03 - Heather: the Chosen One
A Tweedy Mouse for a birthday!
By AW
Chapter One - Heather is Chosen
'I think Janet will choose you to go down to Colchester!'
squeaked Suzie, as she and Heather settled into the eccentric bed and breakfast
in Ullapool.
'Why me?' said Heather.
'Because of your heathery colour, I think!' replied Suzie. 'But there is a problem!' 'What's that? asked Heather. 'Well, I've heard she has banned having ornaments, trinkets and soft toys for her birthday!' whispered Suzie, melodramatically.
'Oh, but...!' began Heather. 'We're not...!'
'I know!' said Suzie. 'Look, he's on the phone
now!'
... 'So is the ban on ornaments, trinkets and
soft toys still in force re your birthday?'
... 'Depends on the quality and nature of such
encumbrances. Now there's an answer!' came the reply.
'Come on Heather! Let's get the phone!' cried
Suzie, dragging the astonished Heather to the phone.
... 'Hello! Hello! I'm Suzie!'
... 'And I'm Heather!'
... 'And we are definitely NOT ornaments... And we're NOT trinkets... AND WE ARE NOT NOT NOT SOFT TOYS! (Ahem) We are Tweedy Mice from Ness!'
Suzie and Heather paused, there was silence. An astonished silence from the phone.
... 'And one of us would like to come and stay
with you! In Colchester!' squeaked Suzie, recovering first. 'There's a ticket
booked for 16 January. But we needed to check we would be welcome! And not sold
on a second-hand stall!'
... 'There's only one condition,' added Heather, 'and Suzie would want this as well. When you come up to Ness on holiday, we want to come too, as we were born there and we both want to go back when possible!'
... 'Can you bring yourself to accommodate a
nice, quiet, well-behaved Tweedy Mouse?' squeaked Heather and Suzie together.
... 'We are both well read!' said Suzie.
... 'And we blend in well with woolly blankets!' added Heather.
'We do?' whispered Suzie.
'It's a useful skill!' whispered Heather back.
'Oh you'll have to indulge me while I choose!' came the reply. 'What colour are the outside of Heather's ears? When they meet again in Ness perhaps they'll have to go and adopt another mouse baby each. I hope Heather hasn't got Christmas dinner on her whiskers!' Suzie and Heather giggled as they listened to the reply. ... 'No, Heather's a very clean mouse, as is Suzie! I think all ears outside are the mouse colour, while insides are different!' There was a pause. Then came the decision!
... 'Heather has won my heart! You should win a
David Bailey award for your attractive mice pin-up shots. After seeing the
inside of Heatherโs ears I am smitten!'
'Oooooh!' squeaked Heather, excitedly. 'What's
smitten?'
'Well done! You've got a long journey ahead of you!' said Suzie.
'Yes, I know!' replied Heather, 'but we're stopping in Manchester first, aren't we?'
'That's right,' said Suzie, organisedly. 'Breakfast here tomorrow, then it's Inverness, Edinburgh, and all the way to Manchester. Then after a few daysโ rest, you'll be travelling to Colchester to meet Janet in your new home!'
'Oooooh!' exclaimed Heather. 'How exciting!
Chapter Two - Intrepid Heather's Journey
'Now, have you got everything?' asked Suzie for
the fourteenth time.
'Yes!' I've got cheese!' squeaked Heather. 'And my scarf! And cheese! And more
cheese!'
'You're travelling first class, so that should be plenty for the journey!' said
Suzie.
'I wondered if I had enough!' replied Heather. 'You can never have enough
cheese!'
'Look, he's got the phone - you need to send
Janet a message!' exclaimed Suzie.
... 'Hello! It's Heather! I'm setting off this morning, from Didsbury station!
I'm travelling first class so I should arrive in Colchester tomorrow - can you
meet me there please, as you need to sign? You'll know me from the nice new
tweed scarf!
Oh, and Suzie says, can you let her know when I arrive please? See you soon!'
... 'Hello! It's Suzie, Tweedy Mouse! Happy
birthday, Janet! Have a Tweedy good day!'
... 'Thank you!'
... 'Hope Heather's got there all right!'
... 'Yes, she's fine!'
... 'Coo-ee! Yes, I'm here!' squeaked Heather.
... 'We're ready! But who's going to blow out the candles? Where's Janet? ... WOW! Well done! That was good from that distance! Now where's the knife...?'
... 'I did blow hard on the screen and it worked! Dear Heather is here
and I don't feel too bad about going for a curry in a few minutes as she packed
plenty of tasty cheese for tonight's feast so she won't be cheesed off if I go
for curry.'
... 'Happy birthday!'
... 'Yes, happy birthday!! Yippee!'
ยฉ AW 2019.
