Much to the relief of Marvin Dimwiddy, his little Molly fell asleep in the back seat. Then he saw the skyline of the big city in the distance. Maybe she’ll sleep until we’re at the airport, he hopefully thought. He was getting used to the silence, which he enjoyed very much. He relaxed a bit and then stiffened when he saw the sign that said, Be prepared to stop at the check point. “What check point?” he asked himself under his breath. “It wasn’t here a year ago.” Then he remembered the new rules that were made to enhance the environment. He was entering a controlled habitat zone. His car rolled to a stop at the sign.

“Good afternoon sir, may I see your permit?” the uniformed and armed officer asked.

Stunned by the request, Marvin could only weakly say, “Permit?” After gaining some composure, he said, “I don’t understand. What kind of a permit?”

“You are entering a protected habitat area and must have the permit to be able to pass through. The pink nose grey footed mini-rat can be disturbed by excessive vehicular noise. I see that you’re driving an approved car so if you had a permit, you could proceed on your way and pass through.”

“I’m one of the people who worked to make this area protected. I don’t understand this at all. We didn’t ask for a permit requirement to be inserted into the law,” Dimwiddy protested.

“Yes sir, I understand. The ESA issued a directive three months ago that permits would be needed to pass through the habitat. You’ll have to turn around.”

“But I can’t. The batteries are nearly gone and the engine is out of gasoline. I’m on my way to pick up my daughter’s granny. Surely—”

“Are you arguing with me, sir? There are no exceptions to the habitat rules. In addition, you aren’t allowed to use an internal combustion engine in this area. It disturbs the wonderful little creatures.  Oh, there one goes now. And another one.  Aren’t they cute?”

The sleepy eyed Molly had been quiet while listening to the conversation. She looked at the rodent and said, “That thing looks like the rats that hang around our place. They try to eat the chickens.”

“You have pink nose grey footed mini-rats at your place? If you do, I must report it to the EPA and the ESA. PETA will be interested too. I am a proud member of that fine group.”

Molly rolled her eyes and began rummaging around in her purse, and before the officer could say more, Molly handed him a photo and said, “That’s Blackie, my fox terrier dog. That’s the rat he caught and killed. They’re in front of the chicken house. That’s my daddy behind the dog. Now mister, does that rat look like the pink nose grey footed mini-rat?”

The officer taken by surprise by Molly said, “No, it surely doesn’t. I just wanted to make sure that we are protecting all of the endangered creatures. We have to make sacrifices in life and environmental protection of the habitat for the little ones is one of the many we must make.”

“Mister, my daddy worked hard to get this habitat going—why I don’t know—and now you tell us we can’t go through here to go get my granny because we don’t have a permit. I’ll get out and walk through and then when I die, you’ll have to explain to everyone why it happened.” Molly opened the car door and stepped out. She slammed the door and walked past the check point.  The word rats escaped her lips. 

The startled officer found his voice and hollered at her. “Miss you can’t do that. Come back here. You don’t have a permit.” Molly kept walking shaking her had no. “I can arrest you sir if you don’t get your daughter back here.”

“Officer, once that child makes up her mind, nothing is going to change it. Let us go on through and we won’t say anything to anyone.”

The officer pawed the ground with his right shoe toe. He swallowed so hard twice that his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He licked his lips. It was obvious that the officer didn’t know how to deal with the nine year old Molly. He looked at Marvin and then at Molly, who by now was 200 feet away and going at a full walking clip. Finally he spoke. “Okay sir, I’ll let you go through this one time. But I’ll give you a word of advice, sir. Your daughter can get in trouble if she does this again.”

“Yes sir, I’ll talk to her.” The officer waved Marvin through the check point. He stopped for Molly and they headed for the airport.

Molly turned to her father and said, “Daddy, if you ask me, that pink nose grey footed mini-rat is just a common mouse. We have bunches of them around the barn.”

Silence engulfed the car.

Marvin’s thoughts raced through his mind. Where is she getting these ideas? She must have found some old books again. I bet my dad is the culprit. I’m going to have to talk to him very sternly. My own father is damaging the cause. Enemies are everywhere. Even in my own family.  He sighed and tried to clear his mind. (To be continued.)

    © 07-03-2008 DEC