Counter top war

                By Janet Bellinger

Before the counter top war started,

mommy used to sit and write in her journal, and Little Kitty would sit on her lap.

One day mommy said

“Little Kitty can’t sit on my lap anymore, while I’m writing. She keeps licking my face, and I can’t write when she does that.”

Next time mommy sat down to write in her journal, Little Kitty jumped into her lap, as she always did.

“Not while I’m writing,” mommy said, patted Little Kitty and put her on the floor..

Little Kitty looked at mommy curiously, but went away.

A  little while later, Little Kitty tried to jump up into mommy’s lap, again.

"Not while I’m writing", mommy said, louder this time and put Little Kitty on the floor.

Again, Little Kitty went away.

The next time mommy wrote in her journal, Little Kitty did not even try to jump up into her lap

“See?” Mommy said, pleased with herself. “I taught her that she can’t get up while I am writing.

I thought Little Kitty looked sad, but do not say anything.

The next day, just as soon as Mommy and I started writing,  we heard:

Clatter, clatter, lick, lick

“What’s that noise in the kitchen?” mommy asked.

We trotted into the kitchen to investigate.

There was Kittle Kitty, standing in the sink and licking the dishes left over from my snack.

“No, “ said mommy, lifting Little Kitty from the sink ,down to the floor.

Mommy and I started writing again, but just as we did:

Clatter, clatter, lick, lick

Mommy jumped out of her chair and shooed Little Kitty away.

Then settled down again and picked up her pen

Just as she was about to write

Clatter, clatter, lick, lick

“Get down,” yelled Mommy

I clapped my hands to help Little Kitty get down

She jumped down out of the sink

I went back to my puzzle and mommy started to write again

Clatter, clatter, lick, lick

Mommy jumped up again and ran into the kitchen

Little Kitty vanished around the corner, just as mommy got there

We sat down again

This time I got the leftover puzzle piece to fit, just as we heard:

Clatter, clatter, lick, lick

Mommy and I jumped up at the same time

Little kitty jumped off the counter top, just as Mommy reached for her

But t this time mommy had an idea

She went into the playroom, where all the toys are stored

She came back with a water gun

“Now, I’m ready for her,” she said, filling up the water gun with water

 Mommy and I went back to our work

Clatter, clatter, lick, lick

Mommy rushed into the kitchen with the water gun.

Swoosh went the water gun

A little bit of water hit Little Kitty’s coat and she ran away

“There,” said mommy, rubbing her hands together

“I guess I’ve won the counter top war, for today."

We didn'tt hear anything for a little while

I started to build a town out of plastic bricks

Clatter, clatter, lick, lick 

Mommy put down her pen and pulled on her hair.

“Is there nothing I can do to make this cat stop?”

Mommy,” I said.

“I think Little Kitty just wants to sit on your lap.”

"She can sit on my lap, as long as she doesn’t lick my face,” Mommy said.

So now, Little Kitty sits on Mommy’s lap, again while she writes.

And we don’t hear clatter, clatter anymore.

But sometimes, we still hear lick, lick.