by David Blaze
More money than I had ever seen lay in front of us. It was dollar bills stacked in ones, fives, twenties, fifties, and hundreds! There were more stacks than I could count.
“Mom,” I said, gasping for air. “Is this enough of what we need?”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around me. She screamed like she was at a rock and roll concert. That was awesome!
“It’s more than enough,” she said in a broken voice. “We don’t have to leave!” She let go of me and danced around the room, laughing in a way I’d never heard. She was the happiest I’d ever seen her.
I reached down and touched a stack of cash to make sure it was real. This kind of thing didn’t happen to kids like me. I had never even won a game of duck, duck, goose.
It felt like gold in my fingers. I couldn’t wait to tell Fox that I didn’t have to dig a hole to China. We could be best friends forever now.
MONDAY NIGHT
My mom cooked my favorite dinner that night — fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and buttery biscuits. She danced around the kitchen and hummed a happy tune I’d never heard. She banged the pot lids together like they were cymbals.
I stood there and smiled while I watched her, knowing she could keep living her childhood dream. She thought she had lost this house and its memories forever, but now it would always be hers. Nothing could take away her happiness.
Someone tapped on the front door.
“See who that is!” my mom shouted, dancing to her own beat. “Maybe they heard me singing and want my autograph!” She threw her head up, laughed like a crazy person, and whipped the mashed potatoes.
I shook my head. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her singing was worse than mine when I was in the shower.
I opened the front door and froze.
Fox stood on the other side on all four paws. That reminded me of the first time I had seen him. He was magnificent with his bright brown hair and aqua blue eyes and wide smile. I nearly collapsed like I had that first night.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I whispered to him. I turned to see if my mom had noticed him. She wasn’t any wiser — she was doing the salsa dance like a zombie.
“I smell chicken,” Fox said. “I’m starving.”
I crossed my arms and shook my head at him. He knew better than to come there when my mom was around. It was for his own protection. “I’ll bring you some later. Wait for me out back.”
“Did it come from the magic box?” he asked.
I knew he was talking about the refrigerator. I hung my head. “Yes.” I started to close the door.
He licked his lips then slid through the doorway right past me. What was he doing? I had no idea how my mom would react when she saw him.
I ran into the kitchen and waved my hands in front of her to get her attention. She stopped dancing but swayed her shoulders from side to side. “Loosen up,” she whined. “Don’t be a party pooper.” She started to dance again, but stopped when she looked over the kitchen counter.
Fox was staring at her with his bright blue eyes. She grabbed my chest and held me back. “Don’t move,” she whispered. “It could be dangerous.” She was breathing hard.
“What are you talking about?” I asked her. “This is Fox. I told you about him the other night.”
She pushed me behind her toward the back door. “That fox is not your friend. It’s a wild animal and could have rabies.” She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out her cell phone.
“Hello?’ she said into the receiver. “Mike? Get here as fast as you can with your gun.”
This was not going well. I had to find a way to make her believe everything I told her about Fox. I couldn’t lose my best friend. I snatched the cell phone from my mom and threw it across the room.
“Jonah!” she shouted. “Why did you do that?” She took a deep breath. “It’s okay. You’ve been under a lot of stress.”
“He’s my best friend, Mom,” I told her. “You can’t hurt him.”
She opened the door and motioned for me to slip out. “He’s a wild animal, Jonah. He’s not a pet. He’s not a dog.” She was doing her best to convince me as she pushed me out the door. “If he was then he’d have a collar. Where’s his collar?”
My uncle Mike would be there any minute, and he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot Fox. I had to stop this before it was too late. “Tell her!” I shouted at Fox. “Tell her the truth!”
Fox stared at me for a moment then looked around like he wanted to make sure no one else was watching. He stood up slowly on his two hind legs and looked squarely at my mom.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Where’s your collar?”
My mom shrieked and put a hand on the wall beside us for balance. I was glad because I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to catch her if she fell. Her mouth was wide upon, and her chest heaved up and down.
“It’s okay, Mom,” I assured her, nodding my head slowly — the same way she did at me when she wanted to make sure I understood something . She tried to grab me as I walked around her and over to Fox. I stood by Fox’s side and faced her. “I need you to trust me.”
She put a hand on her chest and waited for her breathing to slow down. Her legs were wobbly, like she couldn’t stand much longer. She cleared her throat and looked back and forth from me to Fox.
“What do you want with us?” she asked Fox in a quiet voice.
He pointed at the kitchen. “Chicken from your magic box.”
She looked confused before she stared back at me. “Jonah?” I had no idea what she was going to ask me. The only thing I knew for sure was that we were running out of time. Uncle Mike would be there soon with his gun.
“Yes, Ma’am?” I gulped.
My mom took a deep breath. “Go get another plate for your friend.”
I smiled at her and laughed. She smiled back.
“Are we gonna stand around and talk?” Fox asked with his two front paws up in the air. “Or are we gonna eat some chicken?”
My mom shook her head and laughed. She walked over to me and Fox. “I trust you, Jonah. I’ve always trusted you.” She hugged me and bent down to face Fox.
"You're a cute little guy, aren't you?" She stroked his head and rubbed his ears.
"Right there," he said. "Yep. Yep. A little to the left." I laughed at the huge smile on his face while his tail whipped back and forth.
Then my mom said the one thing that let me know everything was okay.
"Any friend of Jonah's is a friend of mine. Welcome to our home.”
It’s been a few months since I've seen Fox, but now he's back and we're about to get into more trouble than ever before. I just had my twelfth birthday party, and the school bully, Shane, was there. He caught Fox talking to me! Now Fox is in danger, and I'm the only one who can save him.
My Fox Ate My Cake is a funny fantasy with a new adventure that's entertaining for kids of all ages, and adults who secretly never grew up.
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You can keep up with everything I’m doing and get more information about my stories at www.davidblazebooks.com
And you can follow me on Facebook. Be sure to like the page so you know what me and Fox are up to.
The name David Blaze was envisioned by Timothy David for his son, Zander Blaze, to create a world for him and all children that is fun, safe, enlightening, hilarious, and honest. Wow! That’s awesome!
If you enjoyed my story, please tell your friends and family. I’d also appreciate it if you’d leave a review on Amazon.com and tell me what you think about my best friend, Fox.
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