#Ramona the Pest

[veryslowreader]

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: "What We"

[litandlifequotes]

She was not a slowpoke grownup. She was a girl who could not wait. Life was so interesting she had to find out what happened next.

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

[kahran042]

Our heroine, ladies and gentlemen. Seriously, in any other work, that line would probably be coming from a bully. :P

[josephconrads]

Title: Ramona the Pest

Author: Beverly Cleary

Rating: 3 out of 5

Review: There’s really nothing to say about these that hasn’t already been said. This is a classic for a reason and I enjoyed it as much now as I did when I was younger. Ramona is always an great character to read about, her antics and her eventual growth in understanding how the world works is a great read. Sometimes it’s good to revisit childhood classics when you want something lighthearted and these books are certainly just that.

[sheepdogsandsidesaddle]

Menace to society

[i-carrion-icarian]

She did & I'm dead

Danai is 100% going to kill us with the next episode

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#28: The Big Reveal (1.04)

gif cred: @nat111love

The second TOWL was announced in 2022 my first thought was - I’m so excited to see Rick and Michonne together again 🤩. And my immediate second thought was - we’re finally going to see Michonne tell Rick about RJ. 🥹

Rick learning that he and Michonne had a baby just like he wanted on their last day together was atop my list of most anticipated moments in TOWL. And I couldn’t have been more glad that Danai was in charge of the episode where the highly anticipated RJ reveal occurs. The big reveal happened in a way that completely shocked me but it was extremely well done 👏🏽...

What I so respect about Danai writing this episode is that she made it clear they aren’t doing mawkish surface-level trauma. TOWL proposed Rick had chosen to die while still being alive, which would do some serious damage to his psyche. And Michonne has also gone through the fire these last seven or so years. So this episode was unafraid to really go there and explore what raw, authentic, heartbreaking trauma looks like no matter how painful it is to watch. 

It wasn’t until TOWL episode 3 that I realized the odds are very high that the big RJ reveal is going to come in the midst of Richonne conflict. Beforehand, I had pictured 1000 scenarios of how Michonne would tell Rick about RJ and in my head it was always going to be revealed in a moment where they’re in a good space because I’m so used to them rarely having internal conflict between them.

I believe Danai said one thing that might surprise viewers with TOWL is the Richonne conflict. And I remember hearing that and being like 'bring on the conflict' cuz it’ll be interesting to explore and I had the utmost confidence that Richonne would come out on top of any conflict. My one thing going into it was just as long as neither of them hit below the belt.

(and tbh I wasn’t worried that Michonne was going to say anything below the belt…but that Sergeant Major Grimes on the other hand. He had me a little worried lol. Before this episode aired, I said the one thing that would be most below the belt to me is if Rick at all suggests Michonne made a bad choice for coming to look for him, which…

So after that steamy eye contact moment with the PRB, Michonne walks over to the bookshelf and I love the way she can take control with just her presence alone. Like her just walking around examining what books this place has had me feeling like 'Rick, you’re in danger friend' because Michonne has something cooking right now. Idk what, but I knew she was getting ready to let it all out with how calm and composed she was being. 😅

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Again, you’d never guess that just moments before she had yanked the two of them out of a helicopter. And this calmness in itself sorta adds to her crazy lol.

Michonne spots the Beverly Cleary children's book 'Ramona the Pest' and smiles as she says, “This was one of my favs growing up. This little girl listening to her own rhythm, free-spirited, just like Judith.”

I love how she’s thinking about her daughter and knows her daughter will like the same book as her cuz that’s her mini-me, both following their own rhythm. Also, I just love how the Grimes family are readers. 🥰📚

gif cred: @nerd4music

Rick looks at her, quietly listening, and I feel like the man is still sorta reeling from everything that's going on. But also it has to hit him hearing a bit more about his daughter and who she’s become right now.

Plus, this made me think about how one of the last things Rick did with Judith was read her a book. 🥲

I also love that Rick gets to see Michonne’s love for Judith in this moment. Like you can tell Michonne never goes a day without thinking about her kids and she wants to be able to talk about them.

