Olivia goes West

Chapter 3

As Fievel begrudgingly took his shift cleaning dishes in the kitchen after dinner, and Tanya watched over Yasha, now four years old and walking, while Mama relaxed with a book and Papa practiced his violin, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Hm? Someone's at the door." Tanya remarked, turning her head.

Yasha clapped her hands and ran for the door, "I get it!"

"No Yasha, you can't even reach the knob," Tanya rolled her eyes, getting up and walking to the door.

When she opened it, Olivia stood before her on the porch, tears rolling down her cheeks, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Tanya asked with concern, "Are you the girl from next door?"

"M-my...my daddy's...missing," she answered shakily.

Tanya gasped and looked to her Papa, who stopped playing.

"He's gone? Did he say vhere he vas going?" Papa asked.

"A-after ye called Fievel in fer dinner...I-I went home, but no one was there...nothing was unpacked..."

"Why she sad?" Yasha asked.

"Maybe you should go to bed little one," Mama said before picking Yasha up and taking her to her room, who protested loudly to this.

"Mr. Mousekewitz...have ye seen my daddy?" Olivia sniffled.

"After ve got his boxes and things inside he said he vas going to ze store for food, I vanted to help more but he insisted I'd done enough already. So I came home, and I haven't seen him since."

Olivia bit her lip, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve, holding back sobs. She wasn't able to hold it for long, and she began crying again. Tanya, feeling terrible for her, gave her a hug. As Fievel washed dishes in the kitchen, his ears perked up to the sound of Olivia's crying. He peeked around the corner.

"Olivia?"

She looked toward Fievel, wiping her tears, feeling embarrassed for crying in front of Fievel.

"Her father is missing," Tanya explained.

"Really?"

"I don't know vhere else he vould have gone," Papa said, "Here, I'll go out and see if I can find him anyvhere. I'll ask around. In ze meantime, you can stay here Olivia."

"Th-thank you. Mr. Mousekewitz..." Olivia stammered, "I-I hope he just got lost or somethin'."

"I'm sure he just got lost..." Tanya said, trying to comfort her but fearing the worst.

"I'll keep you company until then," Fievel said, walking up to her.

"Thank you," Olivia gave a small smile.

As Mama got back from Yasha's room, Fievel took Olivia's hand and led her to a soft chair to sit in. Papa opened the door.

"I'll be back soon. I'll do all I can." Papa said.

Olivia nodded a bit, sniffling, "Okay..."

With that, Papa closed the door, hoping that he'd at least find a clue. However, when mice just disappeared like that without a trace, the outlook was usually pretty grim. He didn't want to believe Hiram had been lost to a hawk or a rattlesnake, maybe a cat. But, it was something he'd seen happen time and again, both in the old country and in America, and the most likely explanation.

"To me a-weigh, you Santy, my dear Annie

Oh, you New York girls, can't you dance the polka?"

The Irish singer did a jig on the stage as he sang along with a piano in the smoky saloon, filled with the usual customers, mostly male mice unwinding from a hard day's work, gamblers, drifters, and the town drunk, who rarely left. There were poker games going on at the tables. But of course with Miss Kitty as owner of the bar, backed by Tiger and Wylie Burp, it rarely if ever got too rowdy. Nellie Brie and Vartan were seated at the barstools as they spoke to Tony Toponi, who was busy cleaning a glass with a wash rag while answering Nellie's questions for her interview. Vartan kept busy sketching a picture of Tony pouring a drink at the bar.