Chapter Three
That night despite her worries for the
future and her strange surroundings Edna Squirrel slept soundly. It was late
morning before she awoke and when she did wake up she wasn’t sure at first where
she was, then she remembered everything that had happened to her and Harold
Mole and she covered her head with the blankets. She lay there, breathing
shallowly. She lay there for some time filled with uncertainty and fear.
The whole house was quiet. She gathered
her nerve and sat up, pushing down the thin covers, throwing her legs over the
edge over the small bed, and twitching her tail quickly to work out the kinks.
She was afraid of leaving the room but she had to go to the bathroom terribly,
and she wanted to know where Harold Mole was. Finally she got up, finding their
bag on a chair by the door. She still had a change of fresh clothes left, and
so she got dressed, ruing how hot her clothes from Watersedge would be in the
climate of Lusk. She brushed her hair and opened the door slowly, peeking out
of the room. There wasn’t anyone in the hall so she quietly exited the room,
closed the door behind her, and tip toed to the bathroom at the end of the
hall. The only sound she heard coming from the doors that she passed was the
soft piping of a creature snoring in one of the rooms. After she had gone to
the bathroom she quietly headed downstairs where she met the Chipmunk that she
had seen the night before, and who was, apparently, the head butler of the
house. She tried talking to him but he didn’t know any of her language. Finally
after repeating “Mole, Mole” several times the chipmunk nodded and led her back
upstairs to a room which was right next to the one she had slept in. Inside
lying on the bed was her dear Mole. Bandages covered his eyes and he was
obviously sleeping sounding, his pink nose twitching. She lightly touched the
fur of his snout content to stay and watch over him, but the chipmunk became
rather insistent that she leave Harold Mole and follow him out of the room.
The Chipmunk led her back downstairs.
They walked to the back of the building where the kitchen was located. Here the
Chipmunk had her sit down on a stool at a small table while he poured her out a
cup of strong black coffee and gave her a knot of some kind of porous bread.
The food was like heaven and she felt herself relaxing.
Floyd Rat entered the kitchen through a
back door that exited outside to a small alley. He was smiling and wore a
little hat cocked off to the side of his head showing one of his little furless
pink ears. For the first time Edna Squirrel noticed how young he was, barely
into adulthood. His demeanor struck her as more comical than anything else, and
she found it hard to believe that she had been afraid of him the night before.
He walked over to the stove and poured a
cup of coffee for himself. He muttered something to the Chipmunk in their
strange language and the Chipmunk cast a quick look at Edna Squirrel, his eyes
straying from meeting hers. He said something non-committal and definitive to
Floyd.
Floyd turned from the stove suddenly
cheerful. “Look you much better today! I think I could eat you!” He leered
suggestively, easing on to a stool opposite her his tail trailing limply on the
floor.
Edna Squirrel was reminded by this of
where she was, and she hardened her gaze as she looked at Floyd Rat. “Don’t
talk to me like that, I may be working for Hope but it doesn’t mean I will be
mating with the likes of you.”
“You no think so?” He continued undaunted.
“Wait, when time comes you be surprised who you lift tail for! Maybe I save my
money! I wear you out, tail be dragging all time then!”
Edna Squirrel frowned, she felt from his
tone that he was joking with her, but she had no idea how to respond, and when
she thought about what he was talking about she felt her face grow hot with
embarrassment. Floyd Rat seemed to find this hysterical.
She tried to change the subject, “where
is everybody?”
“Sleep. Nobody
wake here early, me I no sleep yet, I go all night!”
“Yes, all night. Have you heard them say
anything about Mole? I saw him, he had bandages on, what did they say about his
eyes?”
Floyd Rat screwed up his lips and
shrugged his shoulders. “Your boy no more see. He no
more see your beautiful face.” He could see her wince
and softened his tone a little. “Don’t worry I say you beautiful every day!
They give him some medicine. He going to sleep all day maybe,
that good for him. That give you and me more
time, eh?”
“I think I would like to see Mr. Owl.”
Edna said feeling that she had quite enough of Floyd Rats company.
“Sorry. Mr. Owl say
I should show you around. Hope she not up till dinner
maybe, then maybe she work. Maybe you work today huh? You know how right? If
not I show you, lessons free!”
