Benny's Loss

Hey! Benny, look over here, you little idiot. I was so good when you ate apples; I never interrupted or distracted you. I kept quiet when you played softball with Ken, Terry, and all your friends. Do you remember when Terry punched you in the stomach, and you bent over in pain, biting your lip? I was there for when you had to lick all those Valentine’s envelopes to hand out in your class. Eleanor, wasn’t that her name? The girl with braces you had a crush on and tried to kiss, but her braces scratched your lips? Oh, yes, Benny, I remember!

“Benny, it must be here; where did you put it?” I can hear Benny’s Mom talking to him, rustling around on his dresser. “It’s only been two days; it will be fine. Saturday, we will clean your room top to bottom.”

Benny was hiccupping from his crying. Geesh, what a baby. He needs to be more careful with his belongings. In the meantime, I’m getting cramped in here.

“C’mon, Benny, get downstairs and eat breakfast; you will be late for school.”

“I don’t want to go, Mom. I want to find it, or it will be too late!”

“Stop it, Benny! Eat your eggs while I’m making your lunch. Stop crying; stop it now. It’s going to be okay. I promise you.”

I heard her and knew she was now hugging him because his sniffles were muffled. Then, there were the sounds of his fork clinking on a plate and his glass being set down on the table.

Oh wow, she is driving him to school. He is such a baby, carrying on, and now she has to drive him because he missed the bus. I liked riding the bus with him, listening to all the kids bantering back and forth. I won’t get to hear that anymore, ever, now, even if they locate me. Those days are over. I have no idea what happens to me now. I know they need to find me so Benny can finish his quest. I’ll snooze until he gets home.

He's home now and bouncing on his bed. Benny, let up a little, will ya? He can’t hear me.

“Dinner, Benny, Susan. Jerry, come on, let’s eat, get your drinks.” Benny’s Mom was calling the family group in for the evening meal. I could smell food odors, possibly baked potatoes and hamburgers. I love the juice in the hamburgers but prefer the turkey ones. I’m going to miss that...damn that Benny!

The sun had been up for hours on Saturday morning, and Benny was still sleeping. When is his mother going to search his room? I’m still hopeful. Oh, here she comes. The curtains are ripped back, and the sun is so bright through the window, but Benny hasn’t even rolled over. The sleep of children…so peaceful and deep.

“Benny, wake up. You have five minutes to get dressed. We are cleaning your room today.” Benny is groaning and mumbling, but Mommie Dearest is not putting up with his antics.

“You have been whining for days. Now get up so we can search for the item you should have been more careful with!”

She searched his clothes drawer slowly and quietly while I watched him crawl on his hands and knees, looking under the furniture. He pulled up the edges of the area rug under his bed and found nothing but dust. They moved toward the bed. “Okay, Benny, we are going to slowly and carefully take the bedding off, one piece at a time.”

Off came the comforter, and I heard his Mom shaking it out. Then, the top sheet was untucked from the foot of the bed, and she pulled it all the way back.

Getting closer, you might find me soon.

“Benny put the pillow on the floor and carefully take the pillowcase off. I’m going to remove the mattress pad. Remember, go slowly.”

Benny slammed the pillow onto the floor and ripped the case off of it. He won’t find me there, thank goodness; he is horrid at following directions.

I waited patiently, hoping fervently that his Mom would see me. I could feel the pressure of her hands above me; she was close, really close.

“BENNY! Look!” She was holding me up between her index finger and her thumb. Benny squealed in delight. “Looks like maybe the Tooth Fairy will visit tonight.”

“Are you sure, Mommy? The tooth came out Wednesday, and it’s Saturday. Will she know?”

“Of course, she will know, Honey.”

**

Do you want to know what happened that night? Benny’s mother sneaked in and put a one-dollar bill under his pillow. The previous tooth had garnered him five dollars, though.

I was in her robe pocket this new day, riding around on her hip.

“Mommy, I think the Fairy is mad at me.”

“What do you mean, Benny?”

“She only gave me a dollar, and last time, it was five dollars.”’

“Do you think perhaps she wants you to be more careful?” I began rolling vigorously inside her pocket in anger at her manipulation until her hand gripped me through the cloth.

“What does she do with the teeth?”

“They go to a tooth bank on an island, and when there is a tall pile, they are dropped into the ocean for the mermaids and mermen to use to build their homes.” Benny giggled and ran out of the room.

**

She removed me from her pocket, wrapped me in a paper cloth, and stuffed me in the bottom of the garbage bag.