On the Jolly House kitchen’s notice board, Stewart Sloth saw that Cathy Capybara had written, Nice day for a dip. Underneath her scrawl he added his, I agree but probably won’t have a dip. He liked to be honest.
Stewart trundled down the road, under a bridge, and stopped on a busier road that had lots of potholes, waiting for the green man at the pedestrian crossing. Had it been a rainy day he certainly wouldn’t have stopped there.
A flashy, open-topped car was approaching – a little too fast in his opinion because he liked enjoying life scene-by-scene – and inevitably its passenger-side wheel dipped into the big pothole. Stewart wasn’t sure but he thought something flew through the air. At least the driver’s okay he thought waving and hoping that the alligator would be more careful. Eventually he got to where he’d find Cathy and plonked himself down on the grass to wait.
‘Stewart! Come in, the water’s divine,’ Cathy called.
‘Another time,’ he replied.
‘Nothing quite like now,’ she laughed and coming out, shook herself and got him wet. ‘Stewart, what’s that caught in your - ?’ From his fur she pulled out some dentures.
Stewart scratched his nose. ‘I thought something was digging in.’
‘Hey, they’re mine! I’ve been looking all over for you,’ called an alligator that was hurrying towards them. ‘Thanks. It’s almost lunch time.’ Taking them off Cathy, he put the dentures back into his mouth. ‘Austen Alligator. Pleased to meet you. I owe you one.’ And turning around he left them.
‘He was nice,’ said Cathy.
7th Jolly House story. Copyright of Robyn Cain, April 2024
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