Edna Squirrel felt the fur on the back
of her neck rising. Her eyes flashed with fire. “Listen! I am not as you say ‘raising
my tail’ for you, now or ever understand!
But when I do choose to work at Hope’s, I’ll be the best, best, female
that they have!”
Floyd laughed so hard at her exclamation
that he nearly fell off his stool, almost tipping over the small table at which
they sat. “O.K., O.K., take it easy, killer. No offense, right. We be friends, right? You find Rat good friend in this town.
Hope Mink she tell you true, O.K. You
done? Lets go, I show you your new home. You no
live with Mr. Owl, at least not now, best female!”
He ducked as Edna Squirrel took a quick
swing at the top of his head. She looked back to the door that led into the
house where her Mole lay sleeping and thought, ‘be safe, love, I’ll be back for
you soon. They left the house and walked through the muddy alley strewn with
garbage and out onto main road. Edna Squirrel’s impression from the night
before had been correct about this area of the city,
it was indeed not as bad as the park where they had run into Floyd and Lenny
the night before. Still she realized how much of an illusion the inside of the
brownstone was, for despite the fact that it gave the impression of wealth and
comfort it was still a place where creatures lived meager existences. In the
surrounding neighborhood there were signs of poverty everywhere, dirty children
playing with bits of refuse for toys, the sounds of a domestic fight spilling
out of a flat above them, insolent youths sitting in
front of tenements eyeing them balefully uncaring of the noise and filth around
them. Papers and garbage were everywhere, and no one seemed to take any notice
or make any effort to clean it up. Floyd coolly returned the looks of the youths
who, despite their tough appearance, gave the rat a wide berth. While they
walked he proceeded to relate to Edna Squirrel a grisly story of a knife fight,
in which Floyd Rat showed some toughs as he put it, ‘major lessons of life.’
They passed a building
uncharacteristically clean and well kept. It had large gaudy pots of flowers
out front and a big green awning that reached out to the road. It was five
stories tall, and looked as though it might have once been a hotel. It had
colorful drapes hanging in the windows, unmoving in the hot still air, and
music was playing softly out one of one of the upstairs rooms. The music was
strange to Edna squirrel, and it sounded both festive and sad at the same time.
Floyd Rat saw that she had taken notice of the building and he poked her,
smiling, and pointed out that it was Hope Mink’s place, where she conducted her
business and where, he said grinning, he spent most of his time, though she was
to find out later this wasn’t true.
Edna Squirrel once she heard that looked
away from the building. Despite her apprehension over what was to happen to her
there she was curious about the creatures that lived there and what their lives
were like. She just hoped no creatures like Baron Fox went there, the memory of
the horrible night before still burning in her mind. If any creatures like the
Baron did go there she was sure she wouldn’t be able to control her rage; and
no matter what type of creatures frequented the place she vowed that she would
never give herself over to that way of life, even if she did have to work there
a short time. She would make sure that it would stay like Mr. Owl had said, a role. In any rate she was determined to not let
Floyd Rat see that she had the least interest in the building.
After walking a bit further they reached
the building in which Edna Squirrel and Harold Mole would make their new home.
It was an unremarkable three-story structure of brick. On the steps leading up
to the front door sat a young dog with two small pups playing around her. She
smiled sweetly as they started up the stairs. Floyd Rat said some greeting to
her in their rough language, and she laughed and swatted at him. They entered
the building and started heading up the stairs, through the hall the smell of
cooking wafted, scents of seasonings strange to Edna Squirrel. In one of the apartments a radio was playing
loudly. The plaster of the walls was cracked and paint peeled from the ceiling.
They got to the third story and Floyd
fished around in his pocket for a moment finding the key, the lock on the door
was heavy, and the wood around it looked as though it had been gouged at. “Sure
you use this.” Floyd said indicating the lock. Edna Squirrel thought she could
detect a note of care in his voice but she wasn’t about to give him an inch,
shifty character that she felt he was.
The door swung open and revealed a
single room with a bed, a small table, and a chair. Off to the side of the room
was a tiny kitchen, not even a room unto itself, with a stove and a sink, a
door discolored with age led to what Edna Squirrel assumed was the bathroom.
