Lost and Found

“Mom!” John came through the door after school in a whirlwind of 6 year old excitement. “I get to take care of Fluffy tonight! I can feed him and play with him and . . . and . . . just look!” John’s excitement got the better of him. He held up the small cage with the classroom pet, Fluffy, staring out from between the bars.

“That’s nice, John.” Mom responded with a weary voice. “It’s a big responsibility taking care of a pet. Do you think you’re up to the challenge?”

“Oh, Mom!” John cried exasperated “don’t spoil my fun with words like responsibility!” John may be 6, but he had already picked up some teenager attitudes from his older brother.

“Whatever.” Mom replied absentmindedly. “You need to take care of Fuzzy and remember to take him back to school in the morning. Dinner will be at 6:30 after Dad gets home. Please go change into play clothes and go outside until then.”

“It’s Fluffy, Mom.” John muttered under his breath. Some days he felt like his mother didn’t hear a word he said. More loudly, he asked, “Can I leave his cage on the counter in the kitchen so he can be with you for company while I’m outside?”

“I don’t want that thing to get out in my kitchen,” Mom answered. “Make sure that cage latch is fastened!”

Since she didn’t really say NO, John left Fluffy’s cage, including Fluffy, on the counter in the kitchen, picked up his school bag, and headed upstairs to change into play clothes.

****

“JOHN! DINNER!” Mom yelled from the back door for the third time. Dad and Mark were already at the table when John got home.

“Wash up for dinner and be quick about it, John.” His mother said. “We’re waiting for you.” John headed for the small bathroom just off the kitchen to wash today’s dirt off his hands and from under his nails.

On the way to the bathroom, he passed Fluffy’s cage. The hamster was quietly chewing on some cardboard tubing. John quietly opened the cage and picked up Fluffy. He stroked the back of his head and smelled his soft fur.

“John! Dinner is getting cold!” Mom yelled from the dinner table. John quickly returned Fluffy to the cage and closed the cage door.

After dinner, Mark and John cleared the table and helped Mom with the dishes. Then they went into the living room to watch TV with Dad.

A few minutes later, they all heard a scream from the kitchen, “John! Get in here this instant!” They all ran into the kitchen. Mom was standing on a stool waiving the wooden spoon she was using to mix brownies for desert. “That rodent is in my kitchen!” Mom screamed. “Get him out of my kitchen!”

“Mom,” John started to say he’s in his cage on the counter, but he didn’t get the words out. He was looking at the hamster cage and the door was wide open. Panic set in as he looked wildly around the kitchen for the class pet. John’s mind was racing. I closed the cage, I know I did. But did I actually latch the door? I don’t remember. I don’t remember.

“Okay, what’s all this about a rodent in the kitchen?” Dad asked.

“It’s my turn to take care of the class hamster, Dad.” John started.

“And it’s in my KITCHEN running around the FLOOR!” screamed Mom.

“Joan, let’s just calm down. John, I’m sure this hamster came with a cage, where is it?” Dad asked trying to be the voice of reason. John just pointed to the corner of the counter top where the cage was sitting, door wide open.

“Mark, you make sure the doors are closed. I don’t want this thing getting any further than the kitchen. Joan, let’s get you down off that stool. John, start looking around the floor and in small places. Hamsters like small places to hide.” Dad said, immediately taking charge and making John feel like this may not be the worst day of his life.

Dad helped Mom down from the stool and took her into the other room. Mark checked the back door and John started crawling around on the floor looking for Fluffy.

Dad came back into the kitchen after Mom was mostly settled in the living room. John was still crawling around on the floor looking for Fluffy.

“Anything yet?” Dad asked hopefully.

“Nothing yet,” answered John. Mom sounded like she was getting wound up again over the hamster and Dad went to see if Fluffy had escaped into the living room.

John remembered there was a spot on the kitchen island where the shelves joined that formed a perfect place to hide small things. John used it sometimes to hide small treasures such as special rocks or an interesting bit of string. Mom never used the cookbooks she put on that shelf, so the nook made a perfect hiding place for all sorts of things. Maybe Fluffy would think so too. John picked up the cookbooks and put them on the floor. Sitting there in his special hiding nook behind the cookbooks, wrapped up in the string, was Fluffy!

“Fluffy!” John cried. “I found Fluffy!” Both Dad and Mark came over to see the small rodent who was now wrapped up in bright green string.

“Let’s get him back into his cage so Mom can calm down,” said Dad.

John put Fluffy back in his cage. He fed Fluffy his special food and made SURE he closed the latch on the cage door. Then John replaced the cookbooks before Mom could find his hiding nook.

Dad reassured Mom that the kitchen was indeed safe again to make the brownies.

“It’s a good thing he’s going back to school tomorrow,” Mom said. “I don’t think I can take this kind of excitement every day.”

Everyone in the family agreed.


Word Count: 992