Title: Just Listen
Author’s pen name: Ariana Brandybuck
Genre: Drama
Characters: Merry, other
Summary: This is very loosely based on current events concerning my brother and me. Maimie and Hadrim Brandybuck are the children of Merry and Estella Brandybuck. They bicker constantly until a life-threatening event occurs.
Disclaimer: I am obviously not Tolkien, so none of these characters are mine except Maimie, Hadrim, Thiquin, and Robin. I take no claims for his work.

Chapter 1

The bag ripped completely, scattering feed all over the immaculate lawn. Maimie and Hadrim Brandybuck gaped at the mess, and then Hadrim exploded. “Why does this always happen? Why can’t you just listen to me just once!” He stormed into the hobbit hole and slammed the door, leaving Maimie with her chin out and a stubborn look on her face. Once again Maimie and Hadrim had gotten into a fight over something infantile, and once again it had ended with Hadrim yelling, “Why won’t you listen to me just once!”

Maimie plopped into the grass and stared at the seed. A bird landed and began pecking at the seed, but Maimie didn’t bother to shoo it away. It was for the birds anyway. As she watched the bird a feeling of anger and sadness welled up. She wished she could get along with her brother, but he was so stubborn! It just seemed impossible.

“Marmadas,” Maimie’s mother, Estella, called. “Come here, please.”

Uh-oh. She had used Maimie’s full name. Now that was trouble in itself. Maimie sighed and plodded into the hobbit hole.

“You two are going to regret not having a better relationship when you grow up,” Estella scolded. Maimie and Hadrim stood side-by-side, chagrin on their faces. Estella continued, “Hadrim, you shouldn’t yell at your sister all the time over piddly things. Maimie, don’t show complete and total disregard for everything Hadrim says just because it comes from his mouth.” Maimie repressed the ‘but he doesn’t regard anything I say, either,’ with a tightening of her jaw.

Estella watched them for a moment and sighed. “Just try to get along while your father is home.”

Maimie looked up. “Da’s coming home?”

Estella smiled. “Yes. He finished his business in Tuckborough, and he’ll be back this evening.”

Maimie grinned. Her father, Meriadoc the Magnificent, was rarely home these days, and his brief home visits were special treats.

She was brought back to Hadrim asking, “Can we go now?”

“‘May’ we go,” Estella corrected. “And yes.” The two ran outside, and Estella couldn’t help smiling again. Kids. They forgot differences so fast. She went back to sweeping the floor of the hobbit hole with a shake of her head.

“D’ya think he’ll bring Uncle Pippin with him?” Hadrim asked from the old oak’s limbs.

“Why wouldn’t he?” Maimie replied as she hauled herself into the tree. “He almost always brings Uncle Pippin whenever he’s in Tuckborough.” She grabbed a sturdy limb and pulled herself up to a seat-like spot next to her brother. Hadrim climbed a little higher and yelled, “Hey! There they are!”

“Where?” Maimie asked excitedly. Hadrim laughed. “Tricked ya!”

Maimie clubbed his arm. “Stinker!” She started to go down, but noticed movement on the road. “Look!” she yelped. Hadrim said, “Yeah, yeah,” but Maimie was already sliding down. “Da! Uncle Pippin!” she yelled. She hit the ground running and sprinted into the lawn.

“Da!” she yelled again, but cut off in a strangled cough. Meriadoc and Pippin were not in the lawn, but two of Hadrim and Maimie’s worst enemies: Thiquin and Robin Sandyman. The two were part of a gang that called themselves The Dragons, and were notorious for being bullies.

Hadrim thundered up, but stopped short upon sight of the Sandyman kids, who seemed to be in the process of tearing out the Brandybuck’s picket fence. Hadrim yelled, “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Thiquin sneered. “We’re rearranging your fence.”

“If you don’t want to have a broken hand, I think you’d better drop it,” Maimie said. She had picked up a rock and wasn’t kidding in the least.

“Humph. Little miss high-horse is threatening us? Oh, I’m scared.” Robin spat a stream of saliva towards Maimie. “I suppose now you’re going to order us off your daddy’s lawn, right?”

“Yeah. You must be telepathic. Now get out of here.” Hadrim was beginning to look mad.

Thiquin snorted. “Who’s going to make us? Certainly not you miscreants.”

Maimie’s eyes narrowed as she strode up to the older hobbit. Hadrim grabbed Robin’s arms and twisted them behind the hobbit’s back. Robin protested loudly as Hadrim firmly escorted him off the premises.

Thiquin laughed as Maimie swung a punch at him, but shut up as a rock hit him on the noggin. He grunted and fell back dazed, giving Hadrim enough time to grab Thiquin’s arms.

“Ow ow ow!” Thiquin yelled. Hadrim ignored him and shoved him next to Robin. “Now get lost!” Hadrim ordered. The Sandyman kids made their way off like curs with their tails between their legs, and Thiquin muttered, “They are really getting on my nerves.”

Hadrim and Maimie struck their fists together in companionship. “All right!” Maimie crowed.

“Did I miss something?” a voice asked. Hadrim and Maimie whirled around to see Merry and Pippin standing in the road. Both were holding the reins of fine clean-limbed ponies. Within a second Maimie had hurled herself into Merry’s arms and Hadrim flung himself at Pippin. For a few moments a playful reunion ensued, and Merry kissed his daughter on the forehead. “You’re getting so big,” he murmured, pushing a brown curl from her face. Maimie ducked her head. “Welcome home, Da,” she murmured.

“Hey, don’t I get to hug Maimie, too?” Pippin protested. The cousins traded kids, and Maimie gave Pippin a hug. “Hi, Uncle Pip,” she mumbled.

Pippin reminded her, “I’m not really your uncle. I’m your second cousin.”

Maimie shrugged. “Uncle is easier to say than second cousin all the time.”

Pippin cocked his head. “I guess I could make an exception.”

“Come on, Pippin!” Merry called. “Food awaits!”

Pippin perked up. “Food?”

Maimie laughed and pushed Pippin towards the hobbit hole. “Go on, you black hole. Mama has been cooking all day for you two.”

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Well, what do you think? Terrible? Awful? The review button will tell all if you would just click it!
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