Day #97

I’ve been along almost the entire stretch of road and I still -

Jackpot!

Oh ho, this looks juicy. Looks way better than the dry cracker I had this morning. That cracker was drier than that guy who was trying to woo the scarf lady with numbers.

Pfft, what an amateur! Everyone knows the only way to woo a lady is to bring her the juicy meats from Ahmed’s Shawarma. And to have groomed fur. And to have clean ears. And clean whiskers. And smell like day-old garbage, not two-day old garbage. And to not trip over your paws when you’re approaching her.

Whew! I think Numbers Guy should be cut some slack. Wooing a lady is hard.

But not as hard as searching for meats!

Well, that depends actually. Ooh, it smells heavenly.

Some days I get more than what I want. But I still stuff myself silly. Not about to share with all those other sleazy mice-bags. I called dibs.

Mmm, I could eat this forever. It would taste better with some cheddar. I know a garbage spot not far from here. But I can't lug this everywhere with me. I need to stash it somewhere safe. I know Scully comes around here too. That furball has been an even bigger pain in the noggin since he and Sheila started mating.

Well, good for them. They can be each other’s pain in the noggin.

Hey, watch your feet! Miniature citizen walkin’ here! Human traffic has been terrible here this week. It’s like they all suddenly decided this road was the only road to use.

Anyway, some days all I can get is soggy crackers. The moldy stuff is an acquired taste, though, but still good. I can’t move fast with this piece of meat. Should I just eat it all now?

No! I was going to eat it with cheese.

But it will take me forever.

Okay, I’ll have half first - mmnn, and then, mmff half when I get there.

Sounds like a solid plan.

Would Julia take me back if I brought her the second half with cheese? She’d have to, right?

Honestly, she’s one picky furball, but the best option. This meat can’t be beat, but as a mate? She’d be the best.

Lila smelled. Hilda cheated. Fannie was only interested in the food. Mika can’t smell. Cora always had her little brother trailing after her. Nelly refused to leave her family. Bess got into too many fights. Dee -

Maybe I should bring this to Dee instead.

Dang it! I’m eating too much of the meat. It’s easier for me to carry now. Let’s see.

All those passing feet are making it hard for me to smell. Every human’s feet smell -

Yikes!

That lady’s shoe almost stabbed me. Come on, Kirk, focus! For the cheese! Ugh, she’s got on that sweet scent that follows her. Most humans have it on. Some male ones carry a spicier, muskier scent. I don’t get it. None of them smell good. Now day-old berries . . .

Man, that’s a different kind of sweet.

Dee loved that smell.

Maybe that garbage spot will have some fruits. I gotta be careful. Been having too many brushes with permanent disability lately.

Humans move slowly. Too slowly. Do they think I like smelling their feet? I’ll just zigzag my way to the other side.

Yeah, right here. Let me take a small - mmff - bite. That short run made me hungry.

Alright, if my nose serves me right, it should be along here. Just gotta balance my way across this sewer bridge. Wouldn’t want to lose the meats. And I just washed my ears too. That sewer water below didn’t smell like something I’d want to be wearing today.

Maybe tomorrow. I like my old cracker scent today.

Ah, finally across. I remember this place: it always smells like bread. Fresh and hot. My first attempt inside almost left me permanently dead. I’d died four times already, just like Uncle Gordon, but Uncle Gordon permanently died the fifth time.

Uncle Gordon was missing out on sweet meats.

A little more . . .

Oh, great. Here comes Nia and Neo. These siblings won’t stop tal -

Hey, guys!

Oh, no, I’m just bringing this home.

There’s more back there. I could only carry this much.

Suckers! The rest of this is in my belly.

Yeah, someone dropped a whole burrito back there. You should go check it out, before Scully comes.

Oh, no, I’m sorry to hear that. Well, at least he had a good life.

Did he tell you where he used to go and find those pepperoni slices?

Selfish rat, I knew he’d bring it to his grave.

Well, it was nice catching up but I gotta run.

That conversation was shorter than I expected it to be.

Good. I’m positive the garbage is just around this corner.

Their Cousin Geo died permanently. Unlucky furball got his neck snapped in a trap, trying to steal grapes. And he died before anyone could rattle his secret pepperoni spot to anyone.

This is the place!

Tangy cheese, come to Kirky.

Only Dee calls me Kirky.

She’ll be calling me Kirky and cleaning my paws once I send this sweet meat and cheese to her.

Now, where is the cheese?

!!!

I smell someone else here.

Wait, I know that scent!

She’s here!

I gotta find that cheese fast. I gotta get it fast. I gotta -

What’s that other scent?

It doesn’t smell familiar. At all. But -

Dee?

She’s with . . . another mouse. I’ve never seen him before.

She’s grooming him. Cleaning behind his ears.

The way she used to clean mine.

She told me she didn’t want anything with anyone.

Clearly, she went for a trip and came home with some baggage.

Broken baggage. His tail isn’t even straight.

She left me for him?

And I wanted to woo her back with this sweet meat. I came to this very spot to search for cheese for her. But it seems like she’s got better cheese.

. . .

More for me then.

I smell that glorious cheddar.

Just . . .

Right . . .

Here!

Oh, that sweet, tangy, delicious smell that should be worshipped by all mice!

I can’t wait to -

MMFF!

So good!

I’d give up a hundred Dees and Julias if I got to eat like this every day.

Geo can keep his pepperoni spot, I don't need it.

Actually, the pepperoni might go extremely well with this.

I’ll drag some of this cheddar home. Gosh, a few more days and it’ll taste just like that fresh pizza slice I caught last week at Monty’s!

I’ll stuff some into my cheeks.

I could hold shome too.

I’ll shee if Julia wansh to come wish me to Ahmed’sh garbage tomorrow.

If.

If she’s still picky about how clean my ears are then . . .

More cheese for me!