Talent AntFolk

Benly Tucking Marffey in Bed (alternative viewpoint from the story)

By AntFolk | 2007

Benly Tucking Marffey in Bed
Time frame is near the end of the chapter “Benly’s friend Frisly” This chapter is not completed yet, but at some point Marffey will fall asleep and Benly will pick Marffey up, carry him gently and to his room to tuck in bed. The story is written in Marffey’s P.O.V. This is an alternative viewpoint. “Narrator 1” is the narrator that takes over any characters not expressing their viewpoint in the first person. Usually Narrator 1 is used for characters outside my main characters.

Narrator 1:

Benly carefully picked Marffey up with a smile on his face. Finally that energetic child tired himself. Benly always wondered if that were ever possible. That child has way too much energy. Benly chuckled to himself thinking if only all his soldiers had Marffey’s level of energy. Imagine all that can be accomplished. No enemy would dare touch the Honeyvel army or the colony. When Benly made it to Marffey’s room, he ever so carefully fluffed up the milkweed down that cushioned Marffey’s leaf bed. After Benly made sure the bed was comfortable enough, he set Marffey down making sure not to wake him. Last thing Benly wanted was to have that child fully awake and driving him crazy. Benly enjoyed every moment he spent with Marffey, but he too was very tired. Ever since his injury, Benly’s heart tube had been weakened from the stabbing. He didn’t have the stamina he used to have. This made Benly’s duty as a combat trainer difficult. Benly used to go on strong very much like Marffey. He could fight without tiring and still have lots of energy left. Not to mention Benly was very strong physically to be considered the strongest ant in the colony. All had been changed. When Benly first recovered, he was much weaker. He couldn’t move for a very long time. After a long and difficult recovery, miraculously Benly became able to walk again. After becoming Marffey’s caregiver, Benly not only regained some of his strength, but he became stronger in other ways. Benly knew he must become a lot smarter to compete with this child’s intelligence. Benly spent whatever time he had left between his combat training duty and the time he spent with Marffey and Humpuly, to read and research the latest things in the library. Benly tried out crossword puzzles, word games, even just reading the dictionary and encyclopedia. With his memory being relatively poor, Benly had to work very hard. Benly always joked with his old friend and mentor Frisly he’d have to become the smartest Honeyvel in the Field in order to be Marffey’s caregiver. How true that was. Benly not only improved his memory, but he also became smarter. Benly became able to stay on top of his job and use new ways of thinking to improve his troops. After setting young Marffey down in bed, Benly wanted to make sure Marffey stayed warm with a blanket. There were no blankets on Marffey’s bed. Benly grimaced and let out a snort as he looked through Marffey’s room and all the scattered toys, crayons, glue bottles and whatnot that cluttered the floor. Benly tried telling Marffey to clean his room before. No matter how much Benly tried to make Marffey and his beetle friend Humpuly clean their room, somehow Benly would come to Marffey’s room the next day, just to find it as messy as before. Benly rolled his eyes upward and raised an antenna. He stepped down on something. His claw felt gooey and sticky. What could it be? Trying not to make a sound, Benly lifted up his claw to find a glob of glue that had leaked from a bottle tipped over. He let out an exasperated sigh and stretched out to reach the blanket laying crumpled up on the floor. The crumpled blanket rested just barely within reach. Benly did not want to take any more steps in Marffey’s room than possible. The place reminded him of a battlefield. Make a wrong step and one can be shot with a flying arrow. Benly grabbed the corner of the blanket and pulled it until he had a firm grasp. Mission accomplished. Benly’s got the blanket. He shook the blanket and stretched it out whispering, “I love you Marffey.” Carefully setting the blanket over Marffey’s body, Benly continued to whisper, “No matter what lies ahead, you will be in my heart tube forever and always.” Benly reached out with his lower hand and stroked one of Marffey’s antennae. The fur on Marffey’s antennae felt soft like velvet. Benly bobbed his antennae a couple times. He felt happy. Benly felt joy he never felt before becoming Marffey’s caregiver. The child mumbled in his sleep, “I love you Benly.” Benly bobbed his antennae again and let out a happy smile. He took off his leaf hat and held it in his hand. Benly promised Marffey that he will give him a hat just like the one he had. Benly knew where to find one. In his office Benly kept some belongings stored that he viewed as special. One of those was his old drill sergeant hat. The two small holes in the leaf hat no longer fit Benly’s crooked antennae, but it would make just the right hat to give Marffey. Marffey can put it on whatever way he wanted and pretend he was a soldier. Benly felt that sense of joy again while he looked at Marffey sound asleep. This is what true love is. Benly had always wondered. He loved Mesber, his second caregiver. Maybe that was true love. Benly wished he remembered more of his childhood. The farthest back he could remember was when he was eleven or twelve. Looking downward, Benly cautiously nudged several toys aside with his claws to make a pathway back. While he did so, Benly wondered how he managed to walk in Marffey’s room without stepping on something in the first place. He shook his head and chuckled. When Benly reached the door way, suddenly he stopped. Something painful hit him. It was not any of Marffey’s toys, but something deeper. Benly suddenly remembered something long forgotten. He was a child, the same age as Marffey.
“I love you Jersee,” whispered young Benly in his sleep. His first caregiver had just finished tucking young Benly in bed and was about to leave. Jersee stopped in the doorway and whispered, “I love you too Benly. I just need to find another drink and I’ll be right back.” Young Benly woke up very upset. He jumped out of bed and grabbed Jersee’s leg crying, “Don’t Jersee! Don’t do it!”
“I must,” spoke Jersee while trying to shake his leg free. Tears filled young Benly’s eyes and he cried angrily, “But you promised me you were never going to drink again! You said you were going to be sober and stay sober after you punched and threw me against the nest last time!”
“You don’t understand!” screamed Jersee becoming violently angry. He slapped young Benly shouting, “I need a drink and I need a drink right now!”

