Mouse - Short Story by Lena Coakley

Written by Lena Coakley
Lena Coakley grew up in New York and now lives in Canada. In high school,
Creative Writing was the only class she ever failed. Undaunted, she went on
to study writing at college. Her first novel is Witchlanders.
Before
Coping strategies help us deal with challenges in our daily lives. Some examples
are keeping a diary, acting out, daydreaming, and exercising. Think of a coping
strategy you have used and explain how it helped you.
During
Quotation marks identify the start and finish of spoken dialogue in a story. In
this story, there are no quotation marks around phrases attributed to the main
character, Katie. As you read, note how this lack of punctuation affects your
understanding of the story.
Tip
sensory details:
description that appeals to any
of the five senses (sight, sound,
taste, smell, touch). Because
the main character in this story
does not talk, the author uses
sensory details to help the
character communicate.
84
MHR Mouse
She woke me up and said it was breakfast time, but I knew I
had just gone to bed. The sky was still black outside the big
sliding glass door in the kitchen. I sat at the table while my
mother poured me a bowl of Cheerios. She covered them
with water from the kitchen tap. I was drifting off to sleep in
my seat, but when she put the bowl in front of me, I woke up
again. My mother winced and put her fingers to her ears.
“The crickets are bad tonight,” she said.
I can never hear the crickets but my mother has very
good ears. My grandfather had to come over and put our
refrigerator in the basement because it was too loud for
my mother’s ears. “The humming gets into my head,” she
told me.
My mother sat down opposite me at the kitchen table. I
spooned the watery Cheerios into my mouth even though
I wasn’t hungry. “At least you’re quiet,” she said, taking
my free hand. She squeezed it too tight but I didn’t say
anything. “Oh Mouse,” she said. “You’re the only one I
have to talk to.”
At school the next day, I could feel Lisa McSorely and Mary Winfield coming
up behind me before they even cast a shadow on my desk. “I don’t think she’s really
reading all those words,” Lisa said. “She’s not even in Tigers.” Tigers was the reading
group for all the smart kids in our class. Lisa and Mary were Tigers. I shut my book
and tried to hide it in my desk, but Mary grabbed it away from me.
“The Patchwork Girl,” she read. “Tell us what it’s about if you’re really reading it.”
I tried to ignore them, but Lisa put her mouth to the side of my head and said, “If
you want your book back, say, ‘Lisa McSorely is the greatest.’ ”
I stared straight ahead. Lisa was so close I could smell the bubble-gum-flavoured lip
balm she wore on a pink string around her neck.
Mary held the book behind her back and said into my other ear, “Say one word and
we’ll give it back to you. Come on, Katie, just one word.” Mary’s voice was quiet and
low like a cat’s purr so as not to attract Mrs. Yearsley’s attention.
Just then Ricky Hagan came up behind us and grabbed the book from Mary’s hand.
“Only kidding,” Mary said, slinking away.
“Mrs. Yearsley,” said Lisa, “I think Katie is reading a book instead of working on her
flower project.”
Mrs. Yearsley ignored Lisa. She was working at the front table with the Dolphins.
That’s the reading group for all the medium-smart kids in our class. Ricky and I are in
Bumblebees.
Ricky handed me my book back. I held it to my chest. Ricky Hagan is my next-door
neighbour and I love him. I don’t love him like I want to marry him—but almost. He’s
the only person I know who’s never asked me why I don’t talk. In fact, most of the time
he acts like he doesn’t even notice. We’ve been friends since nursery school. I used to
talk back then.
Nobody ever makes fun of Ricky Hagan because he has a horse named Lady in his
backyard. If you’re friends with Ricky, he lets you pet her and feed her carrots. Actually,
she’s a pony and she’s so old that no one can ride her anymore … but still.
After school, Ricky and I cut through Treat’s cornfield on the way home. The corn
was green and only came up to my knee, but last summer, when it was yellow and tall
and over my head, Ricky and I got lost in it and came out way on the other side where
the highway is. We didn’t get home until dark.
“My father says someone who doesn’t talk is called dumb,” said the voice of Mary
Winfield behind us.
Ricky turned around and glared.
Lisa said, “Well, my mother says wearing the same clothes two days in a row is
unsanitary. But we’re not talking about anyone in particular.” I walked more quickly
through the corn, careful not to step on any of the green shoots.
Mouse MHR
85
“Hey kids!” shouted a voice from the far side of the field. I could see a man on a
tractor waving at us.
“Run!” said Ricky. “It’s Farmer Treat!”
We ran as if dogs were after us all the way to my house, which backed onto the
cornfield. Then everybody stopped to watch my mother. She was hanging out of the
upstairs window throwing a bucket of water over our maple tree. She must have had all
our buckets lined up in a row in there because every time she emptied one she ducked
in and had another right away.