The condition of the place was such a shock that she couldn’t bear to look
behind that door yet. A small dirty window let in weak yellow light that made its
way between the building they were in and the building next to it. The heat in
the room was oppressive, and Edna squirrel felt a headache blooming at the base
of her skull.
“You new home!”
Floyd said. For the first time Edna Squirrel thought she could detect a hint of
respect in his voice, and with a sinking feeling she realized that this filthy
cramped apartment was perhaps one of the nicer places in the neighborhood.
“Thank you, Floyd.” She said softly,
trying to smile, and she knew suddenly what she really wanted, she to get back
to Harold Mole, to hold him, and feel him close to her. “But you know, I really
want to see Mole now, I am very worried about him.”
“I bring him to you. You relax here,
just lock the door, and if you go out be careful you
no get lost. The park that nooooo good! Dog
downstairs, she, Gracie, I think she know a little of your language, she a good
girl. I tell her to watch out for you. O.K?”
“Yes. Thank you again. But I would like
to see Mole soon. I think I would like to go with you.”
“No, more fast
I go alone.” Then he turned coy and annoying, reaching up and touching her
under the chin. “You no worry, you lover boy home soon!
And if he not enough, me got plenty here!” He said reaching down to the crotch
of his pants.
“Fine.
Goodbye.” She said ushering him toward the door, to which he sauntered none too
fast, laying his whiskers back on his snout and whisking his scarred pink tail
about.
Edna Squirrel was glad to have him out
the door. She locked the door behind him and leaned the soft fur of her
forehead against the door. Gathering her resolve she turned to look at the room
once more. It was so sad. She went over and pushed open the window, but the
still air didn’t circulate through the room at all. She walked over to the bed
and sat down, staring bleakly at the grimy window she felt a wave of anguish
come over her. As tears ran down her face she murmured, “Mole, oh Mole, please
come home soon!”
After Floyd Rat left Edna Squirrel took
some time to collect herself. Then she went down and introduced herself to
Gracie Dog, who was indeed a nice young Dog. Though she knew hardly any of Edna
Squirrel’s language they had managed a little conversation. Edna Squirrel was
surprised to find that she was actually older than Gracie Dog. Gracie Dog
certainly didn’t look younger, and to have two young pups besides! Gracie Dog
had given her some rags so she was able to clean up their apartment a bit
hoping to make the place a bit less grim for when Harold arrived. When she was
nearly finished she realized how silly it was to be in such a rush to clean the
place up before he got there since he wouldn’t be able to see it anyway, and
for a moment her heart sank. Then she started speculating on how their life
would be now. While it was said that a Mole’s nose was very keen, Edna Squirrel
wondered if Harold Mole’s sense of smell would be even keener now that he had
lost his sight. It would be a lot of work for her in the coming weeks, helping
him get about and all, but she was ready. Together they would get through it.
She was aware that not only was it her love that drove her, but her guilt as
well. She wondered about the creatures they had left behind. No matter what
they had come to think of her and Mole she just hoped that they were finding
their way, and she prayed that she and Mole would find their way back
soon.
By the time Floyd Rat returned with
Harold Mole Edna Squirrel had long finished the cleaning, and despite Floyd
Rat’s warning about the need to keep the apartment locked she was lieing on the bed with the door propped open. Even though
Floyd Rat had warned her to keep the door shut she was sure she would die of
the heat without any air moving through the room.
She could hear their steps coming up the
stairs and she jumped out of bed and hurried to the landing. She hardly spoke a
word to Floyd as she hugged Mole, but as soon as her arms were around him she
sensed that there was something strange and unresponsive about him. He muttered
a sweet but distant hello. She looked questioningly at Floyd, whose eyes and
teeth glittered in the gloom of the hall. “Is the medicine, he be fine, you no
worry. Doctor say this Mole has plenty of problems and
need a lot of medicine, but no, how do you say ‘inflection’?”
“Infection. Oh good.” She held Mole at arms length to see him, he stood
slightly swaying, but smiling, his head tipped down. Then she saw that Floyd
was holding their bag and another small bag. “Thank you Floyd, do you want to
come in?” She said taking the things from him and leading Mole into the small
room.
