Adapt Or Die Wisdom

Friday. Butterfly's birthday. She opens her presents before going to school.

A puzzle, a necklace, pink bed sheets, a family of lions.

I love these tigers! says Butterfly.

She takes the tigers to school.

.......

On the way home, David and Katherine take Fish to the coffee shop, for hot chocolate.

Katherine orders a latte, two hot chocolates, a gingerbread man.

Fish eats the gingerbread man, even though it is spicy.

Two hot chocolates arrive, one large and one small. But no latte.

Katherine knew that would happen when she was only charged nine dollars ninety.

She can't ask for one now, that is obvious.

........

In the afternoon, Fish has to go to a meeting.

It is called Best Start. He will be meeting his teacher.

He walks to school with Katherine and David, his pockets loaded with acorns.

They wait in the front office, Fish in one chair, a little girl in another.

A teacher comes in and takes the little girl away.

What if she took the wrong person? says Fish.

Miss Mash enters the office.

Fish! I know you! You're Butterfly's little brother.

Fish disappears with Miss Mash, for a grilling.

.........

David and Katherine have forty minutes to kill.

They collect Zoe the cavoodle, who has been tied to a tree, and head off for a walk.

Have you brought a poo-bag? asks Katherine.

Just one, replies David.

Zoe does the maths.

........


Forty minutes later they return to the school, and tie Zoe back up to the tree.

David looks for a tap. Plastic newspaper sleeves make ineffective poo-bags.

They turn up at the office at the same time as Mummy, to retrieve Fish from Miss Mash.

That went very well, says Miss Mash. Goodbye Fish. See you on Monday. Make sure you have your name in your hat.

What did you do with Miss Mash, Fish? asks Mummy, when they are out in the courtyard.

I had to do a hard thing with my brain, says Fish, enigmatically.

.......

Mummy has taken Fish and Butterfly to a play date.

David and Katherine walk home.

They pass the church where Pastor Ray Moon used to harangue his congregation.

Good old Ray, says David. Wonder what he's doing now?

Nothing, says Ray gloomily, emerging from a wicket gate.

Jesus! says Katherine. Ray Moon! You look terrible! Is Unni back yet from Tasmania?

Yes, says Ray Moon.

Well, you should be pleased about that, says Katherine. I know she got rid of the lobster.

She got rid of the lobster, says Ray, but she came back with a girl fiend.

Girl friend? says David. What's wrong with that?

Girl FIEND, says Ray. Name of Rosamunda Secunda.

Dear me, says Katherine. I know her. She seems such a nice girl.

She believes in Nothing, says Ray. She's a malign influence.

Her motto, says Katherine, if I remember correctly, is Adapt or Die.

Oh, that's good, says David. Very Darwinian.

She learned it in China, says Katherine.

All the same, says David. Wisdom is wisdom. Ray?

But Ray has slunk back though the wicket gate.

He enters the holy place, dark, deserted and festooned with spider webs, and sits down in a pew.