Three Cheers for Clarita
Clarita was eight years old but she was so small for her age that people thought she was no more than five or six. But for all her small size, she stood at the head of her class. Her mind was very keen; she was very wide awake.
One day she heard her mother and father talking about burglars who had been victimizing the neighborhood. The police had been unable to catch them. "I hope they don't come here," her mother said. "I'm terribly afraid of burglars."
"Don't worry," her father laughed. "If a burglar comes, he will come at midnight. You probably won't even know about it."
"If a burglar comes, I'll catch him," Clarita suddenly interrupted in her small, childish voice.
"Oh, you will!" her father laughed again. "How are you going to catch a burglar, Miss Policewoman?
"I know how to catch a burglar. My teacher says I'm very clever. And I Won't need your revolver that Mama keeps in the aparador, either."
"Look, young lady," her father said seriously. "You are not to touch that revolver that Mama keeps in the aparador."
"I won't need it," Clarita said firmly. "I told you I can catch a burglar all by myself."
"Isn't she cute?" Mrs. Salas whispered to her husband. That night Mr. and Mrs. Salas went to a movie. Clarita was left with the maid, who was an elderly woman. Before the couple left, Mr. Salas told the servant, "Be sure to lock all the doors. That burglar might come around."
After her father and mother left, Clarita played for a while and then went to bed. It was a very warm summer night. Suddenly Clarita woke up bathed in perspiration. She tossed around in bed for a while, feeling itchy and uncomfortable. She could hear the maid snoring loudly. Suddenly she felt very thirsty. She tried to wake the servant up, but only deep snores answered her.
Clarita was a very brave little girl. She decided to go downstairs and get a drink of water. It was a bright moonlit night, so Clarita did not turn on the light. As she walked to the kitchen on the ground floor, she could see a ray of light under the edge of the closed door. She thought the maid had forgotten to turn off the light. The little girl opened the door and saw a man. He stared at her as she entered.
"Good evening," Clarita said politely.
The man said nothing.
"What are you doing?" she asked him.
"I'm 1st paying you a very short visit," the man said.
“That's nice" Clarita smiled. The child looked very innocent in her white nightgown. She said, "I came down, for I am hungry. I'm going to drink a glass of milk. Would you like some chicken adobo we had for supper? It is very delicious." As Clarita spoke, she went to the refrigerator, opened it, and took the adobo. As the little girl sat down to drink her milk, the man drew near and extended a hand to pick up a leg of chicken.
Your hands are dirty. You must wash them before you eat. Mama always makes me wash my hands" Clarita told him in a serious manner. "There are some knives and forks in that drawer."
As she and the man were eating, Clarita continued, "These knives and forks are only for everyday use. We have real silver knives and spoons and forks."
“Yes?" The man's voice was very eager. "Where do you keep them?"
"And we also have real silver platters that my mother said she inherited from her grandmother," the child continued as she drank her milk slowly.
"Come, little girl, show me where your mother keeps her silver. Are they here in the kitchen? in the dining room?" The man's eyes gleamed with a greedy light.
"I’ll tell you," Clarita said. "But go ahead and finish your chicken. My father says the best meat of the chicken is close to the bone." The man hurriedly bit the last piece of meat from the chicken and stood up to hurry Clarita.
"I'll show you where everything is," Clarita said. "We had a party a few days ago and my mother used all her silver things. She says they are of pure silver and very, very expensive."
"Yes, yes," said the man, getting impatient. "Where are they?"
"My mother keeps them in a box which she locks very carefully. She generally keeps the box in our room. But I remember now. Marta —that's our maid —has not brought the box upstairs yet. It is still here, I think. Let me see.
As the little girl spoke, she led the man into a small room called a dispensa. There's the box. It is full of silver things. I knew that Marta had not yet brought it upstairs. Mother will be very angry with her when she knows about this."
The man entered the small room eagerly, and when he bent down to pick up the heavy box, Clarita quickly closed the door and turned the key. Then she sat down to wait for her father and mother. She told them that morning that she would catch the burglar.
She did not have to wait long. As she sat on the floor fixing her nightgown to cover her legs and protect them from the mosquitoes, she heard a taxi stop in front of the house. Her mother and father had come home.
Comments