There’s also something a little hilarious about this to me, because Rick literally just tried to end things between them not too long ago, and Michonne’s casual energy now is really like...

She knows he didn’t mean that breakup mess. 👌🏽

So Michonne continues, “I loved her so much I thought I was meant to be a writer for a while there. Judith’s gonna love this” Spoken like a mother. 🥰 And I love how Michonne’s face always lights up when reflecting on her kids.

Then we get more insight into Michonne's life from before which I’m always here for when she says, “I thought I was a computer scientist myself once too. Then art history. Then creative writing again. Then I dropped out.” First off, yes versatile queen. 👏🏽😋 Second; I love knowing she studied creative writing. She’s just like me for real. 😊

I also always wonder if perhaps the dropping out might've been impacted by/coincided with the passing of her mother, just cuz I remember she mentioned Joycelyn being there for her when she lost her mom and it seems like Joycelyn was mostly around during college. Idk. 🤷🏽‍♀️

But Michonne styduing art history also makes perfect sense considering TWD hinted at her penchant for art a few different times.

Then Michonne reveals she really was going somewhere with all that college majors talk when she turns to Rick and says, “You’ve become a bit of a creative writer these days.” And then she stares him down in a way that makes it clear Rick is all the way in the dog house.

gif cred: @figmentof

This is another reason I so badly wanted Rick to have kept all the letters he wrote her because he actually was writing her some pretty beautiful poetic stuff in those. But it makes sense that Michonne would be upset over one of the only notes she got to see in the getaway boat.

gif cred: @figmentof

I’m glad Michonne now gets to address exactly how she felt about that whole getaway ploy Rick tried to pull after she hadn't verbally addressed it in ep 3. It’s her turn to talk and I’m here for it. 👌🏽

She says, “That note in the getaway boat?…Poetry.” And the delivery of that line is just classic. I love it. Like so many moments in episode 4, this line and delivery was stuck in my head for awhile. 😋

gif cred: @figmentof

And the way Rick is looking at her after she says that.🤭 Issa husband. A husband who knows he's in hot water too lol.

Another reason I love this ep so much is because they are so completely married. Like this really is scenes from a marriage and I love this exploration of Richonne specifically as husband and wife, even in a fight.

I know Rick was truly being sincere with the note on the getaway boat but still, that was not a move he should have ever thought was going to sit right with Michonne ‘I Don’t Leave People Behind’ Grimes.

It’s interesting that Michonne hones in on the writing aspect of Rick's getaway ploy. I feel like it’s because she’s thinking - did he really think that if he wrote something nice enough I could just leave him here knowing good and well he's alive and needs my help? No amount of poetic words would convince her to just leave Rick trapped here. She knows he knows better than that.

gif cred: @figmentof

Then, it's definitely giving married when Michonne grabs a journal and pen and says, “Oh here. Why don’t you give another masterpiece for your children?��

Now y’all, my jaw dropped when I realized we’re doing this right now. 😦

Like I thought I was gonna see the RJ reveal coming but in a great turn of events Michonne just gets right into it, talking as if Rick already knew he has multiple living children.

gif cred: @figmentof

This is of course news to him and the second she says 'children,' Rick looks like that’s the only word now ringing through his brain.

gif cred: @figmentof

I feel like he’s quickly putting it together since he could already sense that Michonne had something big to tell him about their immediate family in ep 2. 

gif cred: @figmentof

Michonne goes onto say, “Because I’m not going to be the one to tell them that I found their father and he sent me away and chose not to come home to them.”

