Necessary Connection

Thursday.

On the way to school, Fish and Butterfly ask for more acorns.

Do you want to grow a tree? asks Katherine.

No, I want to grow a squirrel, says Fish.

......

Later that morning, at home.

David and Fish are down at the bottom of the garden. Fish collects worms.

Katherine appears.

Look Grandma, worms, would you like one?

No, says Katherine. It's too close to lunch time.

........

Minutes later, at the tap under the balcony.

Fish has found a thin white latex glove.

He attaches it to the tap and fills it with water.

David and Katherine watch as the glove fills with water. One finger takes more than the others and droops and bounces suggestively.

Boing! Boing! It almost touches the ground.

At last the glove bursts.

Fish runs inside for another.

David looks at Katherine. Katherine shrugs. Perhaps Fish won't find another.

But Fish does.

......

Fish is watching a movie called Fire and Rescue while eating his lunch.

Ham-cheese-tomato sauce. His favourite sandwich.

David and Katherine are in the kitchen.

Katherine: Do you want salad in yours?

David: Yes thank you.

Katherine: It's good that Butterfly is happy at school.

David: Yes, with Mrs Switch and Mrs Tailend.

Katherine: A nice little composite class. And she's sitting next to Citronella, which is lovely.

David: Yes, life is simple at seven.

Katherine: It would seem so. And you. You seem to enjoy spending time with your nephew.

David: I do. He is more philosophically interesting than I had expected.

Katherine: How?

David: He expects a squirrel to come from an acorn.

Katherine: Surely that's just an error.

David: Perhaps. Or perhaps it's an example of necessary connection.

Katherine: David, you lose me....

David: Acorn, grows into tree, attracts squirrel. Bingo.

Katherine: I wish you would give up trying to prove the unprovable. Would you like sauce?

David: You know I don't like sauce.

Katherine: And in any case, there are no squirrels here.

David: It's philosophy, and therefore irrelevant. So, what's in my sandwich?

Katherine: Here you are. Salad and sausage.

David: Don't you mean sausage and salad?

Katherine: You're right, David. That's what I mean.