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27 August
2009
| "The I Do's of
March"
by M. Mitchell Marmel & E.O. Costello © 2007-9 by M. Mitchell Marmel and E.O. Costello Willow Fawnsworthy, Reggie Buckhorn, Franklin Stagg, Orrin Brush, Leslie duCleds, Kara Karoksdottir, Charles Foster Crane, Inocenta du Cleds (nee de Ciervos), Carlos de Ciervos, Senora de Ciervos © Eric Costello Rosie Baumgartner, © M. Mitchell Marmel Marryin’ Sam and Lulubelle Mae Brunswick © E.O Costello and M. Mitchell Marmel Brenda and Covina Johnson © Walter D. Reimer Part Five
"Hallo, Ros-mmmf." Lucky Reggie. Stepping aside for the girls, Reggie reluctantly disentangled himself from Willow as I came downstairs. "Er . . . we decided to drop by and lend a paw." I dimpled. "How sweet of you!" "Nertz," one slim equine gal said with a naughty grin. "Covine sez youse is helpin out wit' the Christmas party this year." "Gonna do your trick again, Jackie?" one girl teased. The mare simply flicked her tail, and her grin widened. ***
I set up work parties. Owing to 'her condition', Les forbade Inocenta to do any heavy lifting, so she just sat at a small table in the shade and watched. I think it was Les's idea to make it up to her by working with his shirt off. Lord knows the gals from the Lotus seemed to appreciate the show, too. Anyhow, I was headed back upstairs when I heard a familiar voice. "Oh, Miz BAUM- gartner..." A very familiar voice. Sure enough, there was Old Durian Face. "Hello, Sergeant. How's things?" "Eh. Not bad. Yez got coffee running? I could use a cup." I put my paws on my hips and grinned at him crookedly. "Du-Brush, I've been at this since before dawn. I haven't even had breakfast yet, let alone lunch-and you're hocking me for coffee, already?" I shook my head. "Tell ya what. Find me a couple more sets of paws to help clean this sty out, and mebbe I'll have the time to get the coffeepot going. Capeesh?" Brush flicked his brush, and smiled a sudden shifty smile. "Gotcha. I t'inks I know just th' furs fer yez." "Great! Send 'em over." In hindsight, I probably should have known better. ***
Willow: I was helping sweep the patio when I noticed Inocenta looking at me curiously. “What's up, kiddo?” Inocenta smiled. “Mami and I return from the shops today, to find Papi with the books where the money is accounted.” “And?” “Si, and he tell of a visitor. A deerie fellow, like Reggie. Papi say his name Philo Fawnsworthy.” Oh, yiff. (Oh, YIFF.) Alan Minkerton had chosen that surname for me because it was fairly rare. In all the years I've led a double life, I've never met another Fawnsworthy. And I wasn't about to start now. "That's . . . very interesting, Inocenta. I'm pretty sure it's a coincidence." Coincidence or no, I was going to avoid this Fawnsworthy bloke at all costs. (Even to sticking your muzzle into a tiki-head wastebasket?) Well, maybe not that far. ***
Brush: Lip off at me, willya? Why, I oughta . . . Wait a minnit. That cheetah had a sign up at her new eatery. Help Wanted. I goes t’ th’ dock an’ hails a water taxi, tryin’ real hard not ta laugh out loud. “Main Island, please,” I sez, an’ pay th’ driver up front. It ain’t police business. From th’ dock at Main Village it’s only fifteen minutes ‘r so up ta where my Pop lives. He’s retired, so I know he’s either home or hiding out inna bar, tryin’ ta avoid his in-laws. “Pop?” My Pop – that’s Ignatius Brush ta yez – comes ta th’ door, quiet-like, an’ waves me aside inta th’ garden. “Good ta see ya, Orrin. Keep yer voice down, or yer Ma’ll have ya helpin’ me.” Likes a lotta furs, I know when ta keep m’mouth shut. “Look, Pop, yez still got those two dimwit brudders o’ mine hangin’ around?” Pop gives a deep sigh. “I’m thinkin’ ya an’ Kara’re th’ . . . never mind. Yeah, they’re still here – B’onss is still pickin’ bits o’ commode outta his headfur.” I lays it out fer him, real fast and discreet-like, an’ he starts ta cheer up. “Waitaminnit,” Pop sez. “Yer doin’ this ta a friend?” “It get’s ‘em offen yer paws, Pop.” “Yeh, there is that.” ***
“Rosie? We got a problem.” *sigh* “What is it, Jackie?” “The roaches in the ladies’ room.” “What about them?” “They refuse to pay their rent.” “Har har.” I added ‘Exterminator’ to my list of contractors. ***
Les: Even though it was late February, I found myself working up a sweat. Of course, part of that was hearing Inocenta sigh, “Magnifico” whenever I bent over to do something. Flattering, true (and I’ll admit that I did it a few times just to hear her). At one point she started talking with one of the ladies from the Double Lotus, and I overheard her saying that Papi was planning a big church wedding at Saint Anthony’s. That brought me up short, and I almost dropped what I was carrying (an old coffee grinder; it would have broken toes right through my shoes). Before I could protest I realized that I hadn’t shared the details of my double-ceremony plan. No wonder Don Carlos was visibly aging – he was fretting over the cost. Well, I had eased his mind somewhat by telling him that he need not provide Inocenta with a dowry. Of course, that savings was likely absorbed into the cost of her trousseau. How much does a woman’s trousseau cost? I might ask Willow. On second thought, better not. She’d figure out a way to have *me* pay for it. next |