Mouse in the House

 by Chester L. Tuthill

It was 1945 and I was still in the Marines in China.  It was natural for me to make friends with some of the local merchants.  Eventually I was invited to go with them to a restaurant, in return for which I was going to take them to a movie at the auditorium in the school where we were lodged.

There were about five or six Chinese men there with me.  The first thing we did was climb up some stairs to a small cubicle on the second floor.  We were given a bowl of hot water and a  towel to wash our face and hands.  Everybody used the same water!

Once seated it now became a struggle to converse.  My Chinese at this stage was rather limited, nevertheless, with the aid of a book of translation provided by the Marine Corps we were able to converse after a fashion.  I'm not sure what was ordered as I left that matter up to them.  During the course of the meal which had now moved along on a really high note, due to the beverage of choice.  It was “bei gar”, an innocent, clear white substance, about 150 proof.  (My alcohol knowledge and  consumption was very limited.)

I noticed a cat fooling around at my legs, so I gave it a kick to remove it.  With that, I felt something shoot up inside my pants leg.  I thought, “My goodness a mouse must have run up my leg”.  I jumped up and started to unbutton my fly so as to take off my pants.  I was trying to explain to the startled group (with the aid of the translation booklet) what I thought had happened.  They said, “No, No, No.  This clean place, not possible.  Must be your imagination.”  By now, quiet had been restored;  the cat had left;  I sat down and we finished the meal a half hour or so later.

We left the restaurant and climbed into rickshaws for the ride back to the school.  I noticed the full moon didn't seem to stay in the same place.  It was sort of bobbing and weaving as opposed to the rickshaw which was weaving and bobbing.  The “bei gar” was working.  I thought, “How soothing it is to ride in a rickshaw being pulled along at a rapid pace by a local entrepreneur.”

Once inside the auditorium we all sat down and were waiting for the houselights to die so we could watch the movie.

I had my hands in my lap and we were sort of chatting to pass the time.  I noticed I had no feeling in my groin, and I wondered why.  I began to unbutton my pants again.  The business men I was with must have thought I had a fixation with taking off my pants.  I opened the fly and noticed there was blood on my skinny shorts.  I thought, “My God, I've been shot and I don't even feel it.”.  Continuing with the operation there suddenly appeared a bleeding mouse looking up at me with soulful eyes.  I took it by the scruff of the neck and said “See, I told you there was a mouse in my pants. And you didn't believe me!” 

I held my pants together with one hand, and walked to the exit door near by and threw the mouse out the door.  I re-buttoned my pants and sat down again.  The lights dimmed and we saw a local showing of Pearl Buck's  “The Good Earth” with Luise Rainer and Paul Muni.

copyright 2015, Chester L. Tuthill

 Chet Tuthill served in the Marines and after the end of WW2 was sent to China.  He took advantage of the Bill of Rights for veterans afterward earning a college degree.  Married with four children, he is now widowed and retired from the Education field.  He is the sole homemaker and caretaker of his son.