The Mouse story

We did not see him at first. It was the loaf of bread lying on the kitchen table that told us in the morning...he had been there. The plastic torn off...3 slices from the bottom nibbled at, what more evidence did we need. He was there alright. But how in the world did he get in? I found that out that very night. I was up as usual and when I heard stirrings in the kitchen, I just knew it. So without wearing slippers, I tiptoed out, passing Chintoo a jealous glance, who was sleeping like a dead mouse (Chintoo being a mouse anyway). I switched on the kitchen light and there he was...a small, grey, mouse holding a piece of bread in his two wee hands. For a moment he stared at me. I stared at him. The light blinded him, I guess. No sooner had he regained his vision and seen this monstrosity of a creature standing right in front of him, than he ran up the exhaust fan wire and with one swing vanished into the black shaft above. I told my flatmate the next morning and she disconnected the exhaust fan and rolled up the wire, so that my little friend would not be able to climb down.

All went well on that front till one fine evening, as my flat mate entered the kitchen to make her tea, she shrieked like I do when I see cockroaches. By the time I reached the kitchen the mouse was sitting on the kitchen window which opens into the living room and was planning his next move and my flat mate was practically shaking. The mouse leaped out and rushed into one of the living room cupboards. Unfortunately he chose the one that belonged to my flat mate. I cannot bear to think of rat poison, so I decided to catch him instead. I asked my flatmate to fetch me a small bucket and I asked her to scare him out of his hiding place, so that I could catch him. He came out but was too quick for us and went and hid behind the fridge. We shook the fridge. My flatmate scared him from one side while I stood in position with the bucket on the other. But all in vain. My little friend managed to give me the slip and landed up in one of the kitchen cupboards. Thankfully the cupboard was practically empty, except for a few baskets. My flat mate made me seal the cupboard door with thick tape. I knew he would die inside due to lack of food and oxygen. I have a pet mouse and the thought just made me really sad. I asked the maid the next day if she could take him out of there and set him free outside but she was scared as well.

A couple of days went by and we heard nothing from the cupboard. I thought he was dead and that I would have to dispose the body. On a Sunday morning, I stood making breakfast and my flat mate was fast asleep. I suddenly heard someone gnawing at the wooden cupboard door from inside. Then I saw something that made my heart melt. A tiny grey hand with pink palms came out of a tiny slit on the side of the cupboard door, as if crying for help. I couldn't contain myself. I sliced a piece of carrot and inserted it through the slit. It vanished. So I sent in another. It vanished too. Now I knew that my friend was alive and very very hungry. So I took off the tape, opened the door and popped in a few more pieces of carrot. But he would not come out. I caught a sight of him watching me from behind the baskets. I realised he was too scared. So I left him there, ate my breakfast and went off to college. When I came back, he was gone and he had left behind my hysterical flat mate.
And to show his gratefulness, my friend has stopped stealing from my kitchen. I wish he would visit sometimes though.