“Oh, look, honey, Dr. Delaware’s drawing. What are you drawing, Dr.
Delaware?”
Before I could answer, the word doctor precipitated another
tearstorm.
Again, maternal comfort squelched it.
I held up my masterpiece.
“Oh, look, honey, it’s a bunny. And he’s wearing a hat. And a bow
tie-isn’t that silly?”
Silence.
“Well, I think it’s silly. Do you think he’s one of the LuvBunnies,
Cass?”
Silence.
“Did Dr. Delaware draw a LuvBunny?”
Whimper.
“C’mon, Cass, there’s nothing to worry about. Dr. Delaware won’t do
anything to hurt you. He’s the kind of doctor who never gives
shots.”
Bleats. It took a while for Cindy to calm her down. Finally she was
able to resume her story. Princess Cassandra riding a white horse..
I drew a companion for Mr. HatBunny. Same rodent face but short ears,
polka-dot dress-Ms. Squirrel. I added an amorphouslooking acorn,
pulled the page out of the notebook, reached over and placed it on the
bed near Cassie’s feet.
She whipped her head around just as I got back to my seat.
Cindy said, “Oh, look, he’s done a . . . prairie dog, too. And she’s
a girl, Cass-look at her dress. Isn’t that funny? And she’s got big
dots all over her dress, Cass. That’s so funny-a prairie dog in a
dress!”
Warm, womanly laughter. At the tail end, a child’s giggle.
“So silly. I wonder if she’s going to a party with that dress. . . or
maybe she’s going to go shopping or something, huh? Wouldn’t that be
silly, a prairie dog going shopping at the mall? Going with her friend
Mr. Bunny, and he’s got that silly hat on-the two of them are really
dressed up silly. Maybe they’ll go to Toys “A” Us and get their own
dolls-wouldn’t that be something, Cass? Yeah, that would be silly.
Boy, Dr. Delaware sure makes silly pictures-wonder what he’s going to
do now!”
I smiled and lifted my pencil. Something easy: hippopotamus just a
bathtub with legs.
“What’s your bunny’s name, Dr. Delaware?”
“Benny.”
“Benny Bunny-that’s ridiculous!”
I smiled, concealing my artistic struggle. The bathtub was looking too
fierce. . . . The problem was the grin . . . too aggressive more like
a dehorned rhino. . . What would Freud say about that?
I performed reconstructive surgery on the critter’s mouth.
“Benny the Hat Bunny-didja hear that, Cass?”
High-pitched, little-kid laughter.
And what about the prairie dog, Dr. Delaware? What’s her name?”
“Priscilla. . .” Working away. The hippo finally hippolike, but
still something wrong . . . the grin venal-the greasy smirk of a carny
barker. . . Maybe a dog would have been easier.
“Priscilla the prairie dog! Do you believe that!”
“PilIa!”
“Yes, Priscilla!”
“Pilla!”
“Very good, Cass! That’s excellent! Priscilla. Can you say that
again?”
Silence.
“Priscilla- Pri-scil- 1a. You just said it. Here, watch my mouth,
Cass.”
Silence.
“Okay, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Let’s get back to
Princess Cassandra Silversparkle, riding Snowflake up into the Shiny
Country…
The hippo was finally done. Scarred by smudges and eraser abrasions,
but at least it didn’t look as if it had a rap sheet. I placed it on
top of the bedcovers.
“Oh, look, Cass. We know what this is, don’t we? A hippopotamus-and
he’s holding a.
Ayo-yo,”Isaid.
A yo-yo! A hippo with a yo-yo-that is really silly. You know what I
think, Cass? I think Dr. Delaware can be pretty silly when he wants
to, even though he’s a doctor. What do you think?”
I faced the little girl. Our eyes locked once more. Hers flickered.
The rosebud mouth began to pout, lower lip curling. Hard to imagine
anyone being capable of hurting her.
I said, “Would you like me to draw some more?”
She looked at her mother and grabbed Cindy’s sleeve.
“Sure,” said Cindy. “Let’s see what other silly things Dr. Delaware
can draw, okay?”
Minuscule nod from Cassie. She buried her head in Cindy’s blouse.
Back to the drawing board.
A mangy hound, a cross-eyed duck, and a spavined horse later, she was
tolerating my presence.
I edged the chair closer to the bed, gradually. Chatted with Cindy
about games and toys and favorite foods. When Cassie seemed to be