How To Find Your Way in Minced Forest

Write Preface in the search space below right to get to the Preface.To go to the table of contents, write table of contents in the search space below right. To read a chapter, write the number of the chapter in the search space. To read the tales in Fay Spanish, go to cuentosdelbosquetriturado.blogspot.com. Thank you.

Sunday, 29 March 2020

151.The Romantic Toximeter

I didn’t get to consult the Pookah. Rosina, the hooded genius who was my sort of sweetheart, solved the problem of dinner at the dump for me. As a way of celebrating Valentine’s Day, dining with the Rubbishies left something to be desired. But not for Rosina. 

                              

         “Are you positive you want to come with me?” I asked her.
         

“Of course I am,” she replied enthusiastically. “It was my idea, not yours. This way we will kill several birds with one stone. You have managed to draw me out of my lab. You know what a recluse I am and how I never go anywhere at all nor want to. But we are going to have dinner together and in a place where I can try out my new toximeter. It measures everything noxious. Germs, lead, mites, the chances of catching trichinosis...you name it, this measures it.”

Yes, it was a peculiar sweetheart I had. When I told her how I felt about having promised the Leafies I would dine with them, I had expected sympathy, but not company. And I knew chocolates and flowers might not mean much to her, but I had never imagined she would want a toximeter for a Valentine’s Day gift. 

“I’m not sure about this,” I said. “I don’t know if examining food you are being offered to see if you might get poisoned if you eat it is quite right, This could offend our hosts.”

“Nonsense!” she cried. “It’s not as if we were employing a mortal taster to find out if our food is poisoned like kings and emperors did. With this gadget, there is no need for anyone to drop dead. And as for our hosts, why should they be offended? They would have to be pretty stupid not to appreciate the use of what I have got here. I will explain what it is for to them in such a way that even the least brilliant of the lot will understand its worth. You have no idea how happy you have made me inspiring me to think of assisting to such a dinner. This will be the most interesting and productive of all the Valentine’s Day celebrations in my life. ”

“Well, if you are happy, I am content,” I said, shrugging with a smile. After all, making your true love happy is what celebrating Valentine’s Day is about.

I suppose I should have been happy too. I didn’t have to eat anything at all. So excited were Rosina and the Rubbishies about measuring the toxicity of the stuff they had in the dump that they forgot all about me. It was love at first sight between her and the garbage fairies. I sat there on a discarded toilet seat and felt I had to be happy for I had made everyone else so, though never in my wildest dreams – or should I say nightmares? – had I imagined a Valentine’s Day party like this one. Or the consequences it would have. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

My blogs are Michael Toora's Blog (dedicated to my pupils and anyone who wants to learn English and some Spanish), The Rosy Tree Blog (dedicated to RosE), Tales of a Minced Forest (dedicated to fairies and parafairies), Cuentos del Bosque Triturado (same as the former but in Fay Spanish), The Birthdaymython/El Cumplemitón (for the enjoyment of my great nieces and great nephews and of anyone who has a birthday) and Booknosey/Fisgalibros (for and with my once pupils).