“What is she doing?” Mary asked. I knew she was trying to quiet the crickets, but of
course I didn’t say anything.
“She’s watering the tree, stupid,” said Ricky.
Lisa and Mary cut through my yard to the street and headed home, not thinking to
ask why my mother didn’t use the hose. Ricky didn’t ask either. Pretty soon my mother
finished and disappeared inside.
Ricky and I swung on my swing set trying to see who could jump off in mid-air and
fly the farthest. Ricky usually won. When he jumped off the swing he’d yell, “Cock-adoodle-doo!” before he hit the ground. I didn’t yell “Cock-a-doodle-doo,” but when I
flew through the air, I felt it. And I think Ricky knew I was saying it in my head.
Lady stuck her head over the fence and neighed for carrots. She’s a smart horse. I
think she remembers that last year we’d give her carrots from my mother’s vegetable
garden. The garden isn’t looking too good this spring. It still has all the scraggly dead
stuff from last year. The purple irises came up at the side of the house, though. I think
you only have to plant those once and then they come up forever.
When I went inside, my mother had a list of things for me to get from the fridge.
She doesn’t like to go down to the basement much anymore. She had things on the
list like broccoli, potatoes, chicken breasts … but I didn’t see any of that in there. My
Mom only nodded when I came up without anything. We had Cheerios for dinner
with some cans of warm Coke my Mom found in the cupboard. I used to never be
allowed Coke for dinner, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have.
When she was doing the dishes she asked me, “Was it in the same place it was
yesterday, Mouse?”
I knew she was talking about the refrigerator. I nodded.
“Was it humming?”
I nodded again.
The next day after school, Ricky and I rode bikes to the edge of the woods to
go possum hunting. We’d never caught a possum, but Ricky’s brother did once, so
whenever we went to the woods we carried an old green garbage can between our
bikes. This meant we had to ride with one hand and go at exactly the same speed, but
86
MHR Mouse
we’d had a lot of practice. I love the woods almost as much as I love the cornfield. I
love the smells of old leaves and skunk cabbage. And I love how quiet it is.
We parked our bikes at the dead end, but before we’d even got to the edge of the
trees I saw a dark slithering in the dirt. I bent down, and without even thinking I
grabbed a small, black garter snake behind the head. I turned and smiled, holding it up
wriggling for Ricky to see.
“Wicked!” he said, opening the garbage can.
We decided to bring it home right away. After all, even if we did find a possum, we
didn’t have another garbage can. “We can sell it to a pet store and get lots of money—
maybe ten dollars,” Ricky said as we peddled home.
I wasn’t thinking about money. I was thinking about what Lisa and Mary and all the
other kids at school would say when Ricky told them how brave I was—how I caught
a snake with my bare hands.
When we rode up to my house there was a small crowd gathered. A white van with
a flashing red light was parked by the sidewalk.
“Mouse,” said Ricky, “there’s an ambulance in front of your door.”
I don’t know why he called me that. He knew my mother did, but he’d never called
me that before.
Mouse MHR
87
Through the space between the houses I could see the green cornfield flickering in
the breeze. I swear that corn had grown since the day before. Soon it will be over my
head, I thought, and Ricky and I will walk in and be swallowed right up. Then all we’ll
be able to see is corn and sky.
A snake and an ambulance in one day. The kids will really be jealous now.
What Inspired Me to Write This Selection
I’ve always loved stories where the reader knows more than the main character, and a
story about mental illness seen through the eyes of a child seemed like the perfect vehicle to
try this technique. I particularly like the ending of this story, where we leave Mouse hovering
on the brink of understanding what’s really happening to her. The story invites you to think
about what happens next: whatever the reason for that ambulance, Mouse’s life is about to
change forever.
After
1.Understanding Form and Style What is the author implying about Katie’s mother and about the family’s financial
situation without actually stating it? Support your answer with evidence gathered from the text.
2.Reading for Meaning What coping strategies does Katie use to deal with her mother’s condition? How do these
particular strategies both help and hinder Katie?
3.Reading for Meaning Inclusion in a peer group is important for children. Write a short journal entry in Katie’s voice
that reveals her desire to be part of the group. Select at least two details from the story to make your entry authentic.
4.Critical Literacy The author presents the relationship between Katie and Ricky in a positive light. Ricky is seen as
Katie’s “knight in shining armour.” How might this relationship also be seen as reinforcing a negative stereotype of
women?
5.Student Voice What could you say to a bully to persuade that person to change his or her ways? Write an open letter
to all the bullies in your school expressing your thoughts.
6.Metacognition Was there a point in this story when you became confused about what was happening? If so, what
did you do to regain your understanding?
Beyond
Reading for Meaning What happened after the ambulance arrived at Katie’s house? Reflect on the author’s
inspiration note above and then add another chapter to this story. Use written form, storyboard, or role-playing.
88
MHR Mouse