Lego Sunday

Mrs Brand had completely forgotten she’d bought the LEGO.

This wasn’t unusual.

Between work emails, school newsletters, shopping lists and remembering whether Barry had left the house wearing shoes, quite a lot of things slipped quietly out of her brain.

So when a parcel from eBay arrived one Friday afternoon, she frowned at it suspiciously.

“I haven’t ordered anything.”

Mr Brand looked over his glasses.

“Well, somebody has.”

Mrs Brand opened the box.

Inside were three LEGO sets.

“Oh!” she laughed. “BrickFest! I ordered these weeks ago because they were five pounds cheaper.”

“Whilst the boys are out of the room, hide them and we can hand them out on Sunday to provide ‘direction’,” said Mr Brand. 

“Good plan!”

Sunday morning came round quickly. Marjory and Marmaduke arrived around 10.30am, some 4 hours later than Marmaduke was usually seen at the Brands. 

Mrs Brand announced that there would be a competition to build the boys kits. Trays were laid out for bags of bricks.

Barry hugged his red-and-orange dinosaur set.

“I’m building the T. rex!”

Marmaduke hugged the green version.

“I’m building the green T. rex!”

“You could build the Stegosaurus,” Alfie suggested.

Barry looked horrified.

“Why would I build the one with the funny plates when I can build the one with enormous teeth?”

A fair point, really.

The roast chicken was just about to be put in the oven. Potatoes crackled away. Vegetables were peeled and waiting.

The kitchen smelled so wonderful that Barry announced every six minutes,

“I’m starving.”

“You had toast an hour ago,” Mrs Brand reminded him.

“I’m starving again.”

Mr Brand looked at the three unopened LEGO boxes. “I’ll help Alfie.”

Alfie smiled, “Excellent.”

They both knew exactly how this would work.

Alfie would quietly follow the instructions.

Mr Brand would keep an eye on lunch while occasionally admiring the car.

Simple.

Mrs Brand looked at Barry.

Marjory looked at Marmaduke.

“You two choose.”

“I WANT MY MUMMY!” Barry shouted.

“I WANT MY MUMMY!” Marmaduke shouted at exactly the same time.

Mrs Brand laughed.

“Well, that’s settled.”

Marjory rolled up her sleeves.

“I haven’t built LEGO since I was about ten.”

Mrs Brand grinned.

“Neither have I.”

Barry clapped.

“It’s a race!”

The kitchen timer was placed dramatically in the middle of the table.

Water bottles were filled.

Someone suggested one final toilet visit “to avoid unnecessary interruptions.”

Barry went.

Marmaduke immediately decided he should too.

Naturally.

When everyone returned, the unopened boxes sat waiting.

Mr Brand counted down.

“Three…”

Everyone leaned forward.

“Two…”

Barry was bouncing in his chair.

“One…”

“…GO!”

The room exploded into action.

Bags rustled.

Instructions unfolded.

Tiny bricks scattered everywhere.

Alfie calmly opened Bag One.

Barry opened every bag at once.

Orange, red and black bricks flew across the table like confetti.

Mrs Brand blinked.

“Barry…”

“I’M SAVING TIME!”

“You’ve created archaeology.”

Across the table Marmaduke watched carefully.

Then opened every one of his bags too.

Marjory sighed.

“I was afraid you’d do that.”

“I learned from Barry.”

“That’s exactly what worries me.”

Five minutes later…

Alfie’s Aston Martin already had wheels.

Mr Brand checked the chicken.

“Looking good.”

Barry had successfully built…

…one dinosaur foot.

Which he proudly held above his head.

“Look!”

“It’s lovely,” said Mrs Brand.

“Where does it go?”

Barry looked down.

“I don’t know.”

Marjory glanced over.

“Marmaduke has built two feet.”

Barry gasped.

“He’s winning!”

“I’m winning!” said Marmaduke happily.

“No, you’re not.”

“Oh.”

“I’M winning.”

Barry immediately began building much faster.

Unfortunately he was no longer reading the instructions.

Mr Brand returned from basting the chicken.

“How’s everyone getting on?”

Alfie quietly turned another page.

