Partners

Earlier, we had 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. And now we have the 16th installment in the adventures around the neighborhood inspired by the Thursday Prompt over at Poetigress's place. This week's was "the promise."

     "So much sadness," a little voice in the tree above me 

said, and Serena dropped into my lap, her whiskers jittering 

and her ears folded down.

     It startled me, running across her this far into the 

neighborhood on a sunny afternoon, and rising onto her hind 

legs, she leaned against my chest, reached a front paw up, 

patted my chin gently, and repeated it: "So much sadness, Mr. 

Augie."

     I swallowed.  When even the squirrels notice your bad 

mood...  "I'm sorry, Serena."  I touched a finger to the fur 

between her ears.  "I'm more nervous than sad, really, but--"

     "Not just you, Mr. Augie!"  She waved at the 

ficus tree, its boughs swaying in the breeze, new green 

leaves bright against the sheer blue above.  "Your sadness 

just grows up to the first row of branches.  It's your mean 

Brujo kitty who puts more sadness on top of that, then that 

new Heather dog, and then--"

     "Brujo?  Heather?"  I felt a little chill.  I'd been 

rolling around for half an hour now trying to work up the 

nerve to head over to the Peterson's old place, the house 

that Deena, her father, and her dog Heather were moving into.  

But, well, it was only El Brujo's constant badgering that had 

gotten me into my chair and out the door, and I'd gotten a 

little upset about it, had called her some things I'd 

regretted immediately.  She'd reacted just as quickly, 

though, jumping to the window and then out onto the De la 

Vega's roof next door before I could untangle my tongue.

     I knew she wouldn't stay away--she was a professional, 

after all.  A few words from a client wouldn't really hurt 

her.  Or so I kept telling myself...

     "And then the new Deena woman!"  Serena's eyes got big 

and watery.  "So much sadness!  And so easy to fix!  So 

easy!"

     "So easy," I muttered.  "Easy to say, Serena."  

The words I'd wanted to say to El Brujo all week finally came 

bubbling up now that I wasn't looking at her.  "But I don't 

know how!  I've never known how!  I don't know what 

she wants, I don't know what I want, I don't know--"

     "Easy!"  The whole slew of sorrows flowing from Serena 

dried up, her tail fluffing over her head, her ears perking.  

"I will show you, Mr. Augie!  I!"

     "You?"

     "I!"  She scampered fast and warm into my jacket, a 

squirming solid mass of squirrel scrambling up the inside 

lining, reaching the pocket, tucking herself in.  "I will go 

with you and teach you and make you know the proper things to 

do!  We will be partners, and your mean Brujo will not be 

allowed to eat me or even frighten me!"

     "What??"  I pulled back the fold of the jacket.  

"Serena, what are you--?"

     "We have an arrangement, Mr. Augie."  Her dark serious 

eyes blinked up at me.  "You will keep me safe, and I will be 

your second brain."  She crooked a claw at the sidewalk in 

front of us.  "Now, you must roll us to where Heather and 

Deena live.  This is the first thing."

     And yes, I could've grabbed her, could've tried pulling 

her from my pocket, could've refused or thrown my jacket off 

or done any number of other things.

     But instead, I grabbed the wheel rims, spun us around, 

and headed down the street to the Peterson's old place.

Feel free to leap on to 17 next.