Laughter

“Melina, I’d like you to meet my teacher, Mr. Peselnick,” Kelly said smiling sweetly up at him then back to her daughter.

“Hello, Melina,” Ray said, albeit casually. His heart beat uncomfortably loudly in his ears and he thought it might just give out any second. This tiny girl dressed in a pretty pink nightgown could make all his hopes go up in smoke if she didn’t like him. The look on that impish face did nothing to calm his fears.  “You look even prettier than your picture.”

“You don’t look like a teacher,” Melina said giving him a stern look.

“Don’t I? What do teachers look like?” he asked curiously.

“Like Mrs. Whitmore. She’s my kindergarten teacher,” she said, then leaned forward and whispered, “She has white hair and looks like Yoda and she smells like chicken soup.”

“Melina!” Kelly scolded. “You mustn’t say such things. It’s not nice.”

“But she does. You said so, too, Mommy,” Melina innocently retorted.

“I... I was just joking, Sweetie,” Kelly said. She glanced up at Ray who shook with repressed laughter.

“She’s exactly like you,” he whispered, still trying not to laugh.

“Anyway, say good night, Melina. Time for bed.”  Kelly said, holding out her hand.

But instead of Melina taking it, she took hold of Ray’s hand and jumped off the couch leading him to the back of the house and her bedroom. “Mr. Pelnick wants to tell me a story, don’t you?” Melina said.

“Peselnick, Melina,” Kelly corrected.

“Dat’s what I said,” she answered still tugging him down the hall much to his amusement.

 “He may not know any stories. He teaches older kids than you,” Kelly replied soothingly, following them.

“He has to know stories. All teachers do,” she said as she entered her room and hopped onto her pretty pink canopied bed. She perched herself there like a princess awaiting entertainment. She looked up expectantly and smiled. “Sit down and tell me a story, Mr. Pelicon.”

He chuckled and Kelly groaned. “Peselnick, Melina. And I told you he might not....”

“Dat’s what I said,” she replied undaunted. “And he does, don’t you, Mr. Pesky?”

He laughed and sat down at the end of her bed. “I do know many stories that I used to tell my kids,” he said smiling brightly. This little girl, he suspected, would have him wrapped around his finger just as tightly as her mother and even in less time.

“You have kids? Can I play wit dem?” she asked excitedly.

“Oh, I’m not so sure you would want to. They are very old for you,” he said apologetically.

“Oh,” she said making a sad face. “How old are dey?”

“Well, Anthony is the oldest and he’s 24. Justin is next and he’s 22. My daughter Selma is my baby. She’s 19 but her birthday is next, month.”

“What you gonna get her for a present?” Melina asked.

“That is hardly your concern, Melina,” Kelly chided sternly.

“Mr. Pelsky might need some help getting sompin real good,” she replied staring up at her mother with those innocent eyes.

“Well, I could use some help actually. She’s not a little kid anymore so I can’t get her a toy, but I just don’t know what would be good. What do you think, Melina?” he asked curiously.

“Hmm,” she thoughtfully said, putting her chin in her hand as her mother always does. “I think a puppy.”

“Oh, that wouldn’t be good. Selma wouldn’t be able to keep it with her at college,” he said feigning regret.

“Then I can watch it for her,” she said brightly.

“No, you can’t. You’ve talked about a puppy, Melina. You’re not old enough,” Kelly said sternly.

“Am, too,” Melina grumbled pouting. She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered up at her mother.

“So, um, do you know any Aesop’s fables?” Ray interjected quickly before this became a squabble.

“Uh-uh,” Melina said unfolding her arms and staring unblinkingly at him. “What’s dat?”

“Stories like the tale of the boy who cried wolf. Do you know that one?” he asked.

“Uh-huh, Mommy told me. It’s about a bad boy that always lies then nobody believed him when he told the truth,”she replied knowledgeably. “The wolf ate him cuz he was stupid.”

Ray chuckled. “Yes, it is much better to tell the truth so you don’t get in trouble. Do you know the story of the fox and the grapes?”

“No, will you tell me it?” she asked eagerly.

“I think I will,” he replied and proceeded to do so. 

He remembered this story taking little over ten minutes when he last told it to Selma seemingly ages ago. This time it took three times as long, what with Melina’s amusing comments, bouts of infectious giggles which got him and Kelly laughing too and her charming inquisitiveness. Once the story was done and he rose to leave Melina held out her arms to him.

“What?” he asked confusedly.

“Arncha gonna kiss me good night?” she said with a pout.

“Oh, of course,” he said unduly touched. He stooped and got a fierce hug before she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She patted both his cheeks with her tiny hands and smiled. He knew then he was completely in love.

“Thank you, Melina. Good night,” he whispered.

“Will you come back and tell me anudder story?”

“If it’s all right with your mommy,” he replied smiling at Kelly.

“Time for sleep, Melina. It’s way passed sleepy time,” Kelly said somewhat sternly though the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth gave her away. She kissed her child, tucked the blanket around her and turned out the light. As she got to the door Melina called out.

“Mommy,” she said anxiously. “The monsters, you gotta check and make sure they’re gone.”

“Sweetie, I’ve told you, there are no monsters,” Kelly replied wearily.

“Oh, yes, there are,”Melina said fearfully.

“No, Baby, there aren’t.”

“That’s not true,” Ray interjected solemnly.

“Ray,” Kelly hissed, a warning in the glare she gave him.

“No use lying to her, Kelly. There are monsters everywhere,” he said going to sit by Melina again. “But you don’t have to worry about them coming tonight. They’re too afraid. You scared them off.”

“Me? Monsters are not afraid of me. They’re not afraid of anything,” she said desperately clutching at his hand.

“Oh, you got that all wrong, Honey,” he said seriously. “Monsters are very afraid of only one thing. Know what it is?”

“No,” she whispered, her eyes wide as the full moon.

“They’re allergic to laughter. When kids laugh it scares them silly.”

“Really? Why?” she asked skeptically.

“It hurts their ears something awful. It makes their eyes burn right out of their heads and then these really horrible boils pop up all over their bodies making them itch like crazy. Oh, they hate it!” he said dramatically.

“Wow... way cool,” she mumbled. She then frowned and looked reproachfully at her mother. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that?” she said.

“Uh, I didn’t know,” Kelly said stupidly.

Melina rolled her eyes and said, “That’s why she’s still going to school. Good thing you’re her teacher, Mr. Pellick. You gotta teach her the important stuff.”

He laughed and she giggled.

“You just made another monster run off screaming. They won’t be coming around here for a good long while, because you like to laugh too much and so does your mommy. I can’t get her to stop laughing sometimes and then she makes me laugh, too. There may never be a monster brave enough to ever come back here,” Ray said. “They’d be crazy to.”

Melina giggled again and hugged him tightly. “I like you, Mr. Pelecky,” she whispered in his ear. “Wish you could be my daddy.”

He held her tightly willing himself not to do something stupid like tear up. “Now you can sleep with no problem, right?” he said huskily.

“Uh-huh, nighty-night!” she said snuggling back under the covers and closing her eyes with a huge smile on her face. As they closed the door they heard her giggling to herself and saying, “Stay away, monsters, or I’ll laugh at you.”

Kelly and Ray laughed, too. Laughter apparently was good for whatever ails you.