Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Friend (11/02/17)
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TITLE: Tea, Time and Tuesdays | Previous Challenge Entry
By Christine Bauthier
11/09/17 -
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Monte’s bright gold eyes glanced at the cup, and he sniffed at it to say, ‘Thank you,’ without extricating himself from the feathered boa that matched the one his little friend wore. He even graciously put his own two cents in on food preferences, fancy clothes, and accessories as the other dolls and stuffed animals at the table were served.
Presently, Tina’s happiness faded. “Monte, you know it’s Tuesday, don’t you?”
Monte blinked slowly, “It comes every week you know.”
Tina dragged her heels over the carpet in frustration. “I don’t understand why I have to go to speech therapy just to work on a single word. I can sign ‘cat’. I can spell ‘C-A-T cat’. I can even read it. I’ve told my friends at school all about you, that you’re more than an animal. You’re my best friend.”
“They’re humans. Would you like your best friend to drag some sense out of them?” Monte’s slightly narrowed gaze conveyed his thoughts as he flexed his paws sarcastically.
“People don’t go around touching other people’s faces and throats when they want to communicate things,” Tina complained as she tried to make her case. “It’s so much easier to use sign language. You can see it across the room. But if someone is talking, you have to be face to face and you could be saying, “The fat cat sat on the flat mat,” and it looks like you’re just chewing the air, so what’s the point?”
Monte stood casually, stretched his front legs, and let the stretch travel slowly over his arched back and down his hind legs. “Relax, Child! Humans might not make sense, but there’s plenty of perks. Look at me: I have a house full of food and a room full of toys to help my imagination run wild.” He rubbed up against the teapot as he approached. “All of which I am prepared to share with you, if …. you.…”
She stared sullenly at him, waiting for him to finish his thought.
Monte nudged her hand and pushed her arm away from unconsciously shielding her body. “Pet me. Come on. What are friends for? It’s summer. You’re home from school and I need you to find that spot on my back that keeps disappearing. There it is! There it was- you’d better find it again.”
He moved back and forth in a figure eight pattern under her hands, teasing her into a better mood until Tina began to play with him voluntarily and relax. When he was satisfied that the flowing ribbons from her princess wand would behave, he climbed into her lap, purring loudly.
Tina slid her arm under his chest, cuddled him against her shoulder, and nuzzled her cheek against his fur. “I like this rumbly thing you do.”
“I like to see you happy. And I like hugs,” he remarked as he rubbed her cheek with his and tucked his chin tight against her neck.
The overhead lights blinked. Tina and Monte looked to the door where Mother stood with a pair of Tina’s shoes tucked under her elbow as she tried to communicate with her daughter in a language she was struggling to learn. “Sorry, me focus focus. Time gone. Teacher now. Here your ‘with’. Come on.”
Tina rolled her eyes at the mistaken grammar and vocabulary, but her eyes settled on Monte and her frustration ebbed. ’With’ did look similar to ‘shoes.’
Monte read her mind and approved of the shift in focus. He kissed her chin and her nose. “Speech or no speech, I love you.”
Tina gave him a final hug, then put him down, “See you, Monte.”
He winked at her and curled his tail around his legs. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
655 words
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Suggestion:
The paragraph between the mother and MC was hard to understand.