Memento Mori

Chapter Six

Against the other houses, Mr. Poe's house looked very small. It was like the molehill against the group of mountains, a phrase which here means 'the other houses looked very, very big in comparison to Mr. Poe's house'. This is because a molehill is very small and has not caused anyone much damage aside from the occasional stubbed toe, whereas a mountain is very tall, as you hopefully know, and causes serious damage to people every day.

Unfortunately for the Quagmires, however, Mr. Poe's molehill would be a mountain on the inside and cause the poor triplets more damage to their feelings as they could have hoped.

"Come on, children." called Mr. Poe, pushing the children over the threshold and into his house.

The walls were painted white with stains of coffee and mud over them. The roof was very low, making the Quagmires feel as if they were in a cave, and the floor was dirty, almost as filthy as a miserable location you are soon to hear about. Duncan and Isadora both wondered how on earth anyone could bear to live in a place like Mr. Poe's.

Isadora tried to think of a couplet about the house, but she found tears overwhelming her again and one just wouldn't form in her head like it usually did.

Duncan attempted to think of a description of Mr. Poe's house but his mind went blank. He found that he couldn't even describe the walls.

"Well, go on in, go on in." Mr. Poe impatiently instructed.

The triplets did that, stumbling into the living room, which was tight and dirty, with only one long sofa and one armchair. Isadora got her commonplace book out, wanting to write some poetry to take her mind off of her miserable situation.

She went to sit in the armchair but was pushed off immediately by a boy that looked about fifteen.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"But this is our chair!" complained the boy that had pushed her. He looked about sixteen.

"Please can we just sit here?" asked Duncan, walking over.

"No, only Albert and I can sit here." said a boy who looked a couple of years older than the triplets. "Not you and..." he glanced at Isadora.

"I-Isadora Quagmire." she stammered.

"Not you and Isabel." he said rudely.

"But can't we just sit here? Just once." asked Isadora.

"No!" exclaimed the older one. "You can sit in the cramped sofa with mum and dad."

A woman walked past and the two boys quickly smiled warmly at the triplets.

"Hello!" the older one said. "It's nice to meet you!"

"I'm so pleased that you'll be staying in our house!" added the younger one.

"Twins, these are Edgar," she gestured to the younger one, "and Albert." She gestured to the older one as she said his name.

"Actually," said Isadora. She was quite tired of people calling them twins. It was fine if it was an accident, but some people obviously either meant to do it or were very forgetful. "We are-"

"Aren't they nice?" Mr. Poe's wife said, interrupting Isadora.

"Yes." mumbled Isadora.

"Very nice." said Duncan, trying not to mutter it.

Mrs. Poe beamed and walked off. As soon as she was out of sight, Albert snatched Isadora's commonplace book. He opened it up and began to read out her poems in a mocking voice.

"Stop it!" she exclaimed. "Give it back!"

"Do you and Duncan always write silly things like this?" asked Edgar.

"Thank you for getting my name right." muttered Duncan.

"Oh." muttered Edgar. "I thought you were Quigley."

Duncan snatched back Isadora's commonplace book, luckily undamaged. 

"Don't worry, Isadora." he said gently as they went to find Mr. Poe.

"Mr. Poe," said Isadora carefully when they found him. "We were wondering where our room is?"

"Your room?" repeated Mr. Poe and gave a chuckle. "No, you will be sharing a room with Edgar and Albert. You will also be sharing a bed with each other."

The Quagmire triplets gulped. They understood that they might have had to share a room together, but sharing a room with two obnoxious boys and sharing a bed with each other was too much.