Dear Mom where’s Alice?

Dear Mom where’s Alice?

A couple of weeks ago, we had taken our bath, brushed our teeth read a story, sang three songs and were just at the part of the evening where I turn out the light and Claire goes to sleep when she says, “Daddy, would you get Alice the Camel for me?” I sigh. Sometimes these little last minute requests are a precursor for a long evening of trying to get a little girl to go to sleep. It may lead to, can I have a drink of water?, can I sleep in your bed?, can I have something to eat?, is tomorrow going to be a snow day?, can I watch cartoons, the list goes on. However, Alice the Camel is after all, Alice the Camel. How sad it would be for a little girl to be crying in bed wondering where Alice is and Alice tucked away in a chair somewhere wondering where her little girl is? I am not sure which is worse. “Where is Alice?” I ask as I walk toward the door. “By the computer.” She gingerly answers. She does not start to get out of bed to help look. This is a good sign. If she starts to get out of bed it means we are not finished yet.

As I look around the office trying to find Alice, it occurs to me that I have not seen Alice in a couple days. The night before she fell asleep in my arms in front of the TV, it was a snow day, the night before that she fell asleep clutching Green Alligator. As I realize Alice is not in the office I head toward the living room. After the kitchen the bathroom, the master bedroom, the hallway, and another bathroom I find myself back in Claire’s room looking under blankets and sheets.

“I just looked there Daddy!” There is a touch of panic in her voice. It has been a while and she realizes I am about to stop looking. I reach for Ponca the Turtle. “Here, Ponca is feeling a little lonely right now, why don’t you sleep with Ponca?”

The look on her face, tells me this might have worked had I tried it a few minutes ago, but the gig is up, she knows Alice is missing and nothing else will do. “Where did you have her last?” I ask, but knowing full well, asking a 5 year old to remember where she set down her Camel is a little like asking her to do long division. Sure I would get an answer but would it really be anywhere near what I was looking for?

“I think we took her in the car!”

Alice does not normally get to leave the house. To avoid situations just like this. If we absolutely have to take someone we usually take Marvin the Shark. He is well traveled and has seen most of the US from Miami to Seattle. He has, in fact, wandered off a few times, but has always managed to find his way back home. He can be trusted past the door. But Alice is a kinder, gentler animal and would not feel comfortable wandering around in the big world. Perhaps she spent too much time tucked under the arm of a little girl to get a good enough taste of independence to cope with open spaces.

I thought back and could not remember taking Alice out of the house. Claire seemed pretty convinced. Two days before we had wandered home late in the afternoon and I had carried her sleeping body into the house, was Alice with her then? Did Alice drop in the yard on the way in? None of these options showed much hope but I went to the door and put on my boots.

Outside the snow in the yard was in big clumpy piles where we had played pretty hard when the snow first came down. Two snowmen still stood in the yard and you could see the tell tale signs of where we had gathered all the snow. I ventured into the wind and falling snow to check the car. There was no luck. As I headed back to the house I kicked all the piles of snow that could have hidden the body of a small stuffed camel, covered by the never ending snownami that had graced us this week. Every kick caught my breath a little bit. I was not excited about finding a wet frozen camel, though I suppose it would have been a good thing to finally know Alice’s fate.

I looked up to the door and could see the blinds pulled open as Claire looked out to follow me in my search. I had to keep looking. Finally sure there were no camels buried under the snow I stood in the yard staring at my little girl, still staring out the window. I could see her silhouette through the window and imagined the tears welled up in her eyes. Snow falling was lit only by the streetlight half a block away and shimmered as it fell to the ground. It would have been beautiful had I now been on a mission.

I guess I would have to start checking all the rooms of the house again. As I entered she was quick to ask, “Did you find Alice?” Tears were all the way down her cheeks, she already knew the answer. “Why don’t we go to bed honey, we will find Alice tomorrow.” Unfortunately, this was never going to be a satisfactory answer but I carried her up the stairs and laid her in bed. I kissed her on the cheek and assured her we would find Alice the Camel in the morning. She was crying as I walked out the door.

Meanwhile I set to looking again. Under the bed, over the bed, around the bed, I seemed to remember her crawling into bed the morning before last and maybe Alice had come with her. I had washed the sheets the day before yesterday and did not remember finding a camel in the bed. It occurred to me there was only one room in the house I did not check. Had Alice been hidden in the sheets when I put them in the laundry? Was Alice, even now, soaking wet in the bottom of the washing machine, beginning to smell a little of mildew? I went into the garage. As I started for the washer, there was Alice on the floor. I picked her up. She was dry. She did not smell freshly washed or dried. I suspect, Alice, realizing she was about to go in the wash, had avoided the disaster by squirming out of the sheets and settling on the floor. Camels do not seem to appreciate baths anymore than little girls. It was a close call.

I carried Alice back up stairs, silently scolding her for causing such a panic. Alice seemed altogether delighted to be out of the cold garage and off the floor, and pretty much ignored me. Claire stopped sniffling as I entered her room and as I parted her princess curtain to hand her Alice the Camel, she was already reaching for her. She tucked Alice under her arm. I sat there for a few minutes stroking her hair as the last of her sniffles went away and she settled into sleep with her Camel.

She fell asleep very quickly, as little girls are prone to do after a good cry.
I wonder if the make GPS devices for camels?
Love Mike