: : Summary : : A dramatic story set just before TMR in which Alex is lost and feared dead
Thursday night arrived. Alex had to go to the aviation exhibit tomorrow or miss it. He was in his room doing his homework; at least that was what his parents thought. Homework consisted of a chapter in his history book that he had already read and 10 vocabulary words he had already memorized. Alex was really preparing for his adventure. A non-school set of clothes was stuffed into his book bag. He had his autograph book in there too just in case he ran into Charles Lindberg. An apple and some cheese for lunch, a compass, an airplane identification book and a flashlight just in case there was a surprise eclipse or something. Now all he needed was some money. His piggy bank held only a few shillings. Too many trips to the candy store after school kept his allowance depleted. That wasn�t going to stop him.
Alex crept to the top of the stairs and peeked over the railing into the parlor. Good: Mum and Dad were in front of the radio, listening to the nightly news broadcast. This was his best chance. Hands clammy with sweat, Alex slunk along the hallway wall and into his parent�s bedroom. His mother�s handbag was on the dresser. He took a deep breath and hesitated. This was a crime surely punishable by death. It was now or never. His feet felt like lead as he walked across the room. Surely they could hear his footsteps! Alex cocked his head and listened: all he could hear was the sound of the radio floating softly up the stairs. The purse was right there. Just do it. He reached out and heard the door creak just as his hand made contact. Alex whirled, crying out �I didn�t do anything!�
It was just Cleo, his mother�s cat. She sat just inside the doorway, watching him.
�Stupid dang cat!� he cursed. �You nearly gave me a heart attack!�
Cleo stared silently back at him.
�Go away!� he hissed.
She didn�t move. The radio still played downstairs. No footsteps sounded on the stairs; the situation was still all clear. His anger at Cleo had broken the spell of fear and Alex did not hesitate to reach into his mother�s handbag and root around for her change purse. In it he found some coins and a couple of five pound notes. One should be enough, he thought, and stuffed it into his pocket. Alex carefully put the handbag back on the dresser just the way he found it. He turned to leave and found Cleo still sitting there, staring at him accusingly.
�You�d better not tell,� Alex warned.
Cleo meowed. Alex walked over and picked her up. She did not purr.
His mother appeared in the doorway. �Oh,� she said. �I thought I�d heard something up here��
�Cleo came in your room,� lied Alex. �I was just bringing her out before she messed up any of your things.�
Evy smiled and petted the cat in Alex�s arms. �She can go wherever she wants. She is the queen of the castle.� Cleo purred and pushed her head against Evy�s hand. �Did you finish your homework? You�ve been at it a long time.�
�Yes, I�m all finished. I think I�m going to go to bed early tonight,� replied Alex.
�Early?�
�I�m kind of tired.�
She hugged her boy and kissed the top of his head. �I am very proud of the way you�ve been behaving this week,� she told him.
Alex was terrified that she would hear the crinkle of the five-pound note in his pocket, but he forced himself to hug her back and said �This is the new Alex, Mum. Get used to it.�
Evy laughed and said �I�ll try.�
Alex hurried from the room to get ready for bed.
Evy went back down to the drawing room and sat on her husband�s lap. �It was just Cleo,� she said. �She got in our room and Alex was chasing her out.�
�How helpful of him,� smirked Rick.
�Oh, stop,� scolded Evy. �He�s been really trying this week. He�s cleaned the stables, dusted the library, and polished the silver� I like the �new Alex� as he calls it.�
�I like it too,� agreed Rick. He just wasn�t sure how long it was going to last. �It�s sure better than last week�s �Little Orphan Alex�.�
�Oh, God,� laughed Evy. �Don�t remind me!�
�Where did he ever get the idea that being sad and pathetic would get him anywhere?� asked Rick.
�Where?� Echoed Evy. �From you.�
�From me?�
�Yes, from you. Every time you want a little snuggle and I won�t give it to you, you put on your sad puppy face,� she laughed.
�I do not!�
�Oh, yes you do.� Evy told him. �It doesn�t work for you either. So are you going to tell the new Alex you�re taking him to the aviation exhibit Saturday?�
�No way,� said Rick. �I�m holding out to get my shoes shined!�
�And the windows washed!� added Evy.
�So where is our little wonder boy now?� asked Rick. �Re-tiling the roof?�
�No,� she said. �He�s taking a bath and going to bed early.�
�Well, that gives us the whole downstairs to ourselves, Mrs. O�Connell.�
�Whatever will we do, Mr. O�Connell?� she gave her husband a long kiss.
When they parted Rick grinned �Hmm. The kitchen floor could use a good waxing��
�Don�t we have a maid?� Rick asked.
�Yes, we do, but she could use a night off so when your finished, I�ll be waiting right here,� she told him. Rick tried his best face on her. �There�s that sad puppy face,� she laughed.
�It�s not a sad puppy face. It�s a sexy, debonair face,� Rick told her, insulted.
�No, it isn�t.�
�Yes, it is. Look.� Rick tried his best sexy debonair face. Evy burst out laughing and fell off of his lap.
�What?� he asked.
�You don�t look sexy�you look constipated!�
�No, no!� Rick climbed onto the floor. �This is sexy�� He crawled toward Evy, trying the face again. She crawled backward away from him, laughing, but not too quickly for him to catch her and pin her to the floor. �Tell me I�m sexy,� he demanded with a grin.
�Alright, if it�ll get you to stop making that face� you�re sexy!� she giggled. He tried a new face and she laughed until she cried. �Stop it! The maid hasn�t left yet��
�Well, if she comes in here she�s in for a shock�� Rick began to unbutton Evy�s blouse.
�Mr. O�Connell...� Evy admonished. �Let me help you with that.� Clothing began to fly.
The maid did hear what was going on and knew better than to go in there. Once had been enough.
*~*~*~*
Friday morning, Alex woke up early, got the paper for his dad and helped his mother fix breakfast. He kissed them both goodbye and set out in the direction of school. He went instead to the train station. It would be quicker than the bus, he figured.
The train station was huge and very confusing. Alex studied the wall map for a while, determined that the number 12 would take him right across town to the station closest to the science museum. He bought a ticket with his pilfered five pound note and knowing that the number of the train did not necessarily coincide with the number of the boarding station, promptly boarded the wrong train.