Cat Luck Ain't Dog Luck

Terence had liked walking backwards.

With Ageless ahead of him, it was like walking all by himself.

He had started humming.

This had enraged Ageless further.

Stop humming! Ageless had said.

Terence had pretended that Ageless had not said anything, and kept on humming.

Ageless had stopped walking.

Terence had bumped into Ageless, and put a dent in his carapace.

It wasn't Terence's fault.

But Ageless was mad.

Ah, there you are Ageless! says Gaius. And young Terence. It seems you've been lucky.

I'll give him lucky, grinds Ageless.

Ageless! cries Kobo. We've been up to Gun Hill and back. What have you been doing?

I'm injured, says Ageless. Do I need a plaster?

Let me see, says Kobo. No you don't need a plaster. Just take it easy until your next moulting. Sit down. You too, Terence. Gaius was telling me about the mongoose.

No, I'm going sailing, says Terence. With them.

He points at the wet Thomas-Humes.

You're wet, says Terence.

Yes, dear, says Mrs Thomas-Hume. We have been sailing already. Our catamaran flipped over. That's why you're lucky.

But she knows Terence won't think he is lucky.

She is the mother of Fish, and Fish wouldn't.

Terence starts wailing.

Ageless smirks in the background.

Serves him right, little slacker.

Tell you what, says Mrs Thomas-Hume, brightly (perhaps over-brightly). Tomorrow were going on a catamaran cruise down the West Coast, stopping for snorkelling and swimming. Would you like to come with us?

A-hem, coughs Mr Thomas-Hume, isn't that asking for trouble? Remember his previous drownings?

I'll obey the instructions, says Terence. No more drownings.

So hopeful, he looks, promising to obey the instructions.

And Mr Thomas-Hume misses his children.

They too sometimes look hopeful.

All right, says Mr Thomas-Hume. Here is a test though. Sit down quietly and listen to Gaius describing the mongoose.

Gaius is pleased that his knowledge of the mongoose forms part of the test as to whether Terence can follow instructions.

Everyone sits down, including Terence. Even Reception stops wiping tables to listen.

The mongoose, says Gaius, is an aggressive weasel-like creature. It eats insects, lizards, rats and snakes. It was brought to Barbados to get rid of the rats in the sugar plantations. But the plan failed, because the mongoose tends to hunt in the morning, while the rat feasts at night.

So the mongoose ate the snakes, says Kobo.

Cat luck ain't dog luck, says Reception.

Yes, it's an old Bajan saying....