I’m glad she said that because that was my thought last episode too. Like what was she supposed to tell the kids after finding out their dad is alive but won’t be coming home to them ever? 

gif cred: @figmentof

Rick proves that there really is one word going through his mind right now as he asks, “Children?”

gif cred: @figmentof

And then Michonne uncrosses her arms, sucks her teeth, and walks past him seemingly realizing this isn’t the way she wanted to do this reveal. But at this point, she couldn’t really put it off any longer with the way Rick stayed trying to get her to leave before she even gets the chance to tell him.

gif cred: @likeafantasy

Rick turns to her and says, “You said 'children.'” And I know he’s very eager and anxious to know what that’s about because he hasn’t heard he has more than one living child in over 8 years. 

gif cred: @likeafantasy

Michonne sighs and then she turns to look at her children’s father. And as she prepares to tell Rick this big news, I love how 'Mother Nature' wanted to get involved with a thunderous drum roll before she says it. Both real-life Mother Nature and fictional Mother Nature are Richonners. They know when Richonne is about to have a milestone and they want to be a part of it, what can I say. 😋

So after the thunder drumroll, Michonne finally tells Rick about RJ by saying, “His name is Rick.” 🥲

I love that that’s the way she says it. 😭 It immediately tells Rick that this boy is theirs and he’s his namesake.

And then they cut to Rick who quickly looks down taking in this shocking news as Michonne says, “We call him RJ.”

Seeing a shot of Rick while hearing Michonne say 'RJ' just felt surreal. We finally arrived at this point of Rick learning about RJ after wanting to see this for 6 years. 🙌🏽🥹

gif cred: @nat111love

Rick silently reacts and then looks up at Michonne when she tells him, “I was pregnant when the bridge happened.” I loved hearing that.😭 She finally got to tell the one person she most wanted to tell that she was pregnant.

And the one who got her pregnant is definitely letting this big news sink in as he remains quiet and appears to both have a million thoughts racing through his head while also feeling like time is standing still from this huge news.

gif cred: @nat111love

And then Michonne makes me want to cry when she emotionally says, “He’s…he’s almost 8.” 🥺

In this moment I just see the mom who loves and misses her son so much and is pained to think about how she’s missed a year of his life and how Rick has missed all 7 years of his life.

I feel like the way she says this, it's clear that she feels for her and Rick that they’re not with RJ right now and she feels for her baby boy who she knows misses her too.

gif cred: @nat111love

And then she looks at Rick awaiting his initial response to this lifechanging news.

There have always been two parts of the anticipation regarding the RJ reveal - How would Michonne tell him & how would Rick react. And well now we saw how Michonne told him about their son so it was time to see how Rick would respond. 😬

First, Rick responds by taking this breath which, again, breathing very much tells the story in this episode and has its own little arc. His breath here feels like this is, as I suspected, overwhelming for him on all fronts.

Like you can just see how bittersweet and more prominently how overwhelming/stressful this is to Rick. He already feels like a failure for losing the face of his first son and it’s almost like learning of his second son means the risk of another family member to let down and lose.

And he also now knows he wasn't able to be there for Michonne while she had their baby and that he's not just missed out on years of raising his daughter but his son too. It's a lot. 😓

gif cred: @nat111love

On top of that, learning of RJ means there's instantly another person now added to who Rick longs to protect. So after looking down seemingly struggling to compute all this, Rick looks up and shocks me completely when he just reaches out his hand and says, “You need to give me the PRB.”

gif cred: @nat111love

Y’all...🙃. When I tell you I yelled "What?!" at the exact same time Michonne did. Truly...

gif cred: @nat111love

Of all the ways I pictured Rick first responding to the RJ news I never once had Rick having no verbal acknowledgment of his son on my bingo card. This was wild and admittedly had me wanting to fight despite being able to empathize with why Rick might be responding like this. 

Michonne says, “What? I just told you you have a son. I don’t know who you are anymore!”  And girl, me neither. Like I’m so sorry I hope I don’t sound ridiculous but I don’t know who this man is.

It made me sad that this was his response cuz you only get one time to learn you have a baby and his first verbal response is still about needing the PRB so he can call the CRM and try to get Michonne home without him. Again...

Rick says, “I’m trying to keep you and them alive. You need to give it to me.” And one; I do like how quickly RJ becomes a part of who he’s trying to protect. At the same time I was like - Rick, you didn’t even know your son was included in this ‘them’ until seconds ago, don’t you want to address that a lot more??? (And he does, but he can't let himself go there just yet).