While standing in Marffey’s doorway, Benly lowered his antennae in shame. Another forgotten memory flashed through Benly’s mind. This time it was not Jersee who was drinking. It was Benly. He was a corporal at the time, the lowest ranking officer in the army. The army only kept Benly because they were at war with the fire ants. They needed every soldier they had to throw at the enemy. Benly’s new sergeant was a kind hearted female worker. She cared about her troops and had all the makings of a great soldier. For whatever reasons, the army did not give her the chance. Neither did Benly. It was night time, after their shift. Benly was spending some time chatting with her outside. Benly wanted to be friends with her. Her name was Kasie. Kasie was rather beautiful major worker. Cpl. Benly wanted to be friends with her. He liked Kasie, not in a way reproductive ants would, but as a friend and companion. She seemed to like him too and wanted to start a friendship. She had one condition though. That condition was that Benly would give up drinking. Benly’s drinking problem was the only thing that stood in the way of their friendship. That night, Benly had taken a few drinks before seeing her. He had long since cleverly hid his problem. Hardly anyone could guess Benly was drunk. He didn’t act drunk unless he got angry. If he got angry, then things went very bad. Benly approached Sgt. Kasie saying, “You really deserve greater, Kasie. You should be a lead sergeant for putting up with all of us and especially me.” Kasie let out a sad chuckle and lowered her antennae. She guessed that Benly had been drinking again. She drew back her antennae and spoke disapprovingly, “I thought you promised me you’d be sober Benly. I can’t be your friend if you’re going to lie to me and hurt me like that!” At that moment, Benly became violent just like his first caregiver had.
“You don’t understand!” yelled Cpl. Benly harshly. He knew the sergeant should have reported him for his violent attack. She didn’t. Kasie cared too much. She hoped one day Benly may change.

Benly glanced once more at young Marffey, this time with a heavy heart. Marffey slept so peacefully. Marffey thought the Field of Benly and honored him as a great soldier. In Benly’s mind, he was never a great soldier. Not even now. Benly was only trying to make up for his past. Benly should have been discharged long ago. Because no one discharged Benly, he was allowed to stay in the army. Benly tried to make up for his past. He wanted to prove his sergeant and everyone else he hurt; they had not made a mistake. This was Benly’s motivation until Marffey came into his life. Benly wondered if he were to take one drink now, would he lose control? Benly had been sober for over twenty years now. Would that be long enough to cure Benly of his addiction? Benly decided not to take that chance. He’s come too far and not taken a single drink since he was thirty one. Ever since Benly became sober, he has used his painful past to help others and give them tough love. Benly knew what it was like to be at the bottom. Benly knew that if he can overcome his addiction to alcohol, then his soldiers can accomplish anything they set their mind to. Benly had become a tough soldier and he knew it. As a drill sergeant, Benly was given the most difficult recruits because the commander knew that Benly can change their hearts and shape them into real soldiers. Benly can train anyone to become great regardless of their past. Even now as a combat trainer, Benly has not forgotten all of his sordid past. He continued to use his tough genuine, straight from the heart tube, training method on all his soldiers. Benly’s soldiers knew that Benly cared for them and they liked him as their leader. This time instead of using his past failures, Benly used Marffey as his motive for staying sober. Benly approached Marffey without caring if he stepped on glue or other traps Marffey left on the floor. He smiled and whispered while he stroked Marffey’s antennae one last time for the night, “No way will I ever go back to the way I was. I will not make Jersee’s mistake. You are too valuable Marffey. I love you deeply.”