Alphabet Soup

Innuendo

Innuendo

        Mommy opens the door for her secret friend and I know the game has begun. We don’t play it often and I’m not allowed to talk about it with Daddy, but it is very fun. In it, Mommy is the queen of the kingdom, her friend is the noble knight, I am the prince, and Daddy, who Mommy says never has time to play with us because he likes to spend a lot of time with his friends at night, is the dragon who always seems to be causing trouble. I wish Mommy would let me help the knight protect the kingdom from the dragon. She says I need to learn how to use my sword first; it’s too dangerous to fight a dragon without the proper training. 

        Today, Mommy’s friend has brought a plastic bag with him. I try to peek into it. I’m still too short, even on my tiptoes. Mommy’s friend says he is a knight, but I’ve never seen his horse, his sword, or his armor. He seems more like a giant to me; he towers above me and I’m just an ant scurrying around his massive feet. He smiles at me and takes something out of the bag: a dragon! He holds the young hatchling out to me. The creature looks tiny in his massive hands. “Here you go, Timmy. I thought you could use something to practice with.” The dragon is little, but he’s still scary. He has bright orange fire coming out of his mouth ,and his teeth look sharper than the knives Daddy uses to carve the turkey at Thanksgiving. 

        I take him carefully, keeping him pointed towards the ceiling so he can’t try to bite me or burn my fingers. Mommy’s friend grins and winks at Mommy with one of his sky blue eyes. Mommy’s cheeks glow pink for a moment before she tells me that today we’re playing hide and seek because the dragon (Daddy, not the new baby dragon) is trying to catch me so he can eat me. I need to find somewhere he’ll never find me or else he’ll have me for dinner! I have until the count of ten before the dragon leaves his lair and tries to find me.

        One. I leave the living room. Two. I stop outside of Mom’s bedroom. Three. The queen’s chambers are off limits; I can’t hide there. Four. The bathroom might be a good hiding place. Five. No, I hid in the bathtub last time. Six. The dragon can probably smell me now. Seven. I race to my bedroom. Eight. I grab my plastic sword from the toy chest. Nine. I build a fort with my pillows and hide inside. Ten. Now all I can do is hope the queen and the knight find me before the dragon does.

        I hear Mommy and her friend looking for me so they can guard me; they keep calling my name as they search the house. Eventually they stop outside of my bedroom door, I can smell Mommy’s flowery perfume from here. They decide to go fight the dragon; otherwise, he might burn down the house while he’s searching for me. I wish they would let me help, but they go into the queen’s chambers to prepare for the battle without me like they always do. I’m left alone to practice with my sword again. At least this time I have something to practice with. 

        I open my pillow fort’s gate and prepare to fight the tiny dragon on the other side. It glares at me with its red eyes; its scales are the color of a fresh bruise. As I swing at it, I hear moans and growls coming from the queen’s chambers. I imagine the beast slashing at the queen and the knight with his terrible claws, snapping his gray jaws at them as they try to stab him in the heart. I don’t understand how the dragon keeps coming back after it has been defeated. Maybe magic brings it back to life. I don’t mind as long as it doesn’t hurt the queen or her knight. It has never won a single fight yet, but it always sounds fierce. A loud roar echoes down the hallway.

        Soon enough, Mommy and her friend come into my room, sweaty and panting like dogs but still smiling after their victory. Mommy’s friend says he has to leave, promising to return to his gorgeous queen soon. Mommy gives me a big hug before taking me back to bed, helping me get cozy under my Superman sheets, kissing me goodnight, and thanking me for being a good little prince. When Daddy comes home with a slam of the front door in the morning, swaying back and forth on his feet, growling, and puffing smoke from a cigar pinched between his lips, he snarls questions at me. His breath stings my nose and his prickly chin gets dangerously close to my face as he leans in to hiss threats in my ear, but I don’t tell him anything. Mommy is hiding a secret; Daddy has to seek it by himself.