Two; you know this is not our Rick when he’s telling Michonne ‘you need to give it to me’ like Rick is more of the ‘I’m giving it to them, are you gonna let me?’ type and rarely ever just tells Michonne what she needs to do. But again he’s so convinced that this PRB is part of the solution to protecting his family that he’s become one-track-minded. He wants what’s best for his family and he thinks this is how to do it but it’s blinding him to how very hurtful he’s being to his wife right now. 

Rick saying he needs the PRB is his way of showing he's more convinced than ever that sending Michonne home and him staying behind is the way it has to be. We know from his note in the getaway boat that he already felt Judith needed her mom even if she never gets to have her dad in her life, and now knowing they have a little boy out there - Rick seems to be immediately deciding that their son needs their mom even if he never has his dad in his life as well.

So Rick is determined to do anything to get Michonne back to their kids. Immediately believing the three of them need each other in their lives more than they need him, and that his role must be to protect them from afar.

He's not yet able to acknowledge the absolute joy of having a son with the love of his life or be curious about what his little boy might be like and look like. After already losing the image of one son, to begin to imagine the image of another son - knowing how quickly it can all be taken away, knowing that even the images of the ones you love most can fade, is too raw of a pain.

And I also think that the good parts of the news that he has a son, are parts Rick doesn't even feel he deserves to enjoy since he feels he died a 'failure' at getting home to his girls and now his son too. 🥺

So instead keeping his family alive is the only thing Rick can let himself think about. And he's terrified that he could be the reason his wife, son, and daughter's lives are in jeopardy, hence him having a response rooted so deeply in fear.

As the conflict continues, Michonne wants to address more of Rick's audacity from episode 3 when she frustratedly says, “What did you say? ‘Everything we have is broken’? After saying that we were going to get away.” One; I like how she says 'what did you say?' and then proceeds to give a direct quote of what he said. Richonne stays remembering each other's every word. 😋

And also two; I love that she addresses this because this is how much whiplash this man is causing her. Rick went from promising her multiple times that they’d get away together to saying everything they had is broken. Crazy work. 

Michonne points at him and passionately says, “I don’t know what game you’re playing, Rick” and I love that she says that too because while Rick is the one man Michonne will defer to when necessary, she’s also never one to play with and so she’s like look these Crazy-Offs and reindeer games need to stop immediately. Especially cuz Rick was fast approaching his final strike imo.

Rick says, “You have no idea who we’re dealing with. You need to give it to me!” After experiencing several thwarted escape attempts it’s clear Rick is pretty convinced that escaping is impossible.

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Honestly, I’m very here for this whole yelling Richonne moment. 👌🏽We haven’t really seen them like this before but even in this heated moment, it’s clear this fight is between two people who passionately love each other. And the acting is A1. 👏🏽🔥

Also, this is another way we know Rick and Michonne's relationship is special and different, because Lori stayed wanting Rick to fight back with her but he wouldn't. But with Michonne, what they have is worth the fight and the fighting to him. 

I love when Michonne claps and says, “Raising our kids. Believing you were alive and you were…with them!”

One; just hearing her say ‘our kids’ is great. Mom and dad for real. 🥰And I love that she gets to express how she feels in all the fullness of her emotion. It’s such a welcomed thing to see. 🙌🏽 This also shows how comfortable she is with Rick to be this vulnerably expressive. I always love the little hand movements she does too. She’s just cool in everything she does to me. 😋

And Danai also has a great yelling voice too. It’s rare to hear Michonne yell but I was here for it, even tho I of course don’t relish seeing Michonne upset and hurting. 

That ‘with them!’ part always hits me. Because underneath the anger I hear the hurt. This hurt over the fact that for years she was raising their kids, holding onto her belief in Rick and meanwhile the CRM got to have him when she would have given anything for Rick to be with her and their family. Yet another reason she and I hate the CRM. 

And when Rick hears this, he then breaks my entire heart when he earnestly says, “You think I didn’t want to be with you? I tri- I tried everything!” 😭💔 Andy killed that delivery. 👏🏽 The high-pitched breathiness of it - the sincerity is palpable.

