Paula's diary 02 - Zoo

I woke up early today.  

I fell asleep at my mother's bed. She was still sleeping when I came to the kitchen to get some milk from the fridge. Then I went to my room and there was someone sleeping in my bed. I was angry because it was my bed! And he slept there with all his dirty clothes on, and all around him was my Zoo. There was my tiger, my monkey, my sheep, my turtle, my giraffe, my elephant and my big dog lying around him on the bed. 

'Get your dirty clothes off my bed!' I started shouting at the stranger and tried to wake him up. But he didn't say anything, turned his back on me and continued sleeping. His trousers were covered in dust and mud. He smelled, had uncombed hair and was unshaven. I started to remember how he could have come here and take a long nap in my bed. 

Last night when I was still sleeping I heard someone coming into the house. It must have been really late. Mommy allowed me to sleep in her bed and I remember that she laid down with me and cuddled me. Then someone started knocking at the door and I guess that man came in. They must have been talking in the kitchen for a long time, because I fell asleep tired of waiting for my mom to come to bed.

And now I find this stinky, dirty duffer in my bed. Probably he is drunk as well. I returned to my mom and tried to wake her up.

'Mommy, there is someone in my bed!'

'Yes, I know', she answered my half-asleep.

'Get him out of there. Now!'

'Go to sleep. It's too early.'

'I want him out of my bed!'

'And I want you to go to sleep.'

'Mommy!'

'I am counting to three. One...two...'

There was no point in arguing with her. I jumped into the warm bed and pretended I was sleeping. But I was thinking who the man was. He was the first man since my father's death that mommy allowed him to sleep in our house. I wondered who he was. He didn't look like my father, he was very different. Didn't he have a house to sleep in? Maybe he needs help? Maybe he doesn't have a place to live or maybe he wants to live with us? No, I won't allow for this. I don't want anyone to live with us. The house is enough for me and mommy. And I have my Zoo. So, we don't need any beggars here. No one, except my mother, me, and my tiger, my lion, my monkey, my elephant, my snake, my turtle, my monkey, and my lion, and my another monkey, and my giraffe, and my tiger, yes, my tiger, and my sheep, my cute sheep, and my mother, she must stay, my dog, my big doggy, and my cat as well.