We have been hiding because it has been very noisy.
We know where all the good hiding places are. Nobody owns them; you run for the nearest spot when you need to.
Usually it is very calm; we can go where we like. John and Mother are very nice to lie on. So is Sean, now that he has stopped petting us too hard and pulling our tails.
There is a lot of music. And laughing. Sometimes John plays the piano. Mostly he sits on the big bed and plays guitar. We like the big bed too.
Mother is often down the hall talking to people while John is on the floor, singing to Sean and making him laugh. Other people come and go all the time. They play with us, too, and sometimes feed us.
We love the kitchen best. Not just because the food and water are there, but because it is warm and smells so good. It must have been fashioned from a late-afternoon sunbeam.
John likes bringing home surprises for Mother and Sean. One day he surprised us with a giant climbing tower covered in carpet and rope. He acted like he had found the best thing in the world. (He had.)
There used to be more of us. One day the one they called “Alice” (they never learn our real names) was scared by a loud noise and jumped out an open window. She did not come back. It was the only time we ever saw John cry. Sure, the three of them could be sad from time to time. But we all know how to fix that. This was different.
Today we came out from hiding. There is sadness, worse than when Alice left. We try to fix it, but this is different.
We have not seen John yet. He must be outside, though; we can hear him singing. People are singing with him. Maybe he found Alice.
[2015]
Bill Merklee 