And I love that he says “be with you.” He tried everything he could in the hopes of being with Michonne. When he says 'I tried everything,' I genuinely felt the weight of everything he’s tried and the toll it’s taken on him.

In this fight, Rick and Michonne both get some insight into how the other has spent the last eight years. Michonne has spent it raising their kids and believing he was alive. Rick has spent it wanting to be with Michonne and trying everything to get home to her and their family.

And then Michonne’s teary-eyed response after Rick says he tried everything. 😢 This episode did such a good job of conveying Richonne’s love - including the pain they feel over being without each other's love for so long.

Like they both have spent almost eight years longing to be with each other, starved of the love only the other can give them, living with a soulmate-sized hole in their heart. And now here they are - in the same building but not yet on the same page. 😔

They just have to talk some things through to fully find their center with each other again. (Well talk things through and make love some things through. 😌)

Rick says, “We need to go back.” And then because this stellar episode has a bit of everything we get some comedy as the thermostat says, “Your preferred temperature will be reached in one minute” and then Rick takes out all his frustration on the system as he yells, “Where is that thing!?” like he’s ready to box a temperature controller lol.

gif cred: @figmentof

And the way Michonne looks at him like she’s thinking this country boy is doing the most. 😂 I like how Rick knows he can’t be that on ten with Michonne so he only raises his voice to this level with the thermostat.

The temp controller really was a clever device to use within the episode and the temperature really will rise as Richonne dives further into this fight. 

I was very curious how the rest of this episode would play out now that Rick officially knows what we've longed for him to know which is that he and Michonne have a son together. And Danai continues to craft a fascinating exploration of Richonne as this conflict continues. 🥺👌🏽

[loisfreakinglane]

BEING HUMAN // 4.11 “Ramona the Pest”

[thevampireaidan]

SAM WITWER as AIDAN WAITE

BEING HUMAN (US) 4x11 "RAMONA THE PEST"

[mintsandapples]

thinking about michonne making sure to grab that ‘ramona the pest’ book for judith - even in the middle of storming out and leaving behind the love of her life unsure if he will follow - because she knows her babygirl will love it

which made me think about michonne being away for a while on her mission to find the governor and yet she returns to the prison in 4x01 with a razor for rick because "his face was losing the war" and comics for carl because she knows he loves them

then about her immediately making sure to get a phone with a portrait of carl made as soon as the artist (benjiro i think?) mentioned he could never get it right for rick - even while grappling with rick's attempt to send her home without going with her - because she intimately knows how much carl means to him

she’s so thoughtful and loves her babies so much she makes sure they know she’s thinking about them even when they are (or feel) far way

[fangirlfantasies]

Thank you for that one Ramona reblog because I've been dying to ask you another one of these but lacking prompt inspiration 😭 Most to least possessive of the housewives? How do they act when they get possessive?

Least Possessive

Kim Richards: Kim is as easygoing as they come in this regard. Half the time she’s oblivious that anyone else is even hitting on you, but if you come to her and tell her you need a little help shaking someone off, she’ll step in and warn them to back off.

Erika Jayne: Look, she can get possessive, and she'll tear a bitch to pieces if she sees you're distressed by someone hitting on you, but she's generally very laid back and doesn't worry much. If you're loyal without her intervention, then she knows she's found a good one.

Camille Grammer: Camille is kind of the same as Erika, she's not possessive as a rule, but if you're at all uncomfortable with someone, the claws will come out. She'll curse someone out if she has to, and if she gets real fired up, you may have to hold her back, but it's a very rare occurrence.

Eileen Davidson: Eileen wouldn’t say she’s possessive, but she can be at times. Though she handles herself well when she is. She’ll casually step in and politely but firmly tell any interested parties that you’re taken. She will only raise her voice if they don’t get the hint.

Sutton Stracke: Sutton can be a little possessive, even a lot sometimes, but she isn’t one to make a grand display of it. Unless it’s someone who knows you’re off limits, she’ll usually just quietly seethe about it and have you reassure her when you’re alone. If it is someone who knows you’re with her and they try their hand anyway, then all bets are off and her fine southern manners are out the window.