“Very well.”

Barry proudly revealed something orange.

“I’ve made the tail.”

Mrs Brand examined it.

“I think that’s supposed to be the neck.”

Barry looked.

“Oh.”

“It can be both.”

“I’m not sure dinosaurs worked like that.”

The smell of roast potatoes drifted through the house.

Barry sniffed.

“I’m hungry.”

“We’re having lunch when everyone’s finished.”

Barry suddenly built much faster again. 

“Speed mode!”

This resulted in three pieces being attached upside down.

Marmaduke copied him.

Marjory spotted it just in time.

“No, sweetheart.”

“But Barry did it.”

“Yes.”

“So…”

“Barry is not always the instruction manual.”

Alfie quietly clicked another section into place.

The silver Aston Martin was beginning to look magnificent.

“It has opening doors,” he said.

Barry glanced over.

“My dinosaur has a mouth.”

“I know.”

“It bites.”

“I know.”

“It could eat your car.”

Alfie smiled.

“Not if my car drives away.”

Barry had no answer for that.

Twenty minutes later the competition was becoming serious.

Mrs Brand found herself saying things she never imagined she’d say.

“No, Barry, dinosaurs don’t need three left legs.”

Marjory was equally busy.

“Marmaduke, don’t copy Barry’s mistakes.”

“I’m helping!”

“I know.”

“Am I helping?”

“Not especially.”

Mr Brand checked the oven again.

The chicken looked perfect.

The potatoes were crisp.

He called across the room.

“How much longer?”

Alfie answered.

“About ten minutes.”

Barry answered.

“About forever.”

Mrs Brand looked at the instructions.

“We’re on Step 18.”

“Out of?”

She turned the page.

“Forty-three.”

Barry sighed dramatically.

“I’ve had enough building.”

Mrs Brand smiled.

“Do you want to stop?”

Barry looked at the half-built dinosaur.

“…No.”

Slowly but surely, the dinosaurs began to appear.

The T. rex’s gained enormous jaws.

Barry carefully attached the final claw.

“I DID IT!”

He held the finished dinosaur high above his head.

It gave one triumphant roar…

Well…

Barry made the roaring noise.

The dinosaur itself remained professionally silent.

Marmaduke finished only a minute later.

“It’s brilliant!”

His green T. rex stood proudly beside Barry’s orange one.

The two boys immediately made them chase each other around the table.

“Not near the gravy!” laughed Mr Brand.

Finally Alfie placed the very last silver brick onto the Aston Martin.

He smiled quietly.

“Finished.”

Mr Brand inspected it.

“It looks fantastic.”

The little car had opening doors, tiny headlights and looked ready for a secret mission.

Barry drove his dinosaur towards it.

“RAAAAR!”

Alfie gently moved the Aston Martin aside.

“I think James Bond can avoid one dinosaur.”

Barry grinned.

“For now.”

The kitchen timer finally stopped.

Mrs Brand looked around the table.

Three completed models.

Three smiling boys.

Not a single important piece left over.

“That’s actually quite impressive,” she admitted.

Marjory laughed.

“I was expecting tears.”

“So was I.”

Mr Brand carried the roast chicken to the table.

“Perfect timing.”

Everyone washed their hands.

Barry carefully placed his dinosaur safely on the windowsill.

“So he can watch us eat.”

“Does he like roast chicken?” asked Marmaduke.

Barry thought carefully.

“I think he prefers cheeky older brothers.”

Alfie looked up from carving his Yorkshire pudding.

“I’m sitting over here.”

Barry smiled innocently.

“Oh.”

“Never mind.”

Everyone laughed.

As they tucked into their Sunday roast, the three LEGO creations stood proudly nearby—the elegant Aston Martin, the fierce orange T. rex and the equally fierce green one.

Mrs Brand smiled.

“I think buying those on eBay was worth every penny.”

Mr Brand nodded.

“Even if you did forget you’d bought them.”

Mrs Brand grinned.

“I’ll probably forget that by next week.”

Barry looked up.

“That’s alright.”

“Why?”

“Because then you can buy us some more.”

The adults laughed.

Barry wasn’t joking.