Coalition

 “Listen up troops!” said Daisy surveying the line of stuffed toys arrayed on her bedroom carpet. Mr wiggles was looking at her with one eye while the other was pointed up. It was the best she could hope for from him. Dinosedan was facing forward and appeared to be paying attention but since he was a half dinosaur, half car it was hard to tell.

“I want a cookie” continued Daisy “And as we all know I am only allowed one cookie per day. Well today’s cookie was good. I ate it right after lunch and just before nap time, but it was not enough”.

Daisy turned towards her bedroom door and reviewed the plan.

“Daddy is looking at his computer and as we all know he can spend minutes and minutes and minutes looking at his computer”

Mrs Rhino fell over and lay on her side. Daisy thought for a second about yelling admonishments at the shiny silver rhino. A stern dressing down might help to snap the rest of the troops into line. Only Daisy remembered the hard day she had had last week. She had been playing in the park when she fell. She had skinned her knee in a horrible and disgusting, near life ending way. Mrs Rhino had been there for her. She had cried and squeezed her eyes tight shut and held Mrs Rhino close till it was over. Daisy couldn’t be mad at such a good friend. Daisy ran forward and stood Mrs Rhino on her feet before stepping back.

Daisy continued with her speech.

“So, with Daddy at her computer” Daisy had just started to learn about gender “I am confident that we can steal another cookie for me”

Daisy stopped as she had reached the end of her line of troops. She tried to spin around and instead managed a half turn before losing her footing and dropping down on her butt. Her diaper squeaked as she landed on the carpet making her giggle. For a moment she forgot all about cookies and speeches to the troops and scrambled to get to her feet. She plonked herself down on her butt again in the hopes of creating a matching squeak sound. The squeak was there but it was not so loud this time. Daisy was disappointed. Then she remembered the cookie.

Daisy rolled onto her tummy and clambered up to her feet. She turned back to the line of stuffed toys.

“I have a plan.” Daisy continued “But I need all of your help”

The hallway was quiet. Daisy listened for the sounds of approaching monsters, aliens and big dogs that mummy insisted were just being friendly. There was no sign of anyone. Taking Dinosedan under her arm she toddled along the hallway till she found the door outside Daddy’s playroom. Through the crack in the door Daisy could see Daddy sitting at his computer. Daisy wondered what the computer was and why Daddy had to sit in front of it for so long, for minutes and minutes and minutes.

Daisy had tried to learn more about the computer once and had a hazy memory from the before times. Her parents spent an awful lot of time with it, they talked to it, they yelled at it. It was a little like having a naughty brother. She had taken her sippie cup of juice and wandered into the room with the computer. It was dark but not scary and it was exciting to be in the room surrounded by grown up things. Daisy knew that this room was important, Mummy and Daddy kept things in here, things that didn’t look like toys, but Daisy couldn’t think what else could be so important? She took an idle sip from her cup and wandered over to the computer trailing drops of purple juice on the carpet behind her. The first indication that Daisy was no longer alone was the shrieking sound that was coming from behind her. She turned her head to see Mummy, Daisy loved Mummy. Mummy was shrieking and making other loud noises, using words that Daisy didn’t know. Daisy noticed that her sippie cup had slipped and was dripping purple juice into the computer.

“Uh oh” Daisy said as this was the thing you do when there is an accident.

Coming back to the present, Daisy found herself standing in the hallway, she held Dinosedan a little tighter as the memory faded.

Phase one of the operation required a lookout. Daisy placed Dinosedan in the hallway where they could keep an eye on Daddy and shout if anything happened. At the end of the hallway, just before the kitchen, Daisy put down Mrs Rhino in case Dinosedan fell asleep.

In the kitchen Daisy had Mr Monkey and Dolly Cow. Dolly Cow was empty and had wheels and a catch that Mommy could work, and Daisy could not but she fiddled with it every chance she got. When Mummy, Daddy and Daisy went to visit Granny, Dolly Cow had been filled with clothes and Dolly Cow kept her company when they went on the ‘roplane’. Daisy rolled Dolly Cow up to the kitchen counter and began to climb. Sticking her head up over the edge of the countertop Daisy spotted her prize. The large, clear, plastic jar full of chocolate chipped heaven.

“Time for you to do your part Mr Monkey” said Daisy and swung the long-limbed toy monkey at the cookie jar. Mr Monkey’s long fuzzy body whipped out over the countertop and struck the cookie jar with ‘thunk’ of impact and Daisy paused. No one called out any warnings. Dinosedan and Mrs Rhino were quiet. Daisy pulled Mr Monkey back and got ready to throw again. Mr Monkey had long legs and long arms and each one had a squashy circle on it. Daddy would lick the squashy circles and put Mr Monkey on the window, and Mr Monkey would hold on.

“What the hell?” said a voice that could only belong to Daddy and Daisy froze mid swing.

“Daisy?” called Daddy

The voice woke Daisy out of her frozen state, and she swung Mr Monkey again. He didn’t catch. Behind her she could hear Daddy walking up the hallway towards the kitchen. She gathered Mr Monkey and swung again. Nothing. Daddy started chastising Daisy for leaving her toys lying about. Desperately Daisy reeled in Mr Monkey and with a grunt of effort she threw his body out like a whip towards the cookie jar. Daddy pushed open the door to the kitchen.

Daisy lead Dolly Cow down the hallway back to her room following in the wake of her father. Daddy piled up the coalition of soft toys on Daisy’s bed and told Daisy not to leave her toys in the hall. Daisy said sorry and watched as Daddy went back to look at the computer again. Daisy walked over to her bedroom door and looked out into the hall. The coast was clear. Daisy pulled Dolly cow over to lie on her side and fiddled with the catch. A small ‘click’ and the empty space was opened to reveal that it was not so empty anymore. Daisy’s eyes widened. Lying at the bottom of the little case was a piece of chocolate chipped heaven.