What Would Leaf Do?

About six months ago Granda bestowed upon the boys a pair of hand puppets, one a hamster, the other a white mouse. Neither boy showed any interest in them at the time. After Booker’s brief fascination with Meerkat Manor, he returned to the world of machines and has rarely paid attention to any animal unless one threatens to bite his ankle. As for Seamus, we were grateful that he showed no interest in tormenting small animals, but that seemed to be the most we had any right to expect.


Then last week, casting about for any means of distracting the lad from an impending tantrum, I chanced upon the puppets, thrust a hand into each, and began a conversation between the two in suitably high-pitched, squeaky voices. He was transfixed. Hamster and Ratinho immediately became his favorite playthings, with the requirement that I take the role of Hamster, and he take Ratinho. Hamster’s consuming envy of Ratinho’s long tail and big ears clearly made him the more desirable avatar.

To call this the inauguration of a rich interior world would be an exaggeration, at least at this point. Dialogue between Hamster and Ratinho rarely gets beyond,
—“Oh, Ratinho, será que você realmente vai comer tooooodo esse queijo?”
—“Sim! I am going to eat up all that queijo!”
—“Tudo bem, então eu vou comer esse gergelim....”



But still, it indicated that although ferocious appetite for whatever is coming next and willful impulse remain his most apparent attributes, there is something more percolating somewhere in his imagination.



Further evidence of this transition came days later, when Seamus started talking about Leaf. Leaf was a friend he met at the playground.

—When?
—The other day, with Oscar.
—Was Leaf big or small?
—Big...but not that big.
—How old is Leaf?
—Leaf is three years old, a big boy.
—What did Leaf look like?
—Like a boy.

And when was it, exactly, that you met Leaf? On pizza day. Ok, well, where does Leaf live? He lives way way far away in downtown Silver Spring. Downtown Silver Spring? But that’s not far away, that’s just around the corner. No, the other downtown Silver Spring. Near the airport. No, near the museum.

—Really, which museum?
—The Museum of National.
—The Museum of National what?
—The Museum of National hussafuzz.....

—The Air and Space Museum?
—No, the Museum of National hmmmpppmm.
—The National Building Museum?
—No! The Museum of National!

Seamus and I spent Saturday morning wandering around looking for Leaf’s house. I contended that if we went to the playground near the library, Leaf might appear. Seamus was skeptical, and vindicated by Leaf’s continued absence. We decided to decamp to another playground, nearer the Museum of National.

—Leaf will be so happy when he sees us! We will bring him this water bottle.
—Maybe Leaf will be at the pool?
—No! He doesn’t like the pool!

As we drive aimlessly east of Silver Spring, Seamus spies another playground.

—There! I think that is the playground near Leaf’s house!

Leaf did not show. I think we just missed him.



Waiting for Leaf.