All Summer, everything had been totally weird. My mummy Lady Penelope and her butler Parker have gone off to visit some friends in Paris for an entire month, and they had let Destiny Angel and Symphony Angel stay with me to babysit and keep me company. I didn’t mind them in the house while my mummy was gone, they always helped me along the same way my mummy did.
Recently, about last month, mummy helped me develop a healthy habit where I turned everything off at lunch and engaged in other screen free things - and that’s what Destiny, Symphony and I enjoyed doing in the last few weeks of this month. August.
At 12 today, I put all the electronics away and turned everything off. I went into the bathroom and dabbed my eyes with a cold wet cotton pad. With each time I held the pad to my throbbing eyes, I counted slowly all the way up to 10.
“1….2…3….4…5…6…7…8…9…10.”
And then, once I left the bathroom, I went to have myself a light snack in the dining area - ready salted crisps, a plate of Bourbon biscuits and a mug of Coke Zero. Destiny and Symphony were already having turkey with mash and vegetables for lunch courtesy of Lil, who I was glad was still back in the kitchen to provide the meals. My eyes were almost this close to slamming shut, but it was okay, Symphony said it was good for my eyes to stay off screens after six hours.
After lunch, we relaxed for a little while. I snuggled into Symphony’s bosom while she cuddled me and told me how proud she was of me for putting away my technology. I was just about to close my eyes and fall asleep near Symphony’s warmth when the clock slowly went ding….ding…ding. A-ha! Must be time to clean out the full cupboard.
Destiny and Symphony had a fun time sorting out what we wanted and what we didn’t want. We placed all the things we wanted into a large pink box, and all the things we didn’t want into another box. Everything I wanted nearby, I placed into my room. I was lucky Destiny found some pens, because I took some plastic cups from the dining room cupboard and placed all of them in.
Then I discovered two sticker activity books and raced back to the dining room to complete them. Some of which I already did, others - well, let’s just say they are left unfinished. Destiny and Symphony were taking tea in the lounge. They didn’t even hear my loud giggles of excitement from staring at a screen for far too long.
“She’s so quiet, we’ve almost forgotten she’s actually here.” smiled Destiny.
“She must really be enjoying her puzzle books - must do her good to get back into physical activities.” smiled Symphony.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Destiny went to answer it. It was Mailman Moe, with a parcel, a postcard and two letters.
“Package and postcard for Miss Sybil, and one special golden letter for Destiny and Symphony Angel,” he smiled.
“Thank you,” said Symphony as he handed the parcels to her.
As soon as Mailman Moe left, Symphony went into the dining room and called: “Sybil! You got mail!”
I jumped up and grabbed the package and postcard from Symphony’s hands, full of excitement at what it could be.
I could almost recognise Mailman Moe’s blueberry scent from how his hands held the package and the postcard before he even handed them to Symphony in the first place. First, I gently opened the parcel. It can’t be! It was a pathfinder-a-day puzzle book. “Thanks, Mailman Moe!” I cried, as if thanking Santa on Christmas morning, and as if Moe were actually here. I then looked at the postcard. A glossy, chique pink picture of a beautiful painting of the Eiffel Tower shone proudly on the front of the postcard, smelling sweetly of roses. I then looked at the back of the postcard. What I read made my heart melt in joy.
“Darling,
I am having a wonderful time in Paris. I do hope you’re doing okay with Destiny and Symphony. I hope they’re taking good care of you. Wish me luck, darling.
Love,
Your beautiful mummy,
Lady Penelope
XXXXOOOO”
Almost immediately, tears filled my eyes. I smiled a gentle yet wobbly smile, and whispered: “Wish me luck, mummy.”
Meanwhile in the lounge, Destiny opened the golden envelope with Symphony’s help. It was from Talking Pictures TV, and it shone brightly in the light of the setting sun outside as Symphony read:
“Dear Destiny and Symphony,
In the last few days you both did a jolly good job looking after our most loyal viewer, Sybil, during the first three days of her digital detox. Since she has sworn to stay off screens every time it reaches 12 O’clock at lunch, it is very important that some of our viewers need a break from the screen too.
So, as a reward, you and the rest of Spectrum have been invited to air your old adventures on our channel again. Won’t say no more here. Tell you on Saturday.
Many thanks,
Mike, Noel, Sarah and Bob.”
At once, excitement building up in her chest, Destiny squealed like a hormonally excited teenager and threw herself into Symphony’s arms, delighted with the news.
“I know, it’s exciting isn’t it?” asked Symphony, stroking Destiny’s silky blonde hair.
“Mmmm, I know, but Talking Pictures TV wasn’t complete without Captain Scarlet. And now, it is.” responded Destiny Angel.
From the dining room, they could hear me singing: “Daaa-da-da da-daaaa-da-da da-da-da-da-da!” I was doing a pathfinder in my puzzle book themed around The Simpsons.
“Just doing a Simpsons Pathfinder in my puzzle book!” I called from the dining room. Destiny and Symphony laughed. They loved my sense of humor just as much as mummy, Parker and everyone else in the mansion did.
At 8 at night, I put on my jumper and trousers and went with the two Spectrum Angels for a walk in the mansion gardens. Along the way, we happened to meet my friend Brum. He offered to join the walk too, but he got very scared when he saw a big huge red thing pass by in the distance. “A big monster covered in flesh!” he cried, but I chuckled and said, “Nonsense, Brum, it’s just a van in the distance.”
While on our walk, I talked with Brum about what the F word meant to him. Surprisingly, to Brum, it didn’t mean swearing at all, but due to him being an analog of a three year old boy, he told me it meant going to a restaurant of fried chicken. I asked my two Angel friends if we could go to KFC in the big city tomorrow, and when they said yes, Brum did a victory chuckle and tried to high five me, but couldn’t because he had wheels.
After saying goodbye to Brum, I went back inside to warm up by the fire. I had already changed back into my pyjamas, and I snuggled close to Destiny Angel, feeling very tired.
“Thank you for putting us on Talking Pictures TV,” sighed Destiny Angel softly. “It wouldn’t be possible without your three days of detox.”
“My pleasure,” I smiled. “If you want, we can host a viewing party with the rest of Spectrum on Sat-ooh!”
Destiny and Symphony sat up in surprise. I was feeling my tummy tighten, and I was getting very cold.
“Girls, I feel like I’m so cold I’m going to be sick,” I groaned softly.
“Dear me,” sighed Symphony, “I think it’s time we put you to bed.”
After cleaning my teeth in the mansion bathroom, I stumbled into the bedroom and tumbled under the sheets, exhausted as anything. Destiny and Symphony did the same, except afterwards they got changed into their pyjamas, laid some extra blankets on the bed and prepared a nice, soft hot water bottle to lay at my feet.
Then they snuggled into bed together, with me in between. It felt so cosy - being between the two Angels was like being tucked into bed in Heaven. My eyes were already starting to feel a bit tired, so Destiny Angel turned out the light and whispered: “Goodnight, girls.”
“Goodnight,” whispered Symphony.
“Goodnight, you two.” I whispered back.
The two gave me a unified kiss on the cheek, causing me to giggle weakly, and then, with a smile and thoughts in our heads filled with an afternoon filled with friendship, good food and helping others, we fell fast asleep under the softness and what is Lady Penelope’s bed.
THE END.
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