A Princess Allura Moment

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(A true story . . .)

December 15, 2004, approximately 8:00 at night on a small 3 and 1/2 hobby farm in West Central Minnesota, I walked outside (without a coat -- wasn't so cold in Minnesota that night) carrying my 3 and 1/2 month old son, Jordan, wrapped up in a blanket, and my 4 year old son, Kyle, following me. We had eaten supper at their grandma and grandpa's house (my mom and dad) and we were on our way back home. Also following us was Grandpa who was on his way to leave in his truck and go somewhere.

I saw that our cat, Bobby, was still toying with a field mouse I had seen him with half an hour or so earlier. (Field mice jump around like kangaroo rats). I pointed the mouse out to Kyle because I saw it as an opportunity to show him a mouse up close. Bobby must have done something to it so it couldn't move fast anymore, and most of the time it wasn't moving at all. I told Kyle not to pick it up or touch it because it could bite (and they're germy), and like the cautious kid that he is, he obeyed me without a problem.

I nudged the mouse with my foot so Kyle could see it move, and the mouse did. Then suddenly I couldn't find it anymore. Then I felt something crawling up the outside of the back of my sweater and it ran up right onto my left shoulder. Immediately I realized the mouse was on me! I became afraid the little bugger was going to bite me or something. Should have been more afraid that it could have bitten Jordan.

I half screamed, "Ahhh, it's on me! Get it off! Get it off!"

It seemed like my dad was just standing there, but he did fairly quickly, but calmly, come over to assist.

Before he had a chance to do anything to he said, "It's not on you anymore."

I think I saw the little bugger go over my shoulder, down my left arm, and may have even knocked part of Jordan's blanket off his head before it jumped to the ground.

"Good thing it didn't bite me," I said. The in sudden relieved realization I said, "Good thing it didn't bite Jordan!"

Hate to admit I was solely thinking about my own safety before my baby's, but that's the way it happened. Best I can think is that I instinctively thought he was ok because he was all covered up in a blanket. But it was after the mouse was off me that I had seen Jordan's head wasn't covered up anymore (which I think the mouse may have caused) and I realized I should be VERY thankful he wasn't bitten. I felt guilty I hadn't thought about his safety, though there wasn't anything I could have done to keep him any safer anyway (except stay away from the mouse altogether).

As I walked home to our place, the idea struck me that I then knew a little of what it was like for Princess Allura to have mice crawling up onto her shoulder. The experience doesn't bother her at all, though it sure had me a bit scared. I don't share with her the bond she experiences with a mouse on her shoulder. But, I do share with her the physical sensation of what it feels like to suddenly have a mouse get up on my shoulder. Weird!

[Author -- Sheila Bliss, Allura is within the previous creation of Voltron by World Events Productions]