Mrs Hocket’s Pockets

There is something strange happening on Wallerby Street. Stan and Mrs. Hocket are keeping a secret.

Most of the time, you can find Mrs. Hocket out in her yard with Salt and Pepper, her two cats. She wears brightly colored aprons that have enormous pockets. Salt and Pepper follow behind her.

Her yard is a tangle of apple trees, cherry trees, wildflowers, blueberry bushes, and raspberry bushes with bird feeders, bird baths, bat houses, whirligigs, and garden sculptures.

Stan frequently helps Mrs. Hocket.

Stan takes down the bird feeders to fill them.

Stan cleans out the bird baths.

In the Fall, Stan rakes her leaves.

In the winter, he shovels her sidewalk.

In the spring, they plant new flowers together.

In the summer Mrs. Hocket needs help collecting cherries from her tree. Stan calls his friends, and they climb the tree, each claiming a branch.

Mrs. Hocket watches them eat as many cherries as they pick until their hands and faces are stained red. “Oh my,” she says when her immense pockets bulge with fruit.

The children wait anxiously as the sweet smell drifts out from her kitchen.

“Who wants pie?” she calls, and the children come running.

Things started to look suspicious when Stan was visiting Mrs. Hocket more often than usual.

“Hey, Stan, we haven’t seen you much lately, what’s up?” said his friend Jack.

“Nothing,” said Stan “just busy I guess.”

“Want to ride bikes down the hill?” asked Christy.

“Maybe next week,” said Stan.

“Something’s up with Stan,” said Jack to Christy.

“Let’s follow him and figure this out,” said Christy.

Jack and Christy planned to hide outside Stan’s house the next day. They dressed in dark clothes, put on hats, and brought a canteen of water and some grapes. Christy and Jack took cover behind a row of bushes.

They sat and waited.

They ate grapes.

They sipped their water.

They waited some more.

Finally, Stan came out the front door, hopped on his bike, and rode away.

“Let’s go!” whispered Jack.

Christy and Jack quickly rode after Stan making sure he didn’t see them. He turned into Mrs. Hocket’s yard.

Jack and Christy rode down the hill in front of Mrs. Hocket’s house looking for anything suspicious.

They glanced over at Stan and Mrs. Hocket.

“I saw her reach into one of those giant pockets,” said Jack at the bottom of the hill.

“Me too. Let’s go up the hill and wave.”

Jack and Christy slowly rode up the hill. Mrs. Hocket smiled and beckoned for them to come over.

“What’s up?” asked Jack.

“Mrs. Hocket has a secret,” said Stan.

Mrs. Hocket smiled and pulled open her immense pockets. Jack and Christy peeked in.

“Kittens” they shouted!

Mrs. Hocket had three kittens in her pockets, one was black with white feet, one was white with black spots, and the last was all white.

“They are Salt and Pepper’s kittens,” announced Mrs. Hocket. “Come sit and meet them.”

Mrs. Hocket gently placed the kittens on the step. Stan handed the mostly black kitten to Jack.

“Can I call him Socks?” asked Jack. “He looks like he is wearing white socks.”

“Absolutely,” said Mrs. Hocket.

Then Stan gave the all-white kitten to Christy. Christy rubbed her soft velvety fur against her cheek.

“I love her!” exclaimed Christy. “I think she needs to be called Fluffy.”

“Sounds perfect,” said Mrs. Hocket.

Stan picked up the last kitten.

“This is Mac.” Mac was white with black spots, he was playful. Mac nibbled at Stan’s finger. Stan laughed. Stan rolled him over in his hand rubbing Mac’s belly. Mac said “Mew”.

Mrs. Hocket smiled as she watched the children play with the kittens.

Mrs Hocket’s Pockets

Flash Fiction - Peace