Ludovic (continuation)

The Ring

Clarice was about to leave her house when she heard the hiss of the phone.

“Oh no! this sound drives me crazy” she moaned.

“Take it to be repaired downstairs,” remarked Ludovic and sleekly brushed his fur along the side of Clarice’s leg.

“Thank you teacher” she replied sarcastically. “You should see his cluttered workshop, it’s littered with oddities and ancient, useless curios and he had the cheek to tell me to consider buying a more advanced telephone system. Hahaha! How dare he suggest this to me …it is him who is stuck in time”.

She doggedly retained her oldé worlde ways. Even the word ‘modern’ made her wince. She was afraid that any changes would weaken or even destroy her magic powers.

Meanwhile, more and more things in her house needed repair. Her grandmother's broom had been gathering dust in a closet.

The trunk that for a long time had served as the repository for the rejuvenation of her magic outfits and was once a quality piece of furniture now looked old and tired, the wood grain almost groaned, overburdened by the weight of the broken sink it supported. It just about held the dilapidated dress inside its worn varnished walls yet in the early morning light, it looked new even though the trunk hadn’t worked properly for ten years. The room was packed to the brim with faded and period-style garments many with dirty and discolored lace, all waiting for their eventual turn and rejuvenation in the magic trunk.

She then heard her sister going off the handle (which was a regular occurrence) on the other end of the crackling phone. Every Sunday, Emma visited Claris. Madame with a straight back, black curly hair, and narrow threaded lips never smiled. Ludovic did not know what caused her to be like this, Emma hated him and he was sure that Rosalie had appeared in their home for a reason.

“Really, have you looked at your house? Maybe you left it in the kitchen or bathroom”, Clarice answered, holding the phone in one hand while trying to get an old-fashioned flattened hat from under the piles of washed linen with her other hand. Her red hair did not seem to obey her wishes and wistfully stuck out here and there as her hat fell forward, sliding it back. Clarice’s nose reddened with anger and seemed longer than usual.

Ludovic realizing that they were talking about the ring slipped against the wall in the bedroom. He covered the precious item with his body and looked forward to leaving the hostess.

“Yes, dear, do not worry, we will surely find it. Of course, I'll look for it. No, not right now. I've got to go ... I know that it is the memory of our mother... Ludovic could not do it. He is a very nice and loving cat Emma… do not even start. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. This ‘boa’ came to see me today. Yes, he just burst through the door... of course; I said that I knew nothing. Poor Aunt Beatrice. He threatened that he will hand us over to the police. Yes, I know there is no reason for this but anyway... How are we going to explain to them that this white mouse is our disappeared Aunt Beatrice? ... Of course, we will find it. Ok, my dear. I will call you back, I promise…”

Clarice ran out of the apartment like she had just been dreadfully scalded and needed a pond to jump into.

“Well... that was lucky” Ludovic eased the ring from his fur and placed it carefully in his paw.