Jill Zarin: Jill is very middle of the road. There are times she won’t seem possessive in the slightest and other times where all hell breaks loose. You never know which to expect. But, should you go to her and say someone is bothering you, then she’ll get great pleasure in telling them exactly where they can stick it for hitting on you when you’re with her.

Sonja Morgan: She’s not possessive as a rule. She doesn’t want to come across like she’s smothering you. She values her independence and feels like she’s crossing a line if she interferes in yours. But, that being said, she’s not afraid to stand up for you or fight for you. If someone is making a pest of themselves, she’s on it, and she’ll be close at your side until the threat is gone.

Adrienne Maloof: Adrienne is a bit more possessive than some, but she handles it better than most as well. She’ll step in, give a not so subtle reminder that you’re with her and just to be extra clear, she’ll have a hand on you at all times afterward.

Kyle Richards: Kyle pretends to be laid back, and she certainly can be, but if someone gets under her skin in the way they go about trying to steal you away from her, then they can expect a good tongue lashing about it. And she’ll get loud about it too. If you’re there to hold her hand, it’ll calm her down, but she’ll fret about it for a while after.

Lisa Rinna: She mostly tries to laugh off any attempts at someone flirting with you because she trusts you, but if she’s in a mood, then any little thing can set off Rinna’s possessive side. And when she does snap, they’ll know enough not to try again. She can be very defensive of you, and someone trying to come between you and her can mean absolute war.

Ramona Singer: Ramona isn’t shy about fighting for you, no matter the venue. She’ll get into an argument with whoever dares to flirt with you, no questions asked. Her intensity about it is multiplied by every drink she’s consumed that night.

LuAnn De Lesseps: LuAnn is very possessive. Now, bear in mind, she doesn’t let her possessiveness show too much. She doesn’t want any dramatic confrontations, but she won’t back down from one of she thinks it’s necessary. She’ll usually just pop in and make an excuse to gently, but physically, remove you from the situation and keep you closer by her side, maybe even put on a bit of a show of it. And later you can bet she’ll be reminding you exactly why she’s your one and only.

Lisa Vanderpump: Lisa is one of the most possessive, but she handles it with so much grace you’d hardly know it. She doesn’t let people get to her as easily as many of the rest, and while you are solely hers as far as she’s concerned, an intruder need not be harshly chastised, just reminded as to who you belong to, so she makes sure they see how utterly devoted you are to her, usually with an affectionate display followed by a stern glare and that’s often the end of it.

Most Possessive

[tetsunabouquet]

Monster High OOAK OC: Shemmer Boogeyman

Because of Twyla's neon frights doll having infamous poor make-up quality including the ones I had, I altered her a little bit. I was really inspired by Cerise Hood and Ramona Bad Wolf for the Boogeyman twins.

I blurred the backgrounds so one cannot see the damage my cats have made to their cat tower. Character Profile: The older twin sister of Twyla. Whilst autistic like her sister, she is the more outgoing one of the two which is why she disappears from time to time- needing to recharge her social batteries in the shadows. Like her more monstrous appearance hints at; Shemmer is at first glance the stereotypical evil twin. She has an extensive knowledge on horror movies and often likes pranking people by scaring them in ways inspired by the movies she enjoys. With her wit and charm she usually only gets a slap on the wrist for her antics and some believe she is using her disability to her advantage. Only to her beloved twin, she dares to open up to how she’s vulnerable to states of depression due to her autism and how she is actually too much of a chicken to scare little children with the same props she uses on her friends. She simply pretends to be the tougher one and be the bigger bully scaring other bullies away from Twyla. She’s very protective over her little sister and has a weak spot for little kids. She prefers giving nightmares to people she thinks that deserve it like parents who hurt their children. Shemmer does not really have any true friends aside from Lagoona Blue and Draculaura and drifts from social circles to another depending on her mood. She does have a pretty close frenemy relationship with Toralei though and usually when Shemmer needs to recruit someone to make one of Twyla’s bullies experience the nightmare of their lifetime- its this kitty that’s at her side. Favorite Activities: Reading up on history with her sister. Scaring people. Writing poetry (which occasionally end up as lyrics for the Hissfits) Trivia: Shemmer’s name fits the same naming pattern as her sister. Like Twyla’s name obviously refers to twilight, Shemer’s name refers to the Dutch word for twilight, schemering. Shemmer typically wears more bold colors compared to Twyla to fit her bolder bright blue hair. This also refers to Dutch specific old tales of the boogeyman where he dressed in bright, bold colors. Shemmer often refers to herself as a lovable pest.  Creators notes: Being autistic myself, I liked the idea of having a darker autistic character who's special interests are more morbidly inclined like horror movies- as those always have been a fascination of mine. I always thought Monster High doesn't creates enough dolls with tails, and I get why it's annoying like when it comes to the clothes (which is why I made Shemmer's tail removable), but I still think its a bit of a misser so I gave Shemmer a tail with my 3d pen. And yes, aside from styling Shemmer's hair the exact same as Twyla, I also gave them identical moles to amp up the twin effect. For those who aren't neurodivergent: Identical neurodivergent twins absolutely happen. I actually attended special needs school with a pair of identical twins.

