Orphaned?

A custody battle rages in Dogpatch.  Fightin' over younguns tends to bring out the wickedness as well as maternal (or lack thereof) instincts of the female species.  A few weeks ago Flower Girl's mother innocently brought a very old baby doll to Gabriele's shop in order to better display the tiny knitted baby clothes and hats being generated by the "Dam Knitters".  Woodcarver (touting her lack of maternal longing) made a point of moving the baby around the shop to startle Flower Girl frequently.  A few days of this, and Flower Girl found sweet retribution.

A small baby doll was adorned with a tattoo, scars from recent battles on her scalp and eye, and evidence of "open heart surgery".  She was delivered by messenger without a return address to Woodcarver at her shop.  Baby was "bedded" in a small box with a noose on her neck and mousetrap on her little hand.  I should mention that Woodcarver teaches knitting classes at Gabriele's Flowers and Fibers.  The day of the baby's delivery resulted in a note sent to the shop that future knitting classes must be cancelled.  Woodcarver asserted the weighty responsibility of her new baby's need for ongoing time consuming care as cause for her inability to continue teaching anxious knitters.  Only days later, the baby doll appeared at the flower shop wearing a multicolored mohawk hairdo and missing the arm previously waving with the mousetrap.

Sometime in the ensuing passing around of the baby, she was named "Chuckie" and acquired a new stroller, a scepter, later adorned with a serpent, as additional injuries became apparent. She turned up perched in a large Easter wreath being admired by visitors to the flower shop with a note stating "I'm back".  If I failed to mention Flower Girls aversion, or downright fear, of clowns; it would have been clearly apparent when "Chuckie" appeared sitting in her office chair one day last week.

Strange happenings are attributed to Chuckie now.  When Woodcarver's just finished sweater seemed to disappear at the end of a knitting class, we were certain this wicked child had something to do with the mischief.  Tiny dolls stalked Flower girl from the windshield of her car to the water in the cooler with flowers. When the clownface version of the baby was discovered in her office, Flower Girl capitulated.  She declared Woodcarver the winner and promised no more sending the little demon back.

I've been away for a week or so now, and can  hardly wait to see if Chuckie the clown has truly found a permanent home among the blooms and fibers...or if her destiny is to be orphaned again!