Must You Yell?

by Arkangel

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Victoria Barkley stood, arranging a bouquet of flower for the dining table when she heard the front door open, slam and a loud, "Mother!" echo through the house. She closed her eyes, shook her head and turned to see a grinning five year old Nicholas, the muddy boots he was holding, dripping a mess all over the freshly cleaned foyer. In his other hand, a string of freshly caught fish, four in all, flopped about. Putting her hand gently to forehead, she sighed deeply, "Nicholas, first off all, we do not yell when we enter a house, it's rude and secondly, you're filthy young man, I've told you many times to go to the kitchen door to take your boots off after fishing."

Nicholas' brow furrowed in thought, nodding to agree that he had indeed been told many times to do so, he whispered, "Sorry Mother, but look at these, pa and I caughted them, ain't they biguns?" He smiled proudly trying to hold the large fish up. "Jarrod didn't catch none."

"Yes they are.....biguns," Victoria laughed, "please go outside and take them around to the kitchen so that Silas can clean them, perhaps we will have them for Dinner."

"Okay, Mother."

"Oh and Nicholas, clean your boots off then come in here so that we can have a little talk."

"Are I in trouble?"

"Am I in trouble," Victoria corrected, "No, son, we just need to talk about the way you enter a house, you're a young gentleman, and it's time you learn."

"Yes ma'am." Turning Nicholas wrestled with his load and opened the door, dropping first his boots then the fish, "Sorry Mama." He grinned, "Reckon my arms need ta grow some."

"That's fine, dear, you can help me clean it up."

Crinkling his nose, Nicholas made it out the door and took the fish to the kitchen and Silas.

Victoria giggled and went to retrieve a bucket, soap and a brush to clean up the mess. A few minutes later, she heard the pattering of socked feet come up behind her. "Mother!"

Victoria started and dropped the bucket, "Nicholas...." She started then calmed herself, "help me then we will talk."

"Yes ma'am." Nicholas smiled, "sorry."

Together the two made quick work of the mess, making sure so signs of the prior filth was evident, "There, clean."

"Yep." Nicholas agreed, "Looks good, don't it."

Victoria nodded and together they carried the bucket and supplies to the back porch to be disposed of. "Come along, Nicholas, we need to talk."

Sitting on the couch in the parlor, Victoria waited till her five year old was comfortable, "Now, Nicholas, I know we've talked about the proper way to enter a house, can you tell me what that is."

"Um........stomp your feet, open the door...........close it and......oh yeah, don't yell."

"Very good. So now, can you tell me why you insist on ignoring that?"

"What does ignor.....ing mean?"

"Not listening to what I've told you."

"Oh, I listen mama, promise.....I just forget sometimes."

"Well, I'm afraid that you need to listen more closely. No more coming into the house in such a manner."

"Yes Ma'am."

"What if we would have had company, what would they have thought?"

"They'd a probably laughed like Mr. Hawkins did when he was here to see pa."

"No dear, I mean what if someone was here that......" Victoria thought, "Okay, what if some of Mother's friends were here, lady friends. Would you have thought that appropriate behavior."

"Well, I wouldn't a known they was here till I came in and yelled."

Victoria sighed again, "That right, you don't know who's here till you come into the house, so it's best to come in like a gentleman just in case."

Nicholas frowned.

"Dear.....Jarrod comes in quietly, that's being polite."

"Jarrod yells, you just don't hear him."

"When?"

"I went to his room and opened the door without knockin', he yelled at me then,then I pushed him in the mud.......boy mama, he wasn't a gentle man then, he was gonna beat me up."

"And when did you push him in the mud?"

"When we was fishing. Pa laughed."

"Nicholas........let's just try and keep it down....and no more pushing Jarrod in the mud."

"But...."

"I said....." Victoria narrowed her eyes a little to make her point.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good, now...... " Victoria was interrupted by the front door opening, slamming and a loud booming voice echoed, once again, through the house, "Victoria!"

"Oh for heaven sakes."

Nicholas fell off the couch in a fit of giggles.

A second slamming from the kitchen followed by a "Mother, I have mud in my ears!"

"I give up." Victoria rose gently off the couch, reared back and yelled, "I'm in the parlor!"

Nicholas stared, wide eyed, at his mother. "Mama.......wow!"

Tom came into the room, "Dear....must you yell."

Victoria and Nicholas broke out into riotous laughter at that statement.

Silas and Jared stood, dumbstruck in doorway to the dinning area, "Mother, are you okay?" Jarrod asked.

Silas grinned and shook his head. "She's fine, Mr. Jarrod, I reckons that if you can't beats 'em, join 'em."

THE END