Bob, Warren, and the Rabbit's Foot

            BOB, WARREN, AND THE RABBIT’S FOOT

Warren came through the door of his apartment like a man on a mission. He threw his keys on the hall table and stomped across the room to his office chair. Disgusted, he slammed his briefcase on the desk and kicked off his brown laced shoes, then held his head in both hands.

“What have I done with you, what have I done!”

Bob, Warren’s Maine Coon cat sauntered over and sat across from Warren on the arm of the living room couch. He studied his owner, then exhaled a rather large and bored yawn.

“No Bob, not talking to you.”

“I’ve just spent all day looking for the lucky rabbit’s foot Nana gave me before she died. Remember? She always said, ‘keep this with you Warren, for good luck’, except now I can’t find it. I’ve searched everywhere I can think of, at work and here, and I just can’t find it. I think the last time I saw it was at work when I kissed it for good luck just before the meeting on Friday. I’m pretty sure I left it on the top shelf of the bookcase.

But you know how scattered I’ve been lately with Veronica and all. 

“Then again, it could be here,” as he got on all fours and began to look under the couch. He pulled out shoes, a sock and an empty bag of chips.

“Well the cleaners need to do a better job that’s for sure.”

Rolling over to a sitting position, he adjusted his glasses. “Ya know Bob, it wouldn’t surprise me if Veronica didn’t find it and throw it out just to be spiteful. She’s always said “It’s ridiculous, that thing doesn’t bring you good luck. I can’t believe you think it does!”

Warren looked under two more chairs and then called Bob to the kitchen for dinner. He opened Bob’s favorite chicken in gravy and plopped it into his dish.

It was then he noticed the note on the counter held in place by a salt shaker.

Dear Warren:

I’ve gone to my Mom’s for a few days to think things over. I just don’t feel like this is working and you never have time for me. We need to talk things over and you won’t make the time to do that so, I have to decide for myself if our relationship is worth saving. Please don’t call me, I need time to think. I’ll get in touch as soon as I can.

Veronica

"Bob! Did you hear this? She’s left us! She left me! She’s gone! Oh, my God. This can’t be happening…UN-BE-LIVE-ABLE!!!" (screeching in a high pitched tone)

Bob looks up from his dinner bowl to see what the commotion is, sees nothing alarming and continues to eat.

Warren takes the note back to living room and sitting on the couch, calls his mother.

“Hi Mom?”

“Hello Dear”

“Mom, Veronica has left me!”

“No dear, you must be mistaken. Did she leave a note, or call you or what?”

“She left a note. Said she was going to her mother’s to think things over.”

“Well, see, there you are, she’ll be back, just needs some time to think that’s all.”

“No, this is serious, she’s gone. She left Bob and I. And this is all because I lost the rabbit’s foot Nana gave me for good luck. I knew it! I just knew something like this would happen!”

“Warren, calm down. Get one of those books on the mating habits of earthworms, or whatever the heck it is you read. That will take your mind off things.

“Earthworms are hermaphrodites, first and foremost, however most need a mate to reproduce. Dear God why do I listen to you? Victoria has abandoned me and all you can thing about are earthworms.”

“No Warren, I understand and sympathize I just want you not to panic. She needs some time to think. She didn’t just walk out the door, she left a note. She’ll be back, but you have to listen to her and make some changes for the relationship to work.

“I’m telling you Mum, this is because of that rabbit’s foot.”

That night when Warren went to bed, Bob curled up on Victoria’s side of the bed.

Warren got to work the next day and to his utter shock was called into the office and summarily let go, citing company losses and major slashes to payroll. They of course said they would be happy to give him a good reference. His severance pay was thirty days plus his unused vacation.

Warren gathered his things and took the elevator down to the lobby. When he exited the building he turned left toward his car only to find it had been towed. In his hurry to get to work he misjudged and parked too close to the fire hydrant.

He carried his boxed items and brief case to the park across the street and crumbled on the closest bench. He couldn’t believe his luck. All because of that rabbit’s foot! He’d lost everything…girlfriend, job, car towed. He lived paycheck to paycheck, this was going to ruin him. 

Warren took the bus home.

He sat on the couch. He moved to the chair. He turned on the TV. He shut it off. He ate cereal. He ate ice cream. He fed Bob. He went to bed. Alone.

A week later after the initial shock had worn off, he showered, put on clean clothes, tidied up the apartment, and began to look for jobs. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. 

He got several interviews and two job offers, one of which he accepted for several thousand dollars more per year than what he previously earned. He was able to get his car back, but because of his higher salary, Warren bought himself a new car, and gave his mother his old car which she greatly appreciated.

Warren’s new boss was truly impressed with his work and invited him to his home for dinner with his family.

Warren met the boss’s daughter Cecile, and they had a wonderful time talking. Seems they had a lot in common; both were bookworms and nature lovers. They made plans to go hiking and future plans for bird watching.

Victoria eventually called Warren to say she had found someone else and Warren was happy he didn’t have to be the one to break it off.

Bob sat on the kitchen counter to observe the day Victoria came to pick up her things. He didn’t have much to say, he was never particularly fond of Victoria.

After dating Cecile for a year Warren asked her to marry him and she responded with a gleeful “yes”!

The wedding date was set, their new home was finally ready and Warren began to pack. 

He sat on the floor in the kitchen to tell Bob about the new home he would be moving into. Bob was all ears; for about two minutes. Then he was hungry.

Warren got on his knees to get up to open a can of cat food when he noticed something sticking out of the floor vent in the corner of the kitchen. 

Those damn cleaners…     

As he began to tug on the scrap of material sticking out of the slot, it became wedged and he couldn’t get it out any further.

Bob began to meow incessantly but Warren told him to wait until he got whatever that was out of the vent. Bob of course paid no attention and kept meowing.

Warren found a screwdriver and removed the screws of the vent cover only to discover it was his long last rabbit’s foot.

“Bob, buddy” “Look what Daddy found”!

He put the rabbit’s foot on the counter while he opened the can of cat food.

He sat at the counter while Bob ate and he mused,

I always thought this brought me good luck. I thought my luck changed for the worse when I lost it, but it didn’t, it got better! 

Warren bought a special case for the “Good luck” charm and put it on the mantle in his new home in honor of the memory of Nana.

Bob checked on it periodically to make sure it was still there.