Good intention

FUZZ BUZZ

 

Gerald first encounters two yellow caterpillars minding their own business eating the leaves off his mimosa tree. 'Come see, come see,' he calls to his five year old daughter. 'Cassey, see what I found!' Cassey is engrossed, busy nibbling on an Oreo and coloring Shrek in her new book. So much for that, Gerald thinks, waves goodbye to his wife and she waves back. He heads for a tiring, bitchy day at his chic, cosy restaurant on Albemarle St.

 

The Centaur group had made no bones about there being too many bones in the monkfish yesterday. Soothing their feathers wasn't easy. He lost use of the table for eight in his busiest time  and was embarrassed when Mrs. Hi-hat faked a lot of loud coughing to prove her point. Rather than dwell on yesterday, Gerald talks to himself, 'Today will be better,' and snickers as he doesn't really think it will.

 

Meanwhile, back home, wifey dear, paces the kitchen, circles the dining room, and worries where Ronita, Cassey's nanny can be. This is not like her at all. 'Mommy, where is Ronita? The little piglet who eats everything and anything put in front of her expects a treat, probably a chocolate one and to learn how to count to twenty this afternoon. No chocolate, no anything is in the nanny's hand. 'We're going on a field trip today, Sweetie, to the park. There is a lot to see there besides the sand box and swings. Let's go in the house so you can change clothes. Want to wear your long polka dot pants, the one with the matching shirt? That way I won't lose you.'

 

Their first stop in the park is not the one Cassey wants to make. She whines, forces a few tears from her green eyes and begs to go on the swings. Ronita does not give in, hold's Cassey's hand and they skip down the tarred path to the Garden Gate.'See those beautiful rose buds and the chrysanthemums just opening? Tulips, tulips, like we each have two lips. Did you ever see so many tulips in so many colors? Don't answer. I know you haven't. Doesn't it smell wonderful out here? Count the number of tulips in this pot, Cassey.' Cassey gets to twelve and can't remember the next number. Before Ronita can stop her, she tears all the tulips out of the pot except twelve. 'I'm hungry. What should we eat?' she asks. Ronita takes the torn tulips to the counter and pays for them.

 

Cassey won't let go of her sprinkling can that she has to have, because she needs it for something. Her spirits are high. 'What in the world will you do with that, Child? I explained that we aren't going to the play- ground today, didn't I?'  Ronita asks. No answer. Lunch comes to an end. It is time to go home. Cassey has covered the top of her sprinling can with paper napkins. She shakes it over and over but whatever is in there makes no noise.

 

As soon as the car is parked in the driveway, Cassey pulls her nanny to the back steps, whips off the paper napkins and  Ronita gets sick to her stomach. There must be 25 crawling caterpillars in there. All she can say is, 'Yuk, Yuk.' Cassey looks at her as if she were goofy.  'I did good, didn't I? Daddy told me he found two yellow ones in our mimosa tree, and I have a lot of black ones, brown, and green. Daddy will be so proud of me. I'm going to put them in our tree.' Ronita grabs the sprinkler. It falls on the grass.  She hasn't the stomach to squash them and hurries to tell Mrs. Hobson.

 

Poor Gerald has to spray everything, do a lot of the dirty work  and hopefully drowns them all.  Cassey cries but stops when her mom gives her a piece of chocolate cake.