“No. Your stuff and a little food, and
soap, and whatnot, that I grabbed from Mr. Owl’s, he never miss it.”
“Oh, Floyd, thank you!” Edna Squirrel
said, she suddenly felt a wave of strong emotion come
over her and looked away, tears rising in her eyes.
“Don’t you worry, Mr. Owl he will look
out for you!” He said noticing her distress.
Edna took Harold Mole by the arm,
leading him to the bed. Without saying anything more Floyd rat set the things
he had brought inside the door, turned, and headed back out of the building.
Edna squirrel led Mole in to the
apartment. “Here let me make you comfortable. The room is very small, so it
should be very easy for you to learn how to get around.” She said helping him
to sit down. She started loosening his shirt, her
manner was that of a nurse with a patient. Edna Squirrel was struck by the feel
of the fur on his chest. She had never before touched him in an intimate way.
He sat there swaying, knotting his forehead as if he were trying to
concentrate.
“Squirrel, oh Squirrel,” He suddenly
blurted out, and grasped her. “I am so sorry! It is hard for me to think now,
very hard to think, the doctor he said my eyes aren’t good.” Then Mole laughed,
suddenly, bizarrely. “I don’t know, I, I, was in a fire, I guess.”
“Oh Mole.” She
kissed him lightly on his cheek and stroked his head, being careful not to
touch his burns.
“I think I am tired.” He said moving
back onto the bed and laying down.
Edna Squirrel let him lay back. The
light outside was failing and she felt that it was time to lock the door, so
she got up and shut the door closing the locks. Meanwhile she could hear glass
breaking somewhere down on the street and the rude laughter of youths up to no
good. She sat down at the little table and watched Harold Mole. Rather than
falling asleep he seemed to roll back and forth slowly. Sometimes he would
reach up with his paws and chuckle a little, muttering words that were too soft
to make out. She reflected that the medicine they gave Harold Mole must be very
strong. Then she took the bag of supplies Floyd Rat had brought over and
proceeded to put them away. It wasn’t much but it would get them through until
she could get more things on her own. While she was doing that she came across
a packet of what was probably the medicine they had given Harold Mole. The
medicine was strange, it wasn’t a pill, or a liquid, like other medicines she
was used to, rather it was a white powder, wrapped in a piece of newspaper. How
am I supposed to give him this? She wondered, but then realized that Harold
Mole probably knew how much he needed to take.
After putting everything away she came
and stood next to the bed. Harold Mole had quieted and laid there breathing
slowly and evenly. In the failing light she looked down at Harold Mole. He
looked so sweet, and so handsome. She knew that soon she might have to give
herself up to strange creatures, to satisfy their pleasures, the thought
frightened her. She had never mated before, she and Harold Mole had kissed but
that was all. Still she knew that if she was going to give up her honor, there
was only one creature that she wanted to have it. She opened up Harold Mole’s
shirt and passed her hand over his hard muscular chest and down over the smooth
fur of his belly. He’ll never be comfortable with all his clothes on, she
reflected, and gently undressed him down to his underwear. He didn’t seem to be
in too much discomfort, and submitted passively to her actions. Then she stood
up and took off her dress, she was suddenly embarrassed and realized how silly
it was to be modest when Harold Mole couldn’t even see her. She folded her
dress carefully and laid it over the small table. Then she loosened her corset
and laid down carefully next to Mole on the bed,
trying not to hurt him. He stirred only slightly. She laid
on her side, her head propped up on her paw, looking at him in the gloom. When
she had thought of what it would be like to be near him it was never like this.
She moved closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder, smelling him,
feeling the fur of his chest on her chin. Her paw moved down to his shorts and
slid in. As she touched him below for the first time she was amazed at how soft
and hot he was, and she felt something within her rise awakening a desire she
had never felt before. She pressed up against him, and kissed him, her tail
tense and alive with desire. As she started to move over him she became aware
that her Mole, her sweet Harold Mole, would not wake so deep was his slumber.
He snored and snuffled quietly attempting to turn his back to her. Edna
Squirrel curled up against his back resigned, wishing for sleep, hoping for
oblivion, and imaging their life past, like a wonderful distant dream.