[mybookof-you]

RAMONA THE PEST. Copyright © 1968 by Beverly Cleary. Illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers.

[shegottosayit]

Ramona the Pest - Beverly Cleary

[mrfengi]

Enough comics / cartoon / TV nerd icons have been revealed to be sex pests it may be better to analyze the characteristics of the ones who haven't been (so far). Like Allan Moore and Chris Claremont may have just put all that pervy energy into their work. Or y'know, they were just functional adults - who knows? Edited to add: as of yet we've yet to read such things about Ramona Fradon or Gail Simone or G Willow Wilson or Marti Noxon or Lisa Hanawalt or

[sandrinaramona]

Îți amintești? Alergai ca un copil în mare și îți plăcea să o înfrunți. Ieșeai mereu cu o scoică mare și albă pe care mi-o dăruiai învingător, cu un zâmbet mare. Râdeam și fugeam peste nisip până mă prindeai și mă roteai prin aer ca pe un fulg. Eram un fulg. Un fulg fericit care plutea peste toată lumea. Te avântai peste tot. Nu credeai în moarte. Nici ea nu părea să creadă în tine, până nu a trecut prin prieptul tău cu o rafală de iasomii negre care au înroșit nisipul. Iar ei urlau și ridicau puștile deasupra capului invocând un Dumnezeu care pentru ei nu există, dar care se aplecase deasupra ta cu un sărut, dezlegându-te de lume, de deșert și de lupta ta. Nu și de mine. Marea de azi te urlă precum hienele care rup din trupuri, sfâșiind. Un tunet departe pare a-ți striga toate tristețile și supărările. Dorurile! Până și lumina ucide dacă îi stai în cale. Te-au supărat zeii, iubitul meu, iar tu ești supărat pe ei. Nici măcar un far nu mai poți fi, deoarece rupi mările și nisipurile în două, în nouă, în mii de bucăți. Nu te-ntrista! Știu că ești tu când ploaia îmi atinge fața. E rece, precum sărutul morții dar blândă precum iubirea ta. Cum spuneam eu? Moartea nu se teme decât de iubire! E singura pe care nu o poate lua, răpi, ucide. De dincolo de viață, iubirea se simte și se aude. Răzbate precum razele lunii peste întuneric și ale soarelui de după nori. Nu plânge. Ești mereu acasă. Mereu în inima asta în care te zbați uneori până se oprește. Dar ea se încăpățânează să pornească mereu, deoarece numai așa poți și tu să trăiești mai departe. Vezi? Poți să alergi din nou în mare și să îmi aduci scoici. Când le pun la ureche, ele îmi șoptesc cu vocea ta. Și totuși, dincolo de această înfuriere și învolburare, zeii sunt buni, iar marea e frumoasă. Mâine, va fi din nou soare, iar iasomiile nu vor mai sângera a moarte!

(Ⓒ Sub zodia iubirii, Ramona Sandrina Ilie)