What has the boss said

Lokki Walle

1.

The rich smell of hot macaroni and cheese has reached Bobby's room from the little kitchen of the first floor apartment. Bobby's beautiful slender Mum with American cheese yellow hair usually used grater looking like small house of iron with the windows wide opened. Cheese slyly looked out from the windows and tried to jump on the floor. Bobby liked to spy on cheese mischief, his big Daddy was fond of macaroni, Mum loved Daddy and Bobby, but mice were interested just in cheese.

Bobby was absolutely not afraid of mice although he was only a six years old kid. Bobby even made friends with one nimble mouse that from time to time ventured to walk the kitchen floor openly and kept some hardened pieces of cheese for her. But Bobby's mum disapproved of these friendly relationships.

At seven o'clock in the morning when Bobby was still asleep the rain has started. To Bobby in his dream it seemed that mice paws tap-danced on window's panes as if telling him “It is time to wake up, sleepyhead!” Probably the smell of hot macaroni and cheese was so delightful that they started dancing under the rain.

Bobby didn't want to wake up so early. You know, at a morning that is as gray as a mouse it is better to pull the blanket over one's head and stay in bed and dream quietly. “I'll only say hello to tap-dancing mice and ask them to let me go back to sleep.” Bobby moved aside the curtain and peeped out through the window.

To Bobby's right and above him, on fire escape stairs, an old fat pigeon was trying to hide from the aggression of the rain. “Where are the mice?” Bobby asked him. The pigeon stepped a little farther away. “You are not their friend” boy surmised.
 
The pigeon was a realist, just as Bobby's Mum. Mice could eat up your bread without living you even a little crumb. Mice could pass an infection to you. Mice could even occupy your home. And you want me to be their friend? Are you kidding?  The pigeon glanced at Bobby and closed one eye, stretched out his neck and snapped his bill. Bobby made him a face, closed the curtains, jumped from the bed to the floor and struck his hand on the toy dump truck called Lou.
 
“You are big” Bobby said angrily. “Every day I have a trouble from you. I will grow up soon and I‘ll become a sea captain. And you will be sorry you hit me today. You just wait Lou.” Lou the dump truck stayed silent and only shrugged his big red bed meaning that he'll see what he'll see.

2.

Yesterday Bobby and Lou went to the playground. First they took a desert ride around the sandbox. This way through dunes was very hard for Lou. Wheels got caught in quicksand. Bobby sat astride the truckbed and started to push with his feet in the sand. At last they crawled to edge of desert and got out on a blacktop. Lou has cheered up, his big wheels started spinning faster. Bobby settled down on the truckbed, grabbd a stirring wheel and lifted his feet. This pair of feet always was such a big nuisance! He was sweating all over and concentrated on how to make his crossed legs to fit completely onto the truckbed and didn't see that a wonderfully huge puddle blocked their way. Lou began to slow down. – Don't be afraid! – Bobby cried to him. – A sea is no worry, full speed ahead! – Captain Bobby stood at the helm and took upon the ocean waves. He let go the stiring wheel to cup his hands like a megaphone. – Helm aport! – And they went down.

3.

Mum grumbled and scrupulously washed both: Bobby in a bathtub and Lou the dump truck in a synk. Then mum wiped Lou's wheels with a soft cloth, and Dad wrapped Bobby in a bath towel, blue like a sea. The dolphin swam that sea to a Yellow Island with a palm tree.
 
– You Lou are not right. – The daddy has told. – And you Bobby are not right either. Who ever starts upon a travel without any preparations? Good traveler will never do that. A travel is a serious thing and you need to have many things to cross a sea. You can get your shoes wet. At least you need to have a clear head, a good map, a definite purpose and a strong sail.

Mum looked at Dad intensly and asked – What has your boss said? – The Daddy has smiled sadly and told that the life of captain Bob is impossible without sou'wester, Wellington boots and the plan for the man over board situation.
 
– Mice are leaving the ship at first sign of trouble. When the storm blowes the captain must be sure he has everything needed to protect the ship, the crew and himself. – Daddy has fixed his eyes upon the wall. As if the boss' portrait was hanging there, right in the middle of a pink flower field on the wallpaper. Daddy's fingers draw the big boss' nose in the air. The nose looked somewhat like a question mark. Dad gave it a finger flick.

Mum has frowned. – Travels can be very damaging for our family budget. – Then she has added that the cheerleading group supports Dady and waved a towel at hin. She has looked at Boby still wrapped in the towel, smiled and puffed her cheeks as the importunt guy, the chief of staff. The chief of staff is responcible for all the supplies. In this role Mum was ready to supply the whole crew with cookies and cheese in a tin in case of emergencies on water.

– All men report to their stations in a mess hall. We are beginning our preparations for the travel. – Mum put on the kitcen table the best cold remedy – a jar of homemade raspberry preserves. It smelled of summer. The palm waved its leaves, and the dolphin glided towards it glancing at a compass embroidered in a corner of a towel.
 
Lou the dump truck has quietly driven to the table, trying not to dirty his freshly washed wheels. On the window panes mice paws started another tap-dance.
 
Bobby has taken the spoon and tapped on a dump truck. He wanted to talk to him about travel and purpose.
 
– Mice were interested just in cheese. – Bobby was saying. – If we take cookies and cheese in a tin with us, mice, who love cheese, will never leave us in the deep puddle.  I'll even put on wellingtone boots. I'll be the Cap ‘n' Boots. If Mum and Dad want that, I'll do it and they will be proud of me. I'll even take a pigeon with us and ask him to carry our mail. And we will not go through the desert.
 
– Tomorrow me and you and the mice and the pigeon will all go for one goal. We will cross that sea to the other side. And if it will rain tonight, then we will even cross the ocean. And that's for sure! All mice be protected and taken care of. Because now I have a plan.
 
– Mum, can you get Daddy another tin with cheese for his boss? – Suddenly asked Bobby.
 
– I try to figure something out. – Mum turned away. Dad stood up, put his arms around Mum's shoulders and repeated after Bobby. – Because now I have a plan.