Where is the black mouse?

Quote of the day:

No matter what you are doing, keep the undercurrent of happiness. Learn to be secretly happy within your heart in spite of all circumstances. Paramahansa Yogananda

Well, I simply cannot find Ada's little black leather mouse. She loves to play with it. In fact, she has learned to bat it with her paw each time I throw it in the air. She raises her paw and bats it right back at me tirelessly, over and over again, never missing a beat, for almost five minutes at a time. She must have chased it into some dark corner of a closet or under some piece of furniture, while I was away at work, or shopping for groceries. I have searched all over the place. She sits quietly and watches as I crawl around on hands and knees searching under tables, chairs, sofas, beds, and in the hall and linen closets. I grunt and groan and carry on as I crawl around, sometimes straining my neck in the most outlandish positions to see if I can catch a glimpse of the toy creature.

This little mouse in particular has deep sentimental value because it belonged to Charlie's cats and was one of those small pieces of his life that I inherited after he died. Each time, Ada plays the mouse into a secret hideaway, I crawl around the apartment searching for it almost as if I am searching for Charlie himself. Whenever I discover the little black leather mouse I feel a tremendous sense of relief. Because of the memory of Charlie, as well as a sense of achievement. A reminder that I still have it in me to resolve problems of any size or nature.

This morning, during my mouse explorations in our bedroom I contorted my body behind an old chest, which holds Tom's sweaters and secret Christmas presents that he collects during the year. And there, nestled underneath the chest, in a dark corner was ... no, not the mouse ... but Tom's wallet. We had thought he had left it behind in the movie theater over the weekend when he went to see No Country for Old Men. It was such a headache and a nuisance and Tom so hates to lose things in any case. He had contacted all the relevant credit card places and was heading out the door to apply for a new driver's license when I called out: "Here's the wallet!"

Ada watched the antics of the morning, yawned, stretched and returned to her bed by the computer to sleep while I write this story. Oh well, I will search again for the little black mouse later or tomorrow. Who knows what else I might find, I mean, apart from the odd fallen cashew nut while watching the election coverage on CNN?

Comments

[tamarika]

I know! But Winston, I still have not found the black, leather mouse. Ho hum!

[Winston]

Why is it that we always find lost items in the last place we look?