SHORT STORY: "What's in the slipper?"

Hi everybody

While cleaning up my computer, I found a little 'story' I'd written in 2011.

Thought you may enjoy it.

WHAT'S IN THE SLIPPER? 

(by Caryl Moll)

“No!” she shouts.

 

I look up in surprise.

“No!” she repeats, looking at me sternly. “Give that back to me!”

The slipper, I wonder? You want the slipper?  I open my mouth and drop it to the floor.  I’ve spent the whole night absorbing its interesting secrets, but now she wants it back.

“Look what you’ve done, Toby! Now what am I supposed to do?” I recoil in surprise at the tone of her voice.  She looms over me and reaches down to pick up my special booty. Her expression is one of unguarded fury.“This was my Christmas present!” she bellows. “This cost the Boss a fortune!  How must I explain this to him? Damn Dog!”

Huh?

She looks away.  I’m obviously in disfavour.  What have I done wrong?

You see, this was the most interesting treasure in the house. During the dark hours, while she slept, I unearthed it.  Retrieved it.  Took it to my bed – to unravel its yards and yards of inviting and riveting stories; yummy, absorbing information;  answers that were just waiting to be revealed.  Like the onions she so enjoys peeling…

“Read them, Maxmom! Read them!” my eyes urge. She has no idea of the information she holds in her hand.

She ignores me and places the one slipper on the table – high up and away from me.  Her face is turned away and her mood - dark.  She’s not happy. I thought I was doing her a favour.  Did she even know that it told the secret of the pesky bird which landed in our garden?  Did she even know that it revealed what she had eaten yesterday, where she had wandered and what she had felt? Her entire life history was in my jaw.  Her emotions – trust, fear, love, dreams – all bundled up in one package.  I want to know everything about her but now my text book has been removed.

I walk up behind her and sit at her heels.  She turns and glares at me.

“Can I have the other one perhaps?” I ask tentatively.

She shrugs her shoulders and goes off to make her tea.

Oh, humans are just so confusing!