feet, ran into the bedroom, and slammed the door. Mother returned to the kitchen, and Beezus and Henry started a new game as if nothing had happened. Tantrums were not unusual in the Quimby household. Even Henry knew that.
In a few minutes Beezus heard Ramona open the bedroom door. “Now can I come out?” she called.
“Can you stop bothering Beezus and Henry?” Mother asked from the kitchen.
“No,” said Ramona, and shut the door.
Not more than one minute later Ramona opened the door again and came into the living room. “I can stop bothering,” she said with a sulky look on her face, and Beezus could see she was still cross because she had been punished.
“That’s good,” called Mother. “Come here, and I’ll give you a cookie.”
Seeing Ramona go into the kitchen, Ribsy sat up, scratched, and trotted after her. Although Ribsy did not trust Ramona, he was always interested in what went on in a kitchen.
I hope she stays in the kitchen, thought Beezus, as she picked up a checker and skipped from here to there to there and captured two of Henry’s men. The game became so exciting that Beezus almost forgot about Ramona. At the same time she was vaguely aware of scuffling sounds in the hall. Then she heard the jingle of Ribsy’s license tags and the click of his claws on the hardwood floor. Ribsy gave a short bark. Then the bathroom door slammed. I wonder what Ramona is doing, thought Beezus, as she captured another checker, but she did not much care so long as Ramona did not interrupt the game.
“Let me in!” screamed Ramona from the hall. “Let me in the bathroom.”
“Ramona, who are you talking to?” asked Mother as she went into the hall.
“Ribsy,” said Ramona, and beat on the door with her fists.
Ribsy began to bark. From behind the bathroom door his barks made a hollow, echoing sound. Puzzled, Henry looked at Beezus. Ribsy in the bathroom? Henry decided he had better investigate. Reluctantly Beezus left the game and followed him into the hall.
“Open the door and let him out,” said Mother.
“I can’t,” shouted Ramona angrily, above Ribsy’s furious barks. “The bad old dog went and locked the door.”
“Oh, stop pretending.