The three little Pinks

Once upon a time… the Pink family lived a blissful life! Brian and Pamela Pink had just one son, Albert... Bert, to his friends and family.

Years flew by. Sadly, Brian was struck down by a fatal heart attack early in his forties. Bert grew up and married a timid wife, Sarah. Two Christmases later, a trio of boisterous boys burst into their lives. Life was good… although, with triplets, it was chaotic, but definitely good!

The triplets: Barry, Benny and Barney led an idyllic life! Their doting mum never quite recovered from the shock of delivering triplets. She drifted along in a vague state of laissez faire, whatever would be, would be. Her 'three little darlings' of course, made the most of this state of affairs and townsfolk were heard muttering…

They’re out of hand!

Those Pink boys are beyond the pale…

You know what people can be like… kill joys… what’s a little harmless fun between the Pinks?

Six Easters down the track, tragedy struck again! A freak accident on the building site saw Bert crushed beneath a pile of rubble. He lingered painfully a few days… and then… he was gone! Larger than life Albert was GONE! The household reeled in shock.

You may be wondering about random things like the state of their house; who did the work and what they ate? Rest assured; all was in hand… in Granny Pamela Pink’s capable hands.

As long as there’s a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, food on the table and enough to help others… I’m contented.

And she was! Contented! Happy? Not always… of course she missed her beloved husband and son. After a time, the resilience of youth saw the triplets begin to bounce back. As their dad had always worked long hard hours, school days carried on much the same as ‘Before’. Weekends were now different, but they joined the soccer team and took music lessons to fill the void. Their poor mum wandered listlessly about her mansion… confused and adrift. Granny Pink picked up the reigns… someone had to! She held the family together.

Like ocean waves of an incoming tide, fifteen years flew by. The lively lads had cruised through school, each acquiring their own set of friends and interests. Their twenty-first birthday was celebrated with a fabulous party and a cast of a ‘thousand’! Most partiers were invited by Barry, a handful by Benny and Barney’s two close friends came along.

As usual, the Pinks’ party was a raging success… a sumptuous feast, pandemonium in the pool and lavish gifts. Everything was just as the triplets were accustomed to their entire lives. Until…

Ting, ting, ting! A sterling silver spoon daintily tapped a sparkling crystal goblet.

Slowly, silence wove its way stealthily from room-to-room until it reigned supreme. Heads turned; ears cocked expectantly. Granny Pink, the family matriarch patiently waited until the living room was packed full of family and guests. The live band belted out ‘Happy Birthday’ accompanied by hearty voices… not all the singing was in tune! Three ornate knives sliced smoothly into the exquisitely decorated, towering Hummingbird cake.

As a murmur sprang up, Granny Pink clapped her hands to regain their attention.

Barry, Benny and Barney… your mother and I are proud of the three of you... as would your father be... God rest his soul. The time has come for you to each follow your own path. Step out on your own. Leave the nest. Get the picture? It's time to move out of home! We’ll see what this next year brings. Life is waiting for you!

Their mother smiled and nodded along vaguely… clearly unlikely to help or hinder them in any way with their endeavours. Some things don’t change! Later, discreetly, on the quiet… their granny gave them early access to a sizeable chunk of their Trust Funds. It seemed like all their Christmases come at once!

Barry didn’t need to think twice! He snapped up a Fender Stratocaster guitar he’d had his eye on for years. He merrily joined his muso mates, formed a band… jamming and practising late most nights. A cramped motor home kept the rain off his head and the snakes at bay. Songs were scribbled on shopping receipts — any scrap of paper — whenever inspiration struck. Life was sweet! Almost complete!

Playing in clubs drew crowds like flies in summer. Social media picked them up and they were on their way. It was a sure thing! They snagged a booking as ‘Opening Act’ for a music festival. Barry spent the last of his money on the road trip… it was worth every dollar to launch his band in The Big Time! Before they knew it, they’d be rich and famous!

Travelling down the Bruce Highway to the ‘Big Smoke’, his lumbering motor home nibbled away at the remaining kilometres… slowly reeling Brisbane in. The festival was scheduled for tomorrow night. Eyes growing heavier with each successive hour, they reluctantly pulled over to catch some sleep in a campground by a river. Exhaustion quickly claimed them.

Suddenly, gusts of wind — buffeted their vehicles — rousing them from uncomfortable sleep. Hastily, they set about continuing their journey. Lightning lit up the inky sky… closely followed by a sizzle and crash of thunder. The pungent scent of rain approaching, assaulted them. The gum trees’ branches whipped wildly. Crack! A Widow Maker branch smashed down on Barry’s vehicle… pulverising the passenger side of the cab and sleeping area. Shaken but uninjured, he staggered free. There was no time to cry over the loss of his home… they had a concert to get to, to play at!

Abandoning, he piled in with a mate, battled the elements and reached the venue… at last. A few miserable hours later, bleak news broke. Due to the wild weather, the airport closed, the headlining bands were unable to land… the concert was a ‘wash’… cancelled! Their ‘Moment of Glory’ had been cruelly snatched from their grasp. When flood waters abated, they limped home forlornly. A loan from brother Benny allowed Barry to dispose of his destroyed motor home. Penniless, homeless and dejected, Barry moved in with Benny… to start over.

Benny, whilst feeling sorry for his sibling, was glad of the company. He’d followed in his dad’s footsteps and was thriving in the building industry. In Mackay, he’d purchased an old Queenslander fixer-upper … with the obvious intention of doing just that. Being a helpful sort, he added Barry to one of his work crews, to get him back on his feet. On weekends, the two hammered away… renovating the old house… lovingly bringing her back to her former glory. Each night, before exhaustion hit, Barry poured his pent-up emotions onto paper, writing song after song. For Benny, life was sweet! Almost complete!

Work was busy for the brothers, racing to finish jobs before the Easter break. Cyclone season was pretty much over… or so everyone thought. Not this year! A tropical low-pressure system formed up into a nasty piece of work… Cyclone Debbie came to play! In just twelve hours, she grew from a Category 2 to a 4, keen to tear roofs off any building in her way. Benny’s ‘Pride and Joy’ was savagely attacked by the vengeful Debbie… her 175 km/h winds shrieked maniacally. Heartlessly, Debbie destroyed homes Willy-Nilly. Along with scores of others, Benny and Barry were left homeless in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie. But, they were grateful to be alive... others had not been so fortunate. It’s a good thing that brothers stick together… or at least these triplets did!

Meanwhile, Barney had been living the quiet life in a cosy but comfortable beach cottage — on the beachfront of sleepy Sarina Beach — just south of his brothers. Barney spent much of his time wandering the beach in all kinds of weather (except during capricious cyclones). He was handy with a paintbrush. So much so, that his beachscapes in oil and watercolours had been fetching a decent price recently… when he could be persuaded to part with his precious works of art. Dear sensitive soul that Barney was, he unhesitatingly opened his home to his displaced brothers.

As you can imagine — one month later — when Granny Pink invited them back to their childhood home to join their mother in celebrating Easter, there were a few tales to recount! Despite a year of highs and lows (including Cyclone Debbie) they’d all followed their hearts and come through it, together.

Who knew what the next year would bring… Barry’s music was becoming popular on the radio; the building industry was booming, and Benny’s crew couldn’t keep up with the work. As for Barney, his paintings were in great demand and selling for impressive prices, which meant he seldom felt the need to part with them. His walls were running out of room. Time to find a larger home for them all… paintings and brothers, both. Whether they shared a home or were scattered across the globe… these ‘Three Little Pinks’ — Barry, Benny and Barney— would always be close.

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In case it’s not obvious, ‘The Three Little Pigs’ has been rewritten for the Legends